Cheese-Stuffed Artichokes Recipe

There are many ways to serve an artichoke, but one of the best ways is undoubtedly stuffed with cheese. This recipe features fontina and goat cheese blended with heavy whipping cream to make a rich, cheesy filling that adds a ton of pizzaz to the artichoke leaves. In addition, the breadcrumbs add the perfect amount of crunch to the dish, and finishing it off with lemon yields the best and most flavorful results. 

Recipe developer Michelle McGlinn created this quick and easy recipe that all artichoke fans will enjoy. "Artichokes are delicious and a unique, healthy snack or appetizer. They aren't very hard to make, and are actually a bit harder to eat than to prepare. The tricky part [when] preparing artichokes is achieving tenderness, avoiding the choke, and cutting away any pointy leaves," McGlinn says. "The fun part about eating them, though, is scraping the meaty, tender bits at the base of the leaves with your teeth. You can also eat the meaty center located under that fuzzy choke, which offers the most filling part of the artichoke." Keep reading to find out how to make these cheesy, stuffed artichokes.

For this recipe, you will need 2 large artichokes, heavy whipping cream, fontina cheese, goat cheese, salt, pepper, garlic, lemon, and bread crumbs. "Sometimes, people tell me they hate feta or goat cheese, and I totally get that," McGlinn shares. "Just skip it. Add more fontina, or add mozzarella or white cheddar for some more flavor. The goat cheese really stands out here, so if you hate the flavor, use a different cheese."

First, cut the stems off of the artichokes so that they sit flat. Then, cut off the top fourth of the artichoke, so the inside is exposed. Fill a large pot with water, and bring it to a boil. Once you see bubbles reach the surface, place the artichokes in the pot with the inside facing down, and boil for about 15 minutes, until brown. You can also test the artichokes for doneness with a fork. Place them in a colander with the inside facing down, and strain the excess water.

While the artichokes boil, preheat the oven to 400 F, and make the cheese filling. In a skillet over medium heat, add the fontina cheese and cream, and whisk constantly until the cheese melts. Once the shredded fontina cheese melts, add the crumbled goat cheese, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. When the mixture is smooth and creamy, go ahead and remove it from the heat.

Grab the artichokes, and if you'd like, remove the inner purple leaves and the fuzzy choke from the artichokes before you stuff them. "The choke is the fuzzy part in the center. It doesn't have to be removed, necessarily, because it is very easy to simply avoid ... It comes away in one big piece," McGlinn explains. "If you are peeling the leaves away, of course, you can also scrape it out from the boiled artichoke, too ... The choke isn't poisonous — it is just very fibrous, hard to digest, and shouldn't be eaten."

Place the artichokes in a baking dish, with the inside facing up, and pour the cheese sauce on top. Make sure that the sauce gets in between each leaf. Then, sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the cheese mixture. "You can add as many breadcrumbs as you wish; I went for a light topping," McGlinn shares. "You can also add parsley, or any herbs you love."

Bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese bubbles and the breadcrumbs turn golden brown. Be sure to let the artichokes cool before serving. To enjoy, pull away each artichoke leaf, and use your teeth to get the artichoke meat and cheese stuffing. If you left the choke in, avoid eating the fuzzy center. This dish pairs well with other shareable apps like broccolini, shrimp, mussels, bread, and pasta. "You probably won't want a sauce with this, [since] it's very cheesy, and the cheese is like a sauce on its own. If anything, serve with lemons in case it is too rich," McGlinn notes. 

McGlinn also shares a few pro tips for enjoying. "I like artichokes as an appetizer for small gatherings where you are sitting down, sharing a meal. This isn't ideal for fast-paced, grab-and-go finger food situations," she explains. "It's somewhat messy, [and] takes some time to eat ... Besides the choke in the middle, you also want to avoid eating the entire leaf; the only parts of the artichoke you want to eat are the soft, meaty white parts, mostly found at the base."