Stuffed Artichokes

When I was in high school, I found out that most people do not eat artichokes the way my family does. One of my classmates said something about steaming them and dipping the leaves in mayonnaise…

First you prep the artichokes: rinse them off, cut off the stems, cut the very tops off, and cut each of the pointy ends on the petals (kitchen scissors work great). Then put them in water with a little lemon juice so they don’t turn brown.

Next you prep the stuffing: A meatball mixture. (If you make meatloaf, you can use that recipe.)

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/4 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup Parmesan/Pecorino cheese
• 1 tbsp parsley
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper

You pull on the petals and “open up” the artichoke as best you can, stuffing little bits of the meat mixture into each little petal pocket. When you get up toward the top it gets tougher, so just do as much as you can.

Then put the stuffed artichokes in a deep roasting pan or casserole dish. Make meatballs out of any remaining meat mixture and put them in the bottom.

Pour red (spaghetti) sauce over the artichokes and into the pan, be generous. (The sauce can be homemade or from a jar, Rao brand is my favorite.) If the sauce is thick, add a little water as well.

Cover the pan and place it in a 375 degree oven for an hour, basting occasionally. Then uncover and cook for another hour, basting. Artichokes are done when the petals can be easily pulled off.