An Italian 🇮🇹 tradition. Very tasty and pretty easy to make. Give it a try, it’s worth it!

Stuffed Artichokes, stuffed with delicious Ritz Cracker stuffing and Italian herbs. Sure to be a hit as an appetizer or main course. Impress your dinner guests with this mouthwatering meal!

Ingredients:

• 2 artichokes, washed
• 2 lemons, halved
• 6 Tbs butter (4 for stuffing / 2 for dipping)
• 4 garlic minced cloves
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 4 cups crushed Ritz Crackers
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 3 Tbs Parmesan cheese, grated
• Italian season, salt, and pepper to taste.

Directions:

1. Fill a pot with a few inches of water, and place a steamer basket on top. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Turn the heat to low and let it simmer.
2. Use a knife to cut off around 1-inch from the top of the artichoke.
3. Cut off the stem to form a flat base.
4. Remove any small, tough outer leaves and discard them.
5. Use scissors to cut off the sharp tips of the leaves.
6. Carefully pull open the leaves so you can see down to the choke.
7. Use a spoon to scrape away the fuzzy chokes and discard. You want a nice clean heart. This might take a bit of muscle but it will come off.
8. Squeeze lemon juice inside and also rub on the outside of each artichoke.
9. Place the artichokes, upside down, in the steamer. Cover and steam until they are almost as tender as you’d eat them steamed, about 15-20 minutes. To check for doneness, a leaf should pull off without much force. When done, remove from steamer and let cool enough you can handle them.

While artichokes are steaming preheat oven to 375 F.

1. Melt butter in a large pan over low-medium heat. Let it simmer about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon.
2. Add wine.
3. Stir together and simmer on low for about 4-5 minutes.
4. Add crushed Ritz Crackers and parsley. Stir then remove from the heat.
5. Season to taste with Italian Seasonings, salt, and pepper. Let cool.
6. Place artichokes, top side up, in a baking dish.
7. Use a spoon and your hands to fill the center of each artichoke with the stuffing. Fit in as much as you can.
8. Pull leaves slightly apart and add stuffing.
9. Sprinkle the top of each artichoke with Parmesan cheese.
10. Place artichokes in the preheated oven and bake until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 20 minutes.
11. Serve with melted butter or mayonnaise for dipping the leaves.

Enjoy! 😋