Grab a fork (or spoon) and dig into these Easy Oven-Baked Canned Artichoke Hearts with Crispy Parmesan Breadcrumb Topping.
I have a deep deep love for all things artichokes. Whole artichokes, roasted artichokes, steamed artichokes, and of course, artichoke hearts. Now, if you’ve ever eaten a whole artichoke then you also know that the heart of an artichoke requires peeling away the many thorny (edible) layers and scooping out the fuzzy “choke” layer before finally getting to the prized heart center.
While I will never turn down the opportunity to enjoy a whole artichoke, I am equally thankful for the convenience of canned artichoke hearts. I mean, can you imagine how many artichokes or how hard it would be to gather enough artichoke hearts to make this recipe.
So many.
So, thank you amazingly delicious canned artichoke hearts for making my life a little easier.
Ingredients in Canned Artichoke Hearts with Parmesan Breadcrumb Topping
- Canned artichoke hearts
- Butter (or olive oil)
- Italian style breadcrumbs
- Fresh lemon juice
- Garlic
- Anchovy fillets (optional)
- Parsley
- Parmesan cheese
So anyway, let’s chat about this recipe for a quick sec. Inspired by this recipe for Stuffed Artichoke Hearts by Erin from Platings and Pairings, I practically fell from my chair when I saw it.
It had to be made.
Usually, I never follow recipes exactly; there are simply too many distracting additions or substitutions to follow rules. However, I can honestly say that this is one exception (more or less). Artichokes are, in my opinion, delicious eaten plain, so I didn’t want to overwhelm them with too much stuff.
Canned artichoke hearts blanketed by toasted, cheesy garlic breadcrumbs and hints of fresh herbs. Seriously, who wants to mess that up?
As the recipe creator mentions in her post- there are anchovies- but don’t let that scare you away! You really can’t taste them. And just because I may be a bit biased about anchovies (I love them), I served this on new year’s eve with family friends and they loved it! If you’re unsure, leave them out. No biggie.
Health benefits of eating canned artichoke hearts
- Canned artichoke hearts contain loads of fiber. In fact, one medium artichoke provides 10.3 g of fiber or 41 percent of the recommended daily value.
- Packed with antioxidants
- Loaded with Vitamin C and K.
- Just 130 calories in one 15-ounce can of drained artichokes.
Important things to note about canned artichoke hearts
Canned artichokes are not a low-sodium food. As such, I wouldn’t recommend sitting down and eating three cans of artichoke hearts in one sitting. The better choice? Steam a whole artichoke heart and eat the meat off the leaves, dig out the fuzzy “choke” layer, and enjoy the prized heart.
Not sure how to cook and eat a whole artichoke? Learn how here.
For recipes that call for loads of artichoke hearts, such as this, it makes the most sense (as discussed above) to use canned artichokes. To save on calories and sodium, make sure to use canned artichoke hearts in water, not jarred artichoke hearts in oil.
Yes, the jarred and marinated artichoke hearts taste wonderful, but to cover those in a cheesy breadcrumb topping would be too much. At least, in my opinion.
Love Artichokes? Check out these artichoke recipes,
- Mediterranean Baked Fish with Artichokes and Olives
- Chicken and Rice Soup with Kale and Artichoke Hearts
- Spinach and Artichoke Chicken
- Broccoli, Spinach and Artichoke Frittata
- Greek Lemon and Chicken Soup with Couscous and Artichokes
- Easy Mediterranean Chicken Wraps with Hummus
- Easy Chopped Mediterranean Salad
RECIPE CARD
Canned Artichoke Hearts Recipe with Parmesan Bread Crumb Topping
Ingredients
- 3 (15 oz) cans artichoke hearts in water - drained and halved
- 1 lemon - juiced and divided
- 2 tablespoon butter - or olive oil
- 5 cloved garlic - minced
- 6 anchovy fillets - (optional)
- ⅔ cup Italian style bread crumbs
- ¼ cup flat leaf parsley - chopped
- ½ cup Parmesan - fresh, shreaded
- Freshly grated black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Drain artichoke hearts well, squeezing them of any excess water. Arrange the artichokes, cut side up, in a baking dish (the tart pan was perfect).
- Squeeze half of the juice of one lemon over the artichoke hearts.
- Meanwhile, in a medium size skillet melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the anchovies and garlic, breaking up the anchovy fillets with a spoon. Add second part of lemon juice. Continue to cook until anchovies have dissolved in the butter.
- Add the breadcrumbs to the skillet and mix well with the anchovy-garlic mixture. Toast the bread crumbs until golden brown, stirring continuously.
- Remove from heat and stir in parsley, Parmesan cheese, and fresh pepper. Carefully pour the breadcrumb mixture over the artichoke hearts and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
- Best served warm.
Video
Jessica's Notes
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
(originally posted on January 19, 2016)
I am definitely going to make this dish! I love artichokes! What should I serve it with?
I love this with my Mahi Mahi recipe 🙂
Hi Jessica, the bread crumbs should be seasoned or plain breadcrumbs?
Thanks so much for this delicious recipe
Italian breadcrumbs 🙂
If I wanted to substitute with anchovy paste, how much would you suggest?
Frozen artichoke hearts work great. No added sodium. I just thaw them in a colander and pat dry. If you’re in a hurry, they can be heated up in the microwave. The ones I get can be heated right in the bag they come in.
Easy to make and tastes delicious!
Is the nutritional information for the whole dish?
The nutritioal information is estimated for one serving 🙂
I have lovely large artichokes in a jar (Costco find), Can I follow this recipe with them?
It was very good, but I think I will
Use a different cheese next time. The parm didn’t melt well.
Parmesan isn’t a melting cheese. It is a necessary flavor ingredient in stuffed artichokes. This is kind of a deconstructed stuffed artichoke. Keep the parm, but if you want a melting cheese, add some fresh or shredded mozzarella over the top. That way you get the gooey cheese, plus the flavor of the parmesan.
I use a bar parm and grate it, the already shredded cheeses don’t melt well, it has to do with the pre-shred packaging. If I am using any cheese I need to melt it’s always a bar I shred myself just for that reason.
Pre shred packaging, as in it’s pretty dried out
Yes, pre-shredded does not work as well as fresh does for this recipe due to the lower moisture 🙂
Yes, fresh Parmesan cheese that you grate yourself does melt in the oven, though it melts differently compared to softer, more moisture-rich cheeses. Parmesan has a lower moisture content and a harder texture, so when it melts, it doesn’t become as fluid or gooey. Instead, it tends to soften and can become slightly crispy, making it excellent for topping casseroles, pizzas, and baked pasta dishes where a slightly golden and crusty cheese layer is desirable.
Looks great! In the video it shows lemon juice being added to the garlic, anchovy, butter but I don’t see that step in the written recipe. How much lemon juice went in the butter mixture?
Please see the recipe card above – half of one lemon 🙂
I used gluten free bread crumbs because that was all I had. I also had some sour cream that needed to be used. I exchanged sour cream for the butter in the recipe. Worked great!
I love artichokes and will make this soon. Want to try the other recipes too!
Can you make this ahead?
That should be fine 🙂
Adore Artichokes !
Sounds delicious! Will be sure to make it as both my husband and myself love artichokes!
I used frozen artichokes successfully by thawing them in a sieve in the refrigerator for 3 days! They were perfect.