I remember the very first time I ever tried this strange vegetable called an artichoke.

I was 35 and I just gave birth to my son about 6 weeks prior. We had family in town for Christmas and we all decided to go out for lunch and do some last-minute shopping.

My brother actually ordered a baked artichoke with garlic sauce as an appetizer and even though I was eyeballing the mozzarella sticks, I thought I’d save face and give it a try.

Damn! Wouldn’t you know that they were freaking delicious!

I don’t know why this amazing vegetable hadn’t crossed my lips before, but it was definitely going to stay in my diet moving forward.

Since then, I’ve had all sorts of artichoke from sautéed, grilled, roasted and steamed. But baked is definitely my favorite!

There are so many scrumptious foods you can stuff an artichoke with, but today I stuck to a classic: garlic and cheese. It tastes so good, you don’t even need a dipping sauce!

As I was making this, a friend said the reason she never had artichoke before is because she has no idea what to do with it, how to cook it or even how to handle it.

OMG! I bet there are soooo many people just like her that need a little Artichoke 101. If you know how to handle artichokes go ahead and skip to the bottom for the recipe. But if this is your first time or you’re a little rusty, please see the instructions below. 

Here’s the basic anatomy of an artichoke - use this as a guide with the instructions below.

How to eat and prepare a baked artichoke:

1. Slice off the very top of the artichoke (about 1/2″ - 1″).
2. Use scissors and cut off all the thorns from the outer leaves .
3. Slice off the stem of the artichoke so you have a flat base (make sure not to cut too high and into the heart).
4. Lightly pry the outer leaves apart and fill with your favorite stuffing ingredients.
5. After you bake the artichoke (see recipe below) you’ll enjoy this yummy vegetable by peeling off the outer leaves and gently scraping off the tender meat at the bottom of the leaf with your teeth. The meat of the leaf is lighter in color.
6. Discard leaves, one by one, until you reach the inner leaves. (I discard the inner leaves, but you can eat the ends of them if you want to).
7. DON’T SKIP THIS PART: Take a fork or spoon and remove the choke and discard (you’ll be able to tell what the choke is as it looks like a bunch of wiry hairs). Once that’s gone you’ve reached the heart of the artichoke!! Take a fork, slice into it and savor every bite!

Alright! You know what to do now so let’s get to the recipe!

Garlic and Cheese Stuffed Artichoke

Ingredients:

• 4 artichokes
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil, to drizzle
• 1-2 Tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/2 cup Manchego, shredded (or your favorite sharp cheese)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• parsley, optional topping

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 450°.
2. Place tinfoil in bottom of large pan.
3. Slice off the top of each artichoke and cut off all thorns.
4. Place all 4 artichokes in pan, spread leaves apart and stuff leaves with garlic, followed by lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste and top with cheese.
6. Cook in preheated oven for 1 hour.
7. Remove from oven and top with chopped parsley and serve immediately.

There are so many cool things you can add to stuffed artichokes, like gluten-free breadcrumbs, sun-dried tomatoes or even bacon! What’s your favorite?

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