This may be one of the richest (and best) ways to serve Artichokes ever: steamed, cored, and stuffed with a heavenly blend of Bleu Cheese, Cream, and Thyme. Top it all with a crunchy/savory layer of Parmesan, Breadcrumbs, and even more Thyme, then roast it…whew!

Essentially it’s an Artichoke with a creamy little fondue pot inside. Diners peel the leaves off of the outside and dip them into the crunchy, gooey Bleu Cheese goodness on the inside.

We definitely recommend sharing these among several people- don’t go digging into one all by your lonesome. Trust us when we say that there is a lot of food here.

For the Artichokes
•2 Artichokes, top quarter cut off and the pointy ends cut off of the leaves
•4 Garlic cloves, smashed
•1 Lemon, halved

The filling:
•4 oz Bleu Cheese, crumbled – we find that tubs of pre-crumbled Bleu Chese work great for this.
•1/4 to 1/2 cup Cream
•1 Tbsp fresh Thyme, chopped
•Salt & Pepper to taste

The topping:
•1/4 cup Bread Crumbs
•1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
•1 Tbsp fresh Thyme, chopped
•1 Tbsp fresh Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped
•Salt & Pepper to taste
•Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzling

Fill a large pot with salted water and bring it to a boil. Using a serrated knife, cut the top 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch off the top of the Artichokes. Use kitchen shears to trim the mean little pointy ends off of the rest of the leaves.

Rub the Artichokes all over with one of the lemon halves then add the Artichokes, Garlic, and Lemon halves to the boiling water. Cook them until a fork will slide into the stem end with very little resistance, about 30 minutes or so depending on how fat the Artichokes are. Drain and cool.

While the Artichokes cook, preheat the oven to 350, mix the Bleu Cheese, Cream, Thyme, and a pinch of Salt & Pepper (not too much Salt, the Bleu Cheese contains quite a bit). The mixture will be creamy but still slightly chunky.

Also while the Artichokes cook, mix the Bread Crumbs, Parmesan, Parsley, and Thyme in a small bowl. Season to taste with Salt & Pepper.

After the Artichokes have had a chance to cool, gently pry apart the leaves at the top so you can get at the choke inside. Use a spoon to scoop out the small inner leaves and the fuzzy choke, be careful to leave the heart intact.

Spoon the Bleu Cheese mixture into the cavity inside the Artichokes. Top with the Bread Crumb/Parmesan mixture, drizzle with olive oil, and bake until the Artichokes are lightly golden brown outside and the filling is all melty and gooey – about 25 minutes.

If the Bleu Cheese doesn’t do it for you, we imagine all kinds of other wonderful things you could stuff these with pre, post, or sans-roast:

• Crab, Artichoke, and Parmesan dip with Jalapenos
• A garlicky Lemon Aioli
• Spinach dip
• some kind of heavy-duty compound butter substance

Anyhoo, you get the idea. Save yourself a bowl and fill the Artichoke with the dip, you’ll thank us.