Stuffed Artichoke Bottoms

A while back when I was choosing ingredients to make a Mediterranean-inspired ivory lentil salad, I discovered a fun product – canned artichoke bottoms.

Now, I’m just as particular about canned foods as much as the next guy, but these are high quality; there’s no tinny taste. There is a tang to them, however, but still easier than collecting bottoms from actual artichokes.

I discovered these bottoms on Amazon, and have tried a few different brands. All have been good.

The first time I looked at these, my mind went to a stuffed artichoke bottom, similar to a stuffed mushroom – filled with flavorful Italian sausage, baked ricotta and Parmesan.

Stuffed Artichoke Bottoms
Makes 14 appetizers

2 cans artichoke bottoms, 14 bottoms total
16 ounces Italian sausage
1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
Cayenne pepper flakes, to taste
8 ounces whole-milk ricotta, at room temperature, drained if necessary
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and white pepper to taste
Finely grated Parmesan or other hard grating cheese, about 4 ounces
Chopped parsley, to garnish, optional

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Drain, rinse, and dry the artichoke bottoms on paper towels.

Cook the Italian sausage until no pink remains, making sure it’s well crumbled. Add the bread crumbs and cayenne pepper flakes. Let the sausage cool.

You will have extra sausage mixture. Save it for meatballs!

Meanwhile, combine the ricotta cheese with the egg yolks along with salt and white pepper and whisk until smooth.

Fold in the parsley. Taste for seasoning.

Place the bottoms on a jelly roll pan, curved side up. Slice a little of the base if they don’t sit upright properly.

Using a teaspoon, place a little of the cooked sausage in each bottom, diving evenly.

Top with the ricotta mixture And press down slightly with the spoon.


Bake for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle on the Parmesan. Raise the oven temperature To 400 degrees and continue baking for 10 more minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

In retrospect, I think the filling should have been all three components mixed together. They didn’t “layer” as well as I’d hoped.

And, the artichoke bottoms should probably dry in paper towels overnight. They were still a little wet.

These would be good with some crab or lobster as well, also mixed in with the ricotta mixture.

I might roast these next, just with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little cayenne pepper flakes.

They would be good on a charcuterie and cheese platter as well, marinated first in good olive oil, lemon, and chile peppers.

So I have a feeling I’ll be using them fairly often, for different purposes.

By Published On: November 2nd, 202072 Comments on Stuffed Artichoke Bottoms

About the Author: Chef Mimi

As a self-taught home cook, with many years in the culinary profession, I am passionate about all things food-related. Especially eating!

72 Comments

  1. Charlie DeSando November 2, 2020 at 6:23 AM - Reply

    You need a “Like” button on your blog

    • chef mimi November 2, 2020 at 6:39 AM - Reply

      Thank you!

  2. Frank Fariello November 2, 2020 at 6:35 AM - Reply

    My these do look tasty. I haven’t seen a recipe for artichoke bottoms for years. One of those “old fashioned” food that deserve a revival. And I could see that filling in all sort of containers as well, puff pastry for example?

    • chef mimi November 2, 2020 at 6:38 AM - Reply

      That’s interesting because I’ve never known about the bottoms till recently. I’ve only seem marinated versions of artichokes. Maybe I’ll start that revival, without knowing it! They’re very handy. The filling is pretty standard, but good.

  3. popsiclesociety November 2, 2020 at 7:29 AM - Reply

    Super delicious 😋 I love artichoke bottoms! So far I’ve only found them back home in season 😋 I will look for canned ones too 😉

    • chef mimi November 2, 2020 at 8:26 AM - Reply

      They’re okay, nothing like fresh, obviously. But I can’t get good ones where I live.

  4. Dorothy's New Vintage Kitchen November 2, 2020 at 7:58 AM - Reply

    Your recipe looks divine! Talk about great minds Mimi! I made artichoke bottoms stuffed with scallops last night for dinner, stay tuned for post this week! They are the perfect little vessel.

    • chef mimi November 2, 2020 at 8:26 AM - Reply

      Oh fun! I can’t wait!

      • Dorothy's New Vintage Kitchen November 2, 2020 at 9:02 AM

        Published!

      • Jeff the Chef November 4, 2020 at 8:51 AM

        What a nice alternative to stuffed mushrooms! I also think it’s awesome that you’re looking to Amazon for food items. I haven’t really done that, but I don’t know why.

      • chef mimi November 4, 2020 at 8:58 AM

        Well, perhaps you live in a city where you can already busy what you want? Do you have a Chinatown? A little Italy? A cheese shop? A deli? Trader Joe’s? Whole Foods? I have none of these, so the internet has been really important to me, and not only for food, but I love browsing the grocery items. I’ve discovered some really wonderful products. I have no idea where you live, I”m just giving you a hard time. Thank god for Amazon, Fromages.com, IGourmet, Murrays Cheese, and so forth…

  5. Ronit Penso Tasty Eats November 2, 2020 at 9:01 AM - Reply

    These look so good. Love artichoke bottoms, they can be used in so many ways. I sometimes find them frozen, which I prefer, but will settle for canned if not. :)

    • chef mimi November 2, 2020 at 9:19 AM - Reply

      Oh, I would prefer frozen as well. I doubt my store has them, but I’ll look now. I’m not usually poking around frozen foods…

  6. Jovina Coughlin November 2, 2020 at 10:57 AM - Reply

    This recipe looks delicious and would make a wonderful appetizer for the holidays.

    • chef mimi November 2, 2020 at 11:53 AM - Reply

      Thanks! They are easy to eat as finger food, which I like.

  7. The Parmigiana Whisperer November 2, 2020 at 3:09 PM - Reply

    I love artichokes – this recipe sounds amazing!

    • chef mimi November 2, 2020 at 3:37 PM - Reply

      Thank you so much!

  8. Lauren - BasicGinger.com November 2, 2020 at 9:05 PM - Reply

    I didn’t even know they sold artichoke bottoms! I cannot wait to try them! Love the way you stuffed them too, these would be great for the holidays!

    • chef mimi November 3, 2020 at 7:23 AM - Reply

      I know! It was a fun discovery for me. They’re perfect for finger food.

  9. Tandy | Lavender and Lime November 2, 2020 at 9:54 PM - Reply

    I also buy tinned ones and what a great idea to stuff them. Dave and I had artichoke hearts last night on our snack platter. I’m interested to know how your next experiment works out.

    • chef mimi November 3, 2020 at 7:24 AM - Reply

      I could see them stuffed with crab, but I can’t get good crab where I live. They’re so perfect for finger foods!

  10. Healthy World Cuisine November 2, 2020 at 10:28 PM - Reply

    The heart of the artichokes are the best. It’s the prized section, so sweet and tender and love your toppings. Will have to keep our eyes out for these in a can. Delicious starter for the holidays for sure. Stay well and take care

    • chef mimi November 3, 2020 at 7:25 AM - Reply

      There are so many options for filling, and they’re bite sized.

  11. angiesrecipes November 2, 2020 at 11:11 PM - Reply

    These look so tasty and make a great appetizer!

    • chef mimi November 3, 2020 at 7:25 AM - Reply

      They’re bite-sized, so they’re perfect as an appetizer!

  12. sherry November 3, 2020 at 1:04 AM - Reply

    i know we can buy artichoke hearts here, and pickled ones in a jar but i’m not sure about bottoms:-) I must check it out. and frozen ones? maybe … love the sound of this mimi!

    • chef mimi November 3, 2020 at 6:21 AM - Reply

      I was told there are frozen ones as well, which might taste better. They’re really perfect for finger food!

  13. Anonymous November 3, 2020 at 6:44 AM - Reply

    Yum! This is perfect! One of the Italian delicacy stalls at our Saturday Farmer’s Market sells these fresh… freshly prepared by the stunning knife-skills of the ladies behind the overflowing vegetable display! We’ve been roasting/bbq’ing them and using them for salads and such, but actually stuffing them never occurred to me for some reason. The same ladies also make a fantastic fennel salsiccia, so I’m pretty sure i already know what’s for dinner on Saturday! Thanks for the inspiration!

    • chef mimi November 3, 2020 at 4:52 PM - Reply

      Oh, I’m so jealous! I’ve never gotten mini artichokes where I live, and I’ve always wanted to grill them. Oh well. Sounds like a wonderful market.

  14. savorthebestcooks November 3, 2020 at 9:20 AM - Reply

    These sound fantastic and I love the new look of the site.

    • chef mimi November 3, 2020 at 4:49 PM - Reply

      Thanks! I had to change it because I discovered people couldn’t see my old format properly on their iPhones. I miss my purple background!

  15. Raymund November 3, 2020 at 12:46 PM - Reply

    Italian sausage, baked ricotta and Parmesan, count me in. Love all the elements on this dish, now I just need to find those artichoke bottoms

    • chef mimi November 3, 2020 at 2:28 PM - Reply

      I hope you can! So many different filing could be used in them!

  16. cookingwithauntjuju.com November 3, 2020 at 2:49 PM - Reply

    Hard to believe I never heard of these with all the entertaining I did and parties I attended. Great post and thanks for introducing this “fun” product. Love the recipe too and can’t wait for my order from Amazon to try them out!!

    • chef mimi November 3, 2020 at 4:47 PM - Reply

      Well I just discovered them last year. And only from perusing Amazon! But they’re pretty wonderful.

  17. Debra November 3, 2020 at 4:36 PM - Reply

    This is a fantastic recipe! I’m not waiting for a special occasion. I think this would make a great appetizer, but I’m not doing any entertaining right now. More for me! :-)

    • chef mimi November 3, 2020 at 4:47 PM - Reply

      More for you! Exactly!

  18. David @ Spiced November 4, 2020 at 6:28 AM - Reply

    What a fun idea! To be honest, I’m not sure I’ve ever come across artichoke bottoms before. (Thank goodness for Amazon, right??) I would’ve gone straight to the Italian flavors like you did here, although I can see how crab would work well here, too. My wife would go NUTS over crab stuffed artichokes!

    • chef mimi November 4, 2020 at 6:42 AM - Reply

      Doesn’t that sound wonderful?! So many options with these little guys, and they’re so handy.

  19. kitchenriffs November 4, 2020 at 9:30 AM - Reply

    Such a fun dish! I don’t often use artichoke bottoms, but when I do I usually get canned. I sometimes see frozen ones which are a bit better, but just a bit. And in a dish like this I doubt if I’d notice the difference. Really nice — thanks.

    • chef mimi November 4, 2020 at 10:55 AM - Reply

      There is a very slight tinny taste. If my filling had been spicy, I might not have noticed it. But I forgive them for that since they’re so cute!

  20. Ron November 4, 2020 at 10:40 AM - Reply

    We have both canned and frozen Jordärtskockor (artichoke in Swedish) bottoms. We enjoy them pureed and stuffed. I like your stuffing, as it differs more ours which is usually crab. A new twist for me on the stuffed artichoke bottom…

    • chef mimi November 4, 2020 at 10:57 AM - Reply

      That’s funny, because if I had access to crab, and not krab, i would have made that the filling. How in the world did you grasp the Swedish language! And to be able to write it as well. Impressive!

      • Ron November 5, 2020 at 11:22 AM

        Grasp the Swedish language, not possible for this guy. I get by, but luckily almost everyone speaks english fluently. Now, on the other hand, my Swedish bride is absolutely fluent in english. krabba är mycket bra!!

      • chef mimi November 5, 2020 at 5:39 PM

        It’s incredible that Europeans can speak so many different languages and many of us struggle with out own! I can do a little French, but I’ve forgotten most of it.

  21. Kelly | Foodtasia November 8, 2020 at 10:30 AM - Reply

    Such a wonderful dish, Mimi! We love artichokes and flavors you’ve paired with them are so irresistible!

    • chef mimi November 8, 2020 at 12:56 PM - Reply

      It was a nice combination. I’d love to try them with a crab filling as well.

  22. David Scott Allen November 8, 2020 at 3:42 PM - Reply

    Okay, I have never seen (well, never looked for) artichoke bottoms! I did buy then in Venice at the open air market and served then with homemade saffron mayo, but I think your sausage stuffing idea is wonderful. What is that whit criss-cross thing in your sausage? Is that specifically for cooking ground meats?

    • chef mimi November 8, 2020 at 4:17 PM - Reply

      Well, I’d prefer to have them freshly steamed, served with a saffron mayo… but these were fun. That white plastic thing a friend gave me – it’s for breaking up ground meat like the sausage. It works great!

  23. Judee November 9, 2020 at 5:36 AM - Reply

    My family is Middle Eastern and stuffing artichoke bottoms is quite popular. I’ve never seen the cans, but we get them frozen imported from a Middle Eastern country. I’ll have to look for the canned ones, thanks. Your recipe looks delicious.

    • chef mimi November 9, 2020 at 7:10 AM - Reply

      I’m sure frozen is better, but I just have never seen them. Maybe when I go out of town I can check.

  24. Judee November 9, 2020 at 5:39 AM - Reply

    my blog is http://realfoodblogger.com for some reason it didn’t go through on the above comment and I couldn’t edit it. sorry

  25. Cathy November 9, 2020 at 11:55 AM - Reply

    OMG I can’t tell you how happy I am that you found artichoke bottoms. I have been looking for years. Your recipe looks like pure perfection as soon as I order the artichokes I am going to try it.

    • chef mimi November 9, 2020 at 12:12 PM - Reply

      Oh fun! I’ve heard there are frozen ones, which are probably tastier, but these are still fun, and perfect for finger food!

  26. sippitysup November 9, 2020 at 12:12 PM - Reply

    Good to know this product is a winner. I pass by them all the time in the market and have wondered about them. My fear was that they’d be mushy and half the can would be full of broken bottoms. They’re going in my cart nest time I’m at Gelsen’s. GREG

    • chef mimi November 9, 2020 at 12:13 PM - Reply

      They are definitely not soft and never broken. They’re very firm. I was told that there are frozen ones, which would be better, but I can’t find those. There’s just a slight tinny taste to the canned bottoms, but a spicier filling would cover that up!

  27. cookingontheweekends November 10, 2020 at 12:01 AM - Reply

    I haven’t seen anything like this before. So clever — just like mushroom caps. I will be picking some of these artichoke bottoms up when I see them. YUM! :-) ~Valenitna
    (You site looks fantastic — love the changes.)

    • chef mimi November 10, 2020 at 7:35 AM - Reply

      They’re really fun. Easy to hold, and firm. I want to find frozen ones – they’re probably better. There’s just a slight tinny taste, which could perhaps be offset by a spicier filling.

  28. 2pots2cook November 11, 2020 at 3:50 AM - Reply

    Oh dear ! This is calling my name ! You got me with mushroom caps comparison ! :-) Thank you !

    • chef mimi November 11, 2020 at 9:49 AM - Reply

      I actually prefer these over stuffed mushrooms. Not sure why. Maybe just because they’re a little different!

  29. Molly Pisula November 12, 2020 at 5:34 AM - Reply

    Such a nice alternative to stuffed mushrooms! I love artichokes, and the bottom is clearly the best part. I make a lovely pasta cream sauce using the artichoke bottoms cooked in cream and then pureed. So yummy. But these look delicious!

    • chef mimi November 12, 2020 at 7:16 AM - Reply

      Oh goodness, I’ve never pureed the bottoms! What a great idea!!!

  30. jenniferguerrero1 November 12, 2020 at 7:02 PM - Reply

    This sounds like a great holiday appetizer! I’m going to mix all the filling together as you mentioned, so they’ll be ready to pop in the oven at the last minute.

    • chef mimi November 12, 2020 at 7:10 PM - Reply

      Yeah, the layering was dumb. More overall cheesiness and creaminess will help the fillings stay in the bottoms! I said bottoms!!!!!

  31. Katia November 16, 2020 at 4:16 PM - Reply

    This looks like a really interesting recipe

    • chef mimi November 16, 2020 at 4:31 PM - Reply

      It’s fun to play with various fillings!

  32. Opande rzea December 10, 2020 at 2:48 AM - Reply

    interesting recipe. my wife now thinks am a qualified chef. thanks to you

    • chef mimi December 10, 2020 at 6:34 AM - Reply

      Hahahahahaha! That’s great!

  33. Judee April 10, 2022 at 11:56 AM - Reply

    Your recipe looks delicious and glad to know where to get the artichoke bottoms in a can. My husband’s family is Middle Eastern and thus always made a version of stuffed artichoke bottoms. We purchased them in a middle eastern specialty store frozen. This sounds easier to get if there is no special store around. Thanks for the info and the recipe.

    • Chef Mimi April 10, 2022 at 12:24 PM - Reply

      Oh that’s great. I need a middle eastern specialty store near me!

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