Creole Artichoke Hearts

Remember the creole seasoning I made a while back? I've learned that it's amazing on tilapia, delicious in pasta, and it turns out it's also a yummy way to spice up veggies --- in this case, artichokes. I absolutely stink at working with artichokes. Seriously. I struggle to cut the fresh ones up, the yield is so flippin' tiny, they never cook right, I end up frustrated and blah. I'll stop complaining. I remember the first time I worked with fresh artichokes. I decided to make artichoke mash but I didn't get ALL of the leaves peeled away. After I pureed it I ended up with a ton of strings running throughout the mash. I didn't notice this until after I served it to everyone. Bleck! Funny now that I look back on it though. Aw, embarrassing memories, gotta love 'em! :) So until I work up the courage to go down that road again, I am using canned artichoke hearts. Feel free to be braver than me and work with fresh.

As for life with baby number 2, it's going great. I can't get over the fact that labor and delivery was only 5 short and almost painless hours. Recovery was instant. I have no back pain like I thought I would. The only thing we're missing is some sleep but that's expected. And actually, we're not missing THAT much sleep, not enough to really complain about. We're lucky so far! :)

Creole Artichoke Hearts
Serving Size = 2 - 3

• 1 can large artichokes hearts, drained (5 - 7)
• 1 - 2 teaspoons creole seasoning, click here for recipe
• Roughly 1/2 cup grated cheese, to taste (I've used fontina and muenster before)
• Panko breadcrumbs (about 1 - 2 tablespoons, just to cover)
• 1/2 tablespoon or so of butter (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375F. 
2. Drain the artichoke hearts and cut them in half or quarters. Place into a baking dish.
3. Mix together the cheese and creole seasoning. Sprinkle evenly over the artichokes. Top with the breadcrumbs and then dot some butter across the top (optional).

Linking to: Hearth and Soul