Delightful

We went to a cook out on July 4th. The hostess asked that I bring an appetizer. Looking at what I had on hand, this was the recipe I settled on.

I was a little concerned to be honest. What in the world would this taste like?

Pureeing the artichoke hearts with the mushrooms and garlic gives you a very flavorful puree. There is a lot of garlic. I like garlic, so that was fine with me.

The puree combines well with the cheese and bread crumbs. I was a little concerned it would hold together.

Thankfully I was wrong about that. After the chill time, the mixture held together quite nicely.

I did squeeze the mixture a bit while I was forming it into balls. I think this helped meld the ingredients together very well.

The balls are soft and doughy, similar to a hush puppy. They have a great flavor combination. You can really taste the artichoke, mushroom and cheese in each bit.

The only issue I had with the balls was that the flavor diminished a bit as they cooled. I served them in my bread warming basket, so they did not cool off too much.

Watch The Video

ARTICHOKE BALLS

1 Large Can Artichoke Hearts

1/4 Cup Artichoke Liquid

3 Pods Garlic

1/2 Cup Sliced Mushrooms

2 Eggs

2 Cups Romano and Parmesan Cheese, Grated

1 1/2 Cups Bread Crumbs

1 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning

Dash Red Pepper

Salt

In a blender, mix artichoke hearts, liquid, garlic and mushrooms. Remove to a large mixing bowl and add eggs, cheese, bread crumbs and seasonings. Blend well and chill for 1 hour. Roll into 1 inch balls. Roll balls in additional bread crumbs and place on a large greased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes.