Preparing the Artichoke

• Before you concern yourself with cook times, you must prepare the artichoke by trimming and stuffing it. Cut the pointy tip of the top of each artichoke and pull the leaves back with your fingers so the choke is showing. Use a spoon or a melon baller to gently scrape the choke out of each artichoke. Squeeze a little lemon juice on top and inside to keep it from turning brown due to oxidation. Stuff your stuffing between the leaves with your fingers until the whole thing looks full. Artichoke stuffing is commonly made from breadcrumbs and other ingredients including garlic, herbs, bacon, Parmesan, Romano or pecorino cheeses and olive oil.

Into the Oven

• You can cook an artichoke by boiling it, steaming it or baking it, but for stuffed artichokes the most logical way to cook them is in a 350 to 400-degree Fahrenheit oven in a baking dish or pan, with about an inch of water in the dish. This way they can stand up and the stuffing won't be disturbed, and they can get the heat from the oven, plus any steam that's created from the water.

Average Cooking Times

• When stuffed artichokes are baked or roasted in the oven, the average cooking time is just under one hour, at about 45 to 50 minutes. This is the amount of time it will take for the artichoke leaves to cook through and for the heart to soften and become delicate enough to eat. It is important to plan your stuffing so it is ready at the same time as the artichoke. Some stuffing ingredients such as bacon may have to be pre-cooked before being added between the leaves. If you want melted cheese on top of the stuffed artichoke, sprinkle it on and turn the broiler on for about three minutes at the very end.

How to Know When It's Done

• If you are cooking stuffed artichokes for the first time, you may want to look for some physical signs that they are ready and not just rely on a time. When they are ready, a knife should slide into the base of the artichoke without any problem. The leaves should also pull away easily. If you are getting close to the suggested cooking time and feel like they look done, try one of these methods and then remove the artichokes from the oven if they work.