My blue cheese and artichoke gratin is a secret weapon. OMG…this is good. The first time I served this was in 2003. It was at a holiday family meal and my father and I went crazy for this dish. I had kids at the table that year and they weren’t as happy…this is definitely an adult appetizer or side dish and it it for blue cheese lovers too. I’m pretty sure the kids weren’t happy with the blue cheese. (Their loss!)
What’s amazing is how this all works together. I liked the ingredients individually, but when combined you get one fabulous appetizer.
Start by cutting thin slices of prosciutto in half and then cut those in half again creating four thin slices that you will wrap around each artichoke quarter. As you wrap them, place them in a small casserole dish.
Once you have all the artichokes wrapped and in the casserole dish, it is time to pour on the cream. Pour it evenly over all the prosciutto bundles. Then, you sprinkle the blue cheese crumbles and pine nuts evenly over the top. Top that with the Parmesan cheese and chives. The dish is now ready for the preheated oven. The oven should be at 350 degrees F. You will bake the dish for 20-25 minutes until everything is heated through and the cheese is all bubbly and lightly browned in spots.
When the dish is ready, take it out of the oven and let it rest for a good five minutes before serving.
This is a great make-ahead dish and keeps in the fridge until you are ready to bake it. Just allow the dish to come to room temperature before putting it in the oven. To serve, I’ll purchase a baguette, slice it and toast the slices under a broiler for a minute on both sides and then serve them on the side. The dish is so rich that I don’t find it necessary to brush the bread with oil first. There is plenty of liquid in the baked dish for the bread to sop up. This dish and a bottle of good red wine is the perfect pairing. Perfect for an indulgent dinner. However, I serve this as an appetizer or side dish most of the time.
While you can serve this in one large gratin dish, I will often put the little bundles in individual gratin dishes. I used small creme brulee dishes when I made these these today. They were the perfect size for individual servings of this appetizer. If you are serving on a buffet, either serve with a large spoon or have long toothpicks available to take just one or two. So, so, good! If you like artichokes, try my Baked Artichoke Hearts with Marinara.
Looking for other appetizer ideas? Try some of my other favorite baked dishes:
Fonio and Walnut Stuffed Mushrooms
Herbs and Lavender Fontina Dip
Blue Cheese & Artichoke Gratin
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 14-Oz. Can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
- 8 Thin slices of Prosciutto
- 1/2 Cup Heavy cream
- ½ Cups Gorgonzola blue cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 Cup Pine nuts, toasted
- ¼ Cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 Tbsp. Fresh chives, chopped
- Fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 1 Baguette, sliced and toasted (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Pat the artichoke quarters dry with paper towels. Cut each slice of prosciutto in half lengthwise and then again in half across creating four rectangles. Wrap a quarter piece around each artichoke quarter.
- Place the wrapped artichokes in a single layer in a baking dish. Pour the cream over the bundles and sprinkle the Gorgonzola, pine nuts, Parmesan and chives on top.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until the gratin is bubbling, sauce thickens and there are light brown spots on top.
- Remove from oven and grind fresh black pepper on top. Serve with toasted slices of a baguette if you like.
