Baked Artichoke Hearts Au Gratin

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, drained, and larger ones cut in half
• 3-4 green onions, green part only, very thinly sliced
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Pecorino-Romano cheese
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/3 cup mayo or light mayo
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp. garlic puree

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 325F/170C. If the artichoke hearts are still frozen, thaw them in the microwave, then drain them thoroughly.
2. Slice any larger artichoke hearts lengthwise so the pieces are fairly even. Rub 2 small gratin dishes or 1 medium sized baking dish with the olive oil. An 8.5 x 8.5 inch square baking dish works, as do 2 small 7 inch round gratin dishes.
3. Spread the artichoke hearts out in the prepared dish in one layer. Scatter the very thin green onion slices over them, then add salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs or almond meal, Parmesan, Pecorino-Romano, thyme, and oregano. If the grated cheese is on the coarse side, pulse it in a mini-processor for a minute or two to make it finer.
5. In another bowl, whisk the mayo with the lemon juice, lemon zest, and garlic puree. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese mixture.
6. With a rubber scraper, smooth the mayo mixture over the artichoke hearts. Save the remaining bread crumb and cheese mixture for the top.
7. Cover the dish or dishes with foil and bake at 325F/170C for 30 minutes.
8. Take the dish from the oven, then raise the heat to 375F/190C.
9. Peel off the foil and scatter the reserved cheese mixture over each dish.
10. Return to the oven and bake for about 25 minutes longer, until the top is lightly browned and everything is heated all the way through. Serve hot or warm.