Ingredients
1/2 stick of butter melted
1 cup olive oil plus some to top
juice of half a med to large lemon
2-3 garlic pods, minced
2 14oz cans artichoke hearts chopped
2 tsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste or about 1 tsp creole seasoning
1 cup Italian cheese (I suggest a Parmesan Romano mix) plus to top
2 cups Italian style bread crumbs plus to top
optional~ 2 egg whites to firm
optional~ 1 tbsp ground cayenne pepper for a nice zing
Preparation
Heat oven to 350F. Add the melted butter, lemon juice, and olive oil to a casserole dish (I use a 12x12 Corning ware). Stir in the garlic and artichoke hearts, then add the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper (or creole seasoning) and mix well. Gently stir in the Italian cheese and bread crumbs, try to even out the moisture during this process or the dish will cook unevenly. Even out the casserole and drizzle or spray olive oil to coat the top and sprinkle with Italian cheese and bread crumbs to top it off.
NOTE: if you want to do something with the other half of that lemon, you can slice it into wheels to cover the top of the casserole and help retain moisture with added flavor.
