Healthy Lunch Ideas:
Marinated Artichoke Squares

Marinated Artichoke Squares are so versatile! They make a delicious lunch or snack. Served with a salad and a serving of rice, they make a nice light supper. In the summer, they are good picnic food.

These are delicious hot, straight out of the oven. They are also good cold, packed in a lunchbox.

• in the cupboard
  • jars of marinated artichoke hearts
  • dried parsley
  • garlic
  • dried oregano
  • pepper

• in the fridge or freezer
  • Cheddar cheese
  • onions
  • eggs
  • bread crumbs

Get out your equipment

• Essential
  • a mixing bowl
  • a grater
  • a cutting board and sharp knife
  • measuring cups and spoons
  • a rectangular baking pan

• Nice to have but not necessary
  • kitchen shears
  • a garlic press (if not, use a sharp knife to mince the garlic)
  • a spatula for spreading the batter evenly (the back of a spoon works fine, too)
  
  
  

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  The recipe

  1 jar (6 oz/170 mL) marinated artichoke hearts, drained

  1 jar (6 oz/170 mL) marinated artichoke hearts, undrained

  2 cups/500 mL grated Cheddar cheese

  1/2 cup/125 mL chopped onion

  4 eggs, beaten

  1/4 cup/60 mL bread crumbs

  1 Tbsp/15 mL dried parsley

  1 clove garlic, pressed

  1 tsp/5 mL dried oregano

  1/4 tsp/1 mL pepper

  Preheat oven to 350F/175C.

  Put the drained artichokes and the undrained artichokes into a bowl.
  Cut them into bite-sized pieces. (I use kitchen shears.)

  Add the rest of the ingredients.
  Mix well.

  Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13 inch/24 x 34 cm baking pan.
  Spread evenly.
  

  Bake for 30 minutes.
  
  

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  Substitutions
  • Use about 3 Tbsp/45 mL fresh parsley instead of dried parsley.

  • Use 1 Tbsp/15 mL fresh oregano instead of dried oregano.

  Ideas for making this recipe your own

  • Make your own seasoned bread crumbs.

  • Use another hard cheese in place of the Cheddar. How about Swiss, or mozzarella, or your favorite?

  Tips

  • If you are able to find marinated artichoke hearts in a larger jar, buy it! It will be more economical than the small jars.

    one 6 oz jar = 1 cup artichokes and 1/4 cup liquid

    one 170 mL jar = 250 mL artichokes and 60 mL liquid

  • I use kitchen shears to cut the artichokes into bite-sized pieces.

  • Be sure to use marinated artichoke hearts (usually sold in glass jars where I live) rather than plain artichokes, which usually come in cans.

  • I keep bread crumbs in the freezer so that they will stay fresh. Bread crumbs stored at room temperature go stale and bad-tasting very quickly.
  
  
  

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  If you enjoy this recipe, you may also like these other healthy lunch ideas:
  • Sushi Pockets
  • Avocado-Salmon Sandwiches
    
    

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