Artichoke Chicken with Roasted Potatoes

Well... this was an adventure, to say the least. Above, you will see the finished product. Below, you will see the artichoke massacre that took place in my kitchen...

And lastly, this is what saved my night...

I have never, ever dealt with artichokes before. The only time I have even had artichoke is in a spinach & artichoke dip in some location outside of my house. All the recipe says is that you need 1/2 cup chopped artichoke hearts. When I went to the store to get everything for the week, I thought to myself, "Surely artichoke hearts just come in a can or something..." After a search around the store and no canned artichoke hearts to be found, I thought my only option was to get a fresh whole artichoke. How hard could it be to cut up and get the heart out?

It is very hard, actually. While my potatoes were in the microwave, I began the task of cutting up my artichoke. Not only is it hard to handle due to the thorns surrounding the ENTIRE thing, but it is also difficult to take apart (especially when you get to all of the little fine hairs in the center which are apparently covering up the heart). AND, I could never figure out which part was the heart. So, everything got put on hold as I ran up the street to the store in search of canned artichoke hearts again. Thankfully, I found them this time.

The recipe as a whole is not that hard. Just don't buy a fresh whole artichoke unless you know what you are doing! I did have to modify one part of the recipe towards the end though. The recipe calls for you to cook the chicken partially in a stainless skillet, and then place the whole skillet in the broiler after the artichoke topping is spread on top of the chicken. I do not own a stainless skillet (my Christmas list keeps getting longer) and nonstick cookware cannot withstand such heat. Simple fix. I cooked the chicken entirely on top of the stove in my nonstick skillet and then once I spread the artichoke topping over the chicken, I placed the lid on the pan and let it heat for a few minutes. You don't get the same type of crust you would from being broiled, but it still turned out great!

Also, if you do not own the Pampered Chef Rosemary Herb Seasoning Mix, the cookbook notes that it can be replaced by 1 tsp crushed dried rosemary leaves, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp coarsely ground black pepper.

The end product was terrific! The artichoke topping gave the chicken a very unique flavor and was a big hit in our household! My husband asked me if it was worth all of the trouble I went through, to which I replied, "Yep!" I would definitely make this again, especially now that I know you can buy artichoke hearts in a can. And, a big shout-out goes to my mother-in-law for helping me survive through this recipe over the phone! Thanks!

Enjoy!

Artichoke Chicken with Roasted Potatoes

The Pampered Chef: 29 Minutes to Dinner

Published by The Pampered Chef, Ltd. in 2007.

Total time: 28 minutes  Yield: 2 servings

Potatoes and Chicken
3 small red potatoes
1.5 cups water
1 tsp salt
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4-6 oz each)
2 tsp Rosemary Herb Seasoning Mix, divided
2 tsp olive oil, divided

Artichoke Topping
1/2 cup chopped artichoke hearts (about 2 hearts)
2 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1 oz Parmesan cheese, divided
2 tsp mayonnaise

1. Preheat broiler on High. Meanwhile, cut potatoes into quarters. Place potatoes, water and salt into Small Micro-Cooker; microwave on High 6-8 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, for artichoke topping, chop artichokes and parsley using Santoku Knife; place into Small Batter Bowl. Grate cheese using Microplane Adjustable Grater. Set aside 2 tbsp for later use; add remaining cheese and mayonnaise to artichoke mixture and mix well.
3. Flatten chicken to 1/2 in. thickness using flat side of Meat Tenderizer. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with 1 tsp of the seasoning mix.
4. Add 1 tsp of the oil to Stainless (10-in.) Skillet (do not use nonstick cookware); heat over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering. Meanwhile, add remaining 1 tsp of the oil and remaining 1 tsp of the seasoning mix to potatoes; stir to coat.
5. Place chicken and potatoes, cut side down, into Skillet. Cook 3-4 minutes or until chicken is golden brown. Turn chicken and potatoes over; cook an additional 3-4 minutes or until chicken is golden brown and centers are no longer pink.
6. Remove potatoes from Skillet; set aside and keep warm. To finish chicken, spread artichoke topping evenly over chicken; sprinkle with reserved cheese. Place Skillet as close as possible to heating element (2 in.); broil 4-6 minutes or until topping is deep golden brown and internal temperature of chicken registers 170°F. (Watch closely. If topping starts to brown unevenly, adjust accordingly.) Carefully remove Skillet from broiler. Serve chicken with potatoes.