Artichokes for you and me

I just stopped at the grocery store on the way home and artichokes are cheap, cheap, cheap right now! I'm not too familiar with cooking them though, so I found some recipes on the mouthwatering website coconut & lime. 

Now.......which recipe to try first?!?

Artichoke Panini

8 slices rosemary Italian bread
2 whole marinated artichokes, thinly sliced
4 slices sharp provolone
1/4 lb lean capicola
1/4 lb spicy sopressata
1/4 lb mortadella
1/4 lb prosciutto

olive oil

Directions:
Create a single layer of each meat on one slice of bread. Top with single layer of marinaded artichokes. Top with a single layer of cheese. Top with a second piece of bread. Brush the exposed sides of the bread with a small amount of olive oil. Place on your panini press and press on medium heat, until the sandwich is warm and the cheese is melty. Repeat for the remaining bread and meat.

 Artichoke Chipotle Dip

Ingredients:
4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
4 oz defrosted frozen artichoke hearts, chopped
3/4 cup frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained*
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 shallots, sliced
2 chipotle chiles in adobo with 1 teaspoon of the adobe sauce
1 tablespoon key lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
In a food processor, blend together the cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, shallots, lime juice, chipotle, and adobo sauce until very smooth. Stir in spinach, artichokes until just combined. Serve chilled.

*This should yield a packed 1/4 cup of defrosted chopped spinach.

Artichoke Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:
10 oz frozen artichoke hearts, defrosted
1 1/4 cup shredded asiago cheese
3/4 cup panko
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz short pasta, cooked almost to al dente

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. In a large pan, saute the red pepper flakes, garlic and artichoke hearts for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Stir into the cooked pasta. In the same saute pan, quickly brown the panko. Remove from heat and stir in the paprika. In a large casserole, sprinkle some cheese, top with pasta repeat until all of the cheese and pasta is gone, taking care to end with cheese. Pour the milk over the top. Sprinkle with panko. Bake covered for 20-20 minutes then uncovered for an additional 10 minutes to brown the top. Serve hot.