I have made these for years. You can make tiny ones to hold appetizers in and I have made larger ones to hold a dinner salad in. I liken it to a taco shell - edible and since it uses cheese, one doesn't need bread rolls to go with their salad.
There are a few rules here - most important is always use freshly grated cheese. This is not the time to use canned shredded cheese or even shredded in a bag. This is an honest to gosh get out your grater and grind some cheese.
Ingredients:
- Parmesan Reggiano cheese (you can get it at Costco) I happen to like mine with a sharp bite. You will need 1/2 cup for each 6 inch bowl and less for an appetizer cup
- 2 nesting bowls (I use mini bowls I picked up at Bed Bath & Beyond for my appetizers and I use cereal type bowls for my salads. These bowls have to 'nest' tightly together with the rims close together. You will be sandwiching the cheese between them.
- parchment paper - use a good brand because an off brand will stick to the cheese and ruin the whole thing - take it from experience - been there done that! I use my Wilton brand parchment paper but have also used Reynolds brand too.
- large microwave safe platter or plate with a flat bottom like a large dinner place or a pie plate
1. Cut a piece of parchment paper to cover the bottom of the plate. You can reuse the parchment paper for multiple cheese bowls.
2. Put grated cheese in the center of the paper that is on the plate with the flat bottom. Please note that each wedge of cheese is different so how much it will take will be different each time you make it. You can usually determine how much cheese you will need once you make a bowl.
3. Spread the cheese into a circle shape. It does not have to be perfect and in fact I like my bowls to have uneven edges. Once I just kept a little bit of edge on one side and presented the salad as if it were overflowing off the small edge. Experiment.
4. Hold an inverted bowl over the cheese circle and make sure the cheese extends 3/4 to 1 inch beyond the rim of the bowl. (Example if you are using a 6 inch diameter bowl rim: the cheese circle is 7 and 1/2 inches.
5. Use scissors to trim the corners off of the parchment paper to keep them from bumping against the walls of the microwave as the turntable rotates.
6. Have an inverted bowl ready to use as a mold when you take the hot cheese out of the microwave.
7. Put the plate of cheese in the microwave and cook at full power until golden brown over most or all of the surface. It should take less than 2 minutes so keep an eye on it.
8. Remove the cooked cheese from the microwave and with parchment paper still attached, immediately flip it over the bowl mold, centering it over the bowl. If it isn't centered don't worry. This is one time you don't have to be perfect.
9. Working quickly before the cheese hardens, take the 2nd bowl and press it over the hot parchment paper with the cheese underneath. Press down to form the cheese into a bowl shape. I do advise you to not use your hands since the cheese is hot and you will burn your hands (again been there done that).
10. Remove the top bowl and peel off the parchment paper.
11. Remove the bowl mold and set it aside and you are now ready to make another one.
Note - you can store the bowls for up to 5 days at room temp in an airtight container or in a large Ziploc baggie which makes these perfect to make beforehand.
Note - again DO NOT WORRY if the edges are not perfect - this is one time imperfection doesn't matter. Also if you break a bowl or have one left over, all is not lost and don't throw it away. Just crumble it up into chunks and they are great to either snack on or for using on salads or in soups.
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