Green salads can be tricky to get my kids to eat. Usually the lettuce sits pushed to the edge of their plates, untouched. I can’t say I exactly blame them. Green salads are not usually the most exciting part of our meals around here. So I decided to change that!

Make your salads the star of the meal by serving them in edible parmesan cheese bowls! They are easy to make and act as a crunchy, cheesy, flavorful vessel for leafy greens. Pasta would also be great served in them (who doesn’t love parmesan and pasta?!), though they won’t hold up quite as long. Whatever you decide to fill your bowls with, your children will surely gobble it right up… even if it’s only by accident :)

(Makes 4 small cheese bowls)

• 1 to 1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese (use pre-grated parmesan cheese for best results)
• Non-stick mat or parchment paper
• 4 bowls, about 8 ounces in volume each
• Spatula
• Salad or pasta, for serving in the bowls

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a non-stick mat or a sheet of parchment paper. Lay your bowls upside down on top of the mat. Keep each bowl spaced about 2 inches apart from the other bowls. These will serve as your guides for making the parmesan circles. Sprinkle a layer of parmesan cheese around each bowl, taking care to not let the parmesan circles touch.

Step 2
Remove the bowls from the parmesan circles.

Step 3
Fill in the empty circles with a layer of parmesan. Be careful not to put too much parmesan down or the circles will be too heavy and break when forming into bowls.

Step 4
Bake the parmesan circles in a preheated oven for 5 minutes, or until they are gold brown and bubbling. Remove from the oven and let cool for 3 minutes. Circles should be pliable but firm. Peel each circle off of the mat and lay on top of an inverted bowl (use the same bowls that you used to make the circles with). Using your hands, mold the parmesan around the bowl, bending and folding as needed.

Let sit on the bowls for 30 minutes to firm up, then flip upside down and you’re finished!

Fill with your favorite salad or pasta and serve.