It’s been a little while since I put up a Make It! post, but the last time I scrambled to cobble together enough grated Parm to make a proper Caesar dressing I found myself throwing leftover cubes from various lingering cheese wedges into the food processor and I knew I had to tell you about this shortcut. A couple of pulses later, I was in possession of enough crumbles of Parmesan to fashion my salad, and I hadn’t bloodied a single knuckle on my grater in the process.
Any time you need at least a third of a cup of grated hard cheese, whether for Artichoke Dip or Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto, I recommend putting down the grater and grinding cubes of Parmesan in your mini prep. It’s easy, and I happen to love the crumbly texture that results, which reminds me of a certain pre-grated, shelf-stable shaker of cheese-with a much more sophisticated taste, of course.
Make It! is a series where I share smart tips for prepping, making, and presenting food in the easiest possible way. See tips from previous columns, like how to keep rust off your muffin tins and lettuce fresh in the fridge.
