How to Make Caesar Salad in a Cheese Bowl

Ingredients

• 1½ cups (150 g/5.3 oz) grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 slices (60 g/2.1 oz) thinly-cut bacon
• 2 small (200 g/7.1 oz) chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon (15 g/0.5 oz) ghee or coconut oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 small (200 g/7.1 oz) heads lettuce
• 1 cup (150 g/5.3 oz) cherry tomatoes

• 3 tablespoons (36 g/1.3 oz) sour cream or Mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml/0.5 fl oz) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml/1 fl oz) freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• 2 teaspoons oregano, dried
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. First, prepare the cheese bowl. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C, or gas mark 6) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper cut in half (one half per cheese bowl). Grate the Parmesan cheese and spread on the baking sheet into in the shape of two rough circles. The Parmesan cheese won’t melt as much as other types of cheese with higher fat contents, like cheddar, so the size of the cheese circle will be almost the same after it’s baked. Keep that in mind when arranging the cheese, since you’ll need to be able to create a cheese “bowl” from it.
2. Bake in the oven for about 5 minutes. Watch it carefully: The cheese crust should be golden in color, not brown. If you bake it for too long, it will taste bitter. When done, remove from the oven and allow to cool for about a minute.
3. To create the cheese bowl, set a small bowl upside-down and then carefully lift the parchment paper off the tray and flip the cheese over the bowl. Lightly press the edges, if needed, and let cool in that position for at least 5 minutes. You can leave the cheese on the bowl while you prepare the salad filling.
4. Pan-fry the bacon strips until crisp. When done, tear or slice the bacon into smaller pieces. Brush the chicken breast with ghee and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Cook on a griddle pan or a regular pan on both sides until the top is brown and crispy and the inside is cooked through. When done, let the chicken cool slightly on a cutting board before slicing into strips.
5. Prepare the dressing by mixing the sour cream or mayo, olive oil, crushed garlic clove, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and oregano. Season with salt and black pepper and set aside.
6. Wash and pat dry the lettuce leaves and arrange them in the cheese bowl. Wash and slice the cherry tomatoes. Add the cherry tomatoes, sliced bacon, and chicken strips. Pour the dressing over top. Enjoy while the chicken is still warm.