I use about that much. I love parmesan. Trader Joe's has Reggiano for like $6.99 a pound or something.

I saw Alton Brown make parmesan crackers once, use a circular form to sprinkle the cheese on a cookie sheet and back them in the oven at like 350 for a few minutes and they melt and then reharden.

You can even shape them while melted (think cracker cups, fill with goodies).

You can indeed freeze it, wendell. It'll be fine.

...you could also make a shwack of pesto and then freeze that. Mmmmm....pesto....

You could have a party and serve

Orgasmic Artichoke Dip

* 1 can Artichoke hearts -- the unmarinated kind
* 1 cup Mayonnaise -- not salad dressing
* 1 cup Parmesan cheese

Blend ingredients together and then put in a ramekin or earthen crock or some other nice-looking vessel that you can put in your oven and then use as a server. Put that in your oven which you've preheated, at 350 degrees, until it browns and bubbles. Usually takes about 25 minutes. Serve right away with cubes of different types of bread - pumpernickel, rye, french, etc. People go apeshit batshitinsane for this stuff. You can sub one sm pack of thawed frozen spinach for the artichoke and make spinach dip.

Or have a party by yourself, and eat this alone. It's really good. And the recipe uses up a lot of parmesan.

Freezing cheese. This is for blocks, but at least it says parmesan freezes well. You should probably freeze it in several different little freezer bags, though, because you don't want to freeze/thaw/refreeze one big bag.

Also, I think this is what I'll choose for my superpower: freezing cheese.

Put it on popcorn! Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, parmesan.

And yea, that artichoke dip? OMFG. So freakin' good.

OMG iconomy I am SO making that dip tomorrow.

parmesan+Tabasco (to give something for the parm to stick to)+popcorn=~swoony~

I go parm, garlic and butter, WolfDaddy, but I'll give yours a shot and I'm scared of that dip. Mayo gives me the heebie jeebies. Would sour cream work?

oh god PLEASE dont freeze it. Cheese should NEVER be frozen. You CAN certainly freeze it, but that doesn't mean that you SHOULD. I mean, I can probably go a week without bathing, but that doesn't necessarily mean i should, eh? Here are the two main reasons not to freeze:

1. All cheese is porous, and will absorb every single odor in your freezer. after one week, it will taste and smell like your freezer-burnt thanksgiving left-overs and meatloaf.

2. If you freeze it, the texture will change drastically. your creamy (but firm) parmiggiano will get crumbly and grainy. bleh. i'm dry-heaving just thinking about it.

you can keep hard cheeses (like parmiggiano) preserved in your FRIDGE for at least 6 months. and that is only the rule for 'real cheeses'. What you have going for you is that there is probably enough chemicals and preservatives in your Costco cheese to keep it for at least one year in your fridge (maybe two).

/so speaketh the cheese snob.

scala, I share your cheese-snobbery, and normally I'd completely agree with you, but we are talking about medium-grade pre-grated cheese, not a gorgeous block of reggiano. If it's kept in properly sealed, zip-lock type freezer bags with the air removed, it shouldn't affect the quality enough to be noticeable, especially if you're cooking with it. My aunt does it all the time, and it turns out fine for what it is.

Thank you, cheese snob, I had assumed the Costco cheese would be very (let's call it) stable, so the imprinted expiration date was a mystery. Since it doesn't have the high-quality texture to begin with, I'm agreeing with elizard on freezing, if I put it in small freezer bags and store it under a Stouffer's Lagagna so that any smells it picks up will at least be related. :) Which reminds me, I've gone too long without bathing. :(

I know all aout Trader Joe's for the good stuff... I once found 10 oz. in a carton for the same money as an 8 oz. shaker of Kraft, and never went back to the green can. But this was TWO pounds for 6 bucks and change... I was such a fool.

I already do popcorn, I use that spray-bottle-margarine to adhere the parm, but Tabasco sounds more adventurous (however, contrarian that I am, I usually use Frank's Red Hot). Every piece of bread-like material I'm eating now is made into Parmesan Toast, usually w/Garlic (including breakfast bagels).

The choke dip sounds seriously good. I just googled "parmesan dip" and found this, which is just parm, cream cheese and mayo (contrarian that I am, I usually use Miracle Whip), and this Spinich/Parm Dip with 11 ingredients (too much trouble). I'm still looking for recipes like Lemon Parmesan Spaghetti: lemon zest, lemon juice and sour cream, but only 1/4 cup parm for 4 servings? MORE CHEESE PLEESE.

Pasta, any kind, cooked.

Chop up some chiles (I like serranos, but pretty much any kind will do).

Chop or crush some garlic.

Heat some good olive oil in a pan and throw in the chiles, cooking until they blister and change colour a little. Add the garlic (but don't leave it there for too long or it will get bitter). Stir in the pasta.

Serve with as much parmesan as you can (and a little freshly ground pepper).

(And what fenriq said - you can also make wafers too which make for nice decoration.)

The popcorn thing is really good. So's the dip.

I also like to sautee some thick slices of zucchini in olive oil, then sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, garlic and parmesean. Then, throw it into some plain ziti or bowties. Delicious!

You MUST add to the artichoke dip recipie: diced onion, fresh black pepper, cayenne.

Aha! Found the pesto recipe I use (from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest)

3 packed cups fresh basil leaves (no stems)
3-4 healthy cloves of garlic
1/4-1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c grated parmesan
1/4 cup pulverized nuts (I like pecans or cashews)
1/2 c. olive oil
(Optional: 1/2 c packed fresh parsley, 1/4 c. melted butter, freshly-ground black pepper)

Puree everything together in a blender or food processor fitted with the steel blade until it becomes a uniform paste.

The end.

I had an Italian neighbour who used to make this & freeze it in smallish mason jars--worked like a charm. I did the same and gave it to people when the whim struck, and it was always most appreciated.