Aside from the salad approach, there's so much to do with this large-leafed green. It's a great material to wrap ingredients, like seasoned beef, chicken salad, pulled pork, taco fixings, or even a hamburger. It's also great in sandwiches — stacking them will give a sandwich food a satisfying green crunch without overpowering other ingredients.
Keep the roots attached to the lettuce until you're ready to use it. If using half a head, cut off what you need and keep the rest intact. When storing in the fridge, wrap a damp paper towel around the leaves and place in an aerated plastic bag in the crisper drawer. It's best not to wash the lettuce until you want to use it, as over-handling can bruise the leaves.