Roasted garlic has to be one of the most surprising and fun things to try in the kitchen for the first time. Everyone is accustomed to using garlic raw by separating the cloves from the bulb. Raw garlic has a strong savory aromatic smell and is delicious added to many dishes. The flavor of raw garlic is amazing but is surprisingly different from its roasted version.
When the garlic bulbs are roasted they taste very different. The garlic releases its natural sugars becoming caramelized with a mild, sweet flavor. This style of cooking with garlic bumps up the flavor of everything you add it to, giving your dishes a naturally sweet, buttery, richness that is like nothing else.
After roasting, mash it and you can use it in so many ways.
- Add to mashed potatoes or macaroni and cheese.
- Mix with butter for a great spread for French bread.
- Add to mayo with herbs for sandwiches.
- Combine with olive oil and use as a base for pizza or salads.
- Create a tapenade.
- Use it as a simple topping for baked brie.
If you haven’t tried it yet, make roasted garlic and begin experimenting with it in your favorite savory dishes. The possibilities are endless and you won’t find a less expensive ingredient with a more impressive flavor profile anywhere.
Not sure how to make it? Here’s a step by step on how to make roasted garlic. Click here to save the recipe to your recipe box.
Ingredients
1 garlic bulb
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of pepper (optional)
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut off the top half of your garlic bulb, and then throw away that top portion.
2. Place bottom half of garlic bulb in a small baking dish.
3. Drizzle or spoon about a tablespoon of olive oil on top of the sliced open bulb and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper (optional). Several garlic bulbs can be roasted at the same time. Depending on the how many bulbs of garlic, double or triple the olive oil, salt, and pepper.
4. Cover the baking dish with foil.
5. Cooking time on garlic bulbs depends on the size of the bulb. Small bulbs will usually cook for 30 to 40 minutes. Large bulbs, 45 to 60 min. Check the bulbs early for doneness. Look for them to become softened with a golden color. Sometimes the cloves start to push themselves out of the bulb as they roast. That’s normal.
6. Once the garlic is done cooking let it cool to touch. Then hold it in the palm of your hand with the cut portion outward and squeeze the bulb to release the delicious caramelized cloves.
7. Use a fork to mash the cloves of roasted garlic.
8. The roasted garlic is ready to serve with crackers, bread, alongside a dip, etc.
