The first time I ever had mashed roasted garlic was at my brother-in-law’s house. He served it as an appetizer with shaved parmesan and crusty bread. He also had strawberries with a balsamic reduction – I was in awe of his kitchen knowledge.

I went out soon after and purchased a garlic roaster. I was invested in this creamy and mellow garlic spread. It packs a lot of deep garlic flavor into dishes!

A simple appetizer can be assembled by layering a tiny bit of butter or olive oil, followed by a smear of garlic and a thin shaving of parmesan. Or you can let your guests build their own appetizer – spreading their own clove and adding different toppings.

This week, roasted garlic will be featured in a few recipes – garlic breath and all!

You don’t have to own a garlic baker to roast garlic. Wrapping the bulbs in aluminum foil will work as well.

TIP: Include a sprig of your favorite herb like rosemary or thyme to the garlic bulb to add flavor.

How to Roast Garlic

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 5 mins

Author: Oat&Sesame

Ingredients

whole head of garlic, outer layer removed
olive oil
optional: sprig of thyme or rosemary

Instructions

Cut the top ¼" off the garlic bulb(s).
Place in the garlic baker or on top of a sheet of aluminum foil.
Drizzle with a little olive oil. Add herb sprig, if using.
Add the lid or wrap up with foil and place in a cold oven.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes at 350F.
Scoop the roasted bulbs out of each shell.
Use immediately or store in the fridge covered in a little olive oil for up to 1 week. You can freeze it for longer storage to use in soups. But why would you freeze this goodness?