If feeling:
lonely, bored, restless, hungry, smell deprived, sleep deprived, cold, greedy, kooky, crazy, cabin fevery, sun deprived, snow deprived, sullen, extraordinary, sluggish or spicy…
Might I suggest turning up the oven and roasting a bulb of garlic?
Hello, garlic.
I’m gonna chop your head off and put oil in your brains.
Salt and pepper. Salt and pepper. Salt and pepper. Salt and pepper and paper.
Wrap it up. Tie it up.
I used parchment paper and a kitchen string. If you want to use foil… you totally should. I was out. I got creative.
When roasted, garlic turn into something sweet, aromatic, creamy, spreadable and utterly dream worthy. Your breath will still me an absolute nightmare… but just deal with it.
I hid my freshly roasted garlic in between butter and mashed avocado on this (burnt) toast. I didn’t need the butter or the avocado… but I like layers of delicious. I also like burnt toast.
How to Roast Garlic
Makes: one head of garlic
1 head of garlic
about 2 tablespoons olive oil
about 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
about 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Place a baking sheet in the oven as the oven preheats.
If your garlic head is covered in several layers of white skin, peal off a few layers. Keep several layers around to hold the head together. With a sharp knife, cut the top off the head of garlic exposing a bit of each each clove of garlic.
Place garlic head in a piece of foil or parchment paper. Drizzle olive oil on top. Top with a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Seal the foil around the garlic or parchment paper. If using parchment paper, use a kitchen string to seal the little package.
Place on the pan in the oven and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, or until completely tender when poked with a fork or knife.
Allow to cool slightly before spreading on toast or adding to pasta. It’s delicious.
184 Responses
Dear Joy,
I was just thinking about this recipe yesterday. This was the first page I ever read on your blog. I was finishing highschool, and lived in a 800 ft apartment with my family of 6 in a big city. After reading this recipe, one of my secret thrills was to, while everyone was gone, secretly roast a whole head of garlic and eat it. I would open the kitchen window and brush my teeth to ensure that the secret stayed with me. I just thought you would appreciate knowing that. I would also sometimes stealthily make these (but sometimes I would share): https://joythebaker.com/2011/12/peanut-butter-banana-and-oat-milkshake/. :)
Love,
your weird long time reader,
L
My grandfather adored burnt toast (and black bananas).
I have always used garlic whenever and wherever possible. I didn’t know what the phrase “too much garlic” might possibly mean. That said, once I discovered the sheer magic of roasting garlic I never looked back. My only contribution to this duscussion is that when I actually roasted more than I needed for Thankgiving mashed potatoes and left the extras in the fridge for a week (o.k. more than that!) I remembered it and used it to no fault whatsoever. The aliums are packed with sulfur (natural antibiotc and antifungal…think about that during flu season) and the olive oil also preserves. It keeps WELL.
Roasted garlic is dangerous! …because I always eat too much and end up smelling like a garlic clove for days…
Love you Joy!
Roasted garlic is great and sooo easy to make. We use a roaster but have also done them on the grill in tin foil. Green garlic is another way to eat garlic earlier in the spring. It is like green onion and scallions but with a garlicky flavor. You can use it on a salad, in soups or anything you would use regular garlic in.
Rickertville Farm. rickertville.com
Many, many, super-big thanks for the roasted garlic post. I’m making a roasted garlic/carrot/potato mash for Thanksgiving, and your pictures/words of encouragement make me 10x more excited than I was before. :)
Thanks! Love the humor and my garlic is now roasting in the oven! : )
Great tutorial! Would you be able to roast gardic that was already out of the “head” such as pre peeled garlic? Also, I’m trying a garlic cupcake recipe which calls for roasted garlic. Should I still add salt & pepper to the garlic in the roasting process? Thanks a bunch!
Just found your site this evening… as I was roasting garlic (to go over my baked potato) in my lil toaster oven…. I cant wait to roast the entire bulb and enjoy! Thank you!
Hello, love your blog. When I roast several garlic heads, I usually use my muffin tin or tins depending on how many I’m roasting. It keeps the heads upright and I never have to worry about my garlic falling over. Diana
Your post was fabulous! I love to cook and found a man 3 and 1/2 years ago who will eat whatever I make. He has been requesting roasted garlic (long, long time) I finally got the nerve up to taste it at a restaurant and love it. Today I googled it and found you. You are so creative with your writing that it forced me to use my sweeties garlic roasting dish and pop one in the oven! Wish me luck, thank you!!
Shelley
I have to admit that I roast 6 or 7 heads of garlic at a time, in my tortilla warmer! I probably go a little bit darker than you show yours. I then peel the cloves, oh so carefully, so they keep their shape, and pack them into (good) olive oil in glass jars. (I use fresh oil every time.) I keep them in the cupboard. Whenever a recipe calls for garlic, I haul out my roasted garlic cloves and put (at least) however many the recipe calls for through my garlic press. You never have to cook the garlic in the recipe – that part is already done. I also use the oil to saute with – it’s certainly garlic infused! That uses the oil up, so none is wasted. As long as I keep the cloves covered in oil, I have not had any spoilage. To us, the roasted clove is so much sweeter and has a depth of flavor you don’t get from the raw clove. It doesn’t take any longer to roast multiple heads than to roast one; the only really time consuming part is peeling the cloves out afterwards. I use my kitchen scissors to literally cut down the side of the paper of each clove, and then they just pop right out. I do soak the top of the tortilla warmer in water for ten minutes while I chop off the top of the garlic heads and add the oil, salt, and pepper. My warmer is glazed inside on the bottom, so cleanup is easy. Maybe next time I will line it with paper so there will be NO cleanup! I use lots of garlic when I cook – we think it wards off catching colds by making other people stay away from us! If a recipe calls for an onion, you can pretty much bet I’m adding either garlic or cooking the onion in garlic oil.
Oh, this would be great for the oven toaster! I’m gonna try it, surprise my hubby tonight! Thank you for reminding me.
love, piggledy
Okay. So now I’ll be dreaming of garlic until I make this. Yum!! Can’t wait.
Roasted garlic is always heaven. BUT I’ve never tried it with avocado. Back here avocado is always eaten as a desert/fruit and nothing else. I wonder if I’ll get the courage to try this… I’ll let you know.
avocado as a desert.could u tell me some ideas. i love avocados almost as much as garlic.
Interesting, where are you from? I’ve never heard of it eaten as anything but savoury.
A few weeks ago I got a nasty bout of mastitis, my fourth in 9 months. (Sorry – this is probably TMI for a first-time commenter. On a FOOD blog, no less. Not where people come to hear gory grossness.)
In any event, I didn’t want to take antibiotics again, so I did some medical research (obviously, I am referring to Dr. Google) and discovered that raw garlic can work as a natural antibiotic.
After chewing about 6-7 cloves of raw garlic a day for 2.5 days, the mastitis was gone.
However, I am pretty sure I smelled like a whole head of raw garlic for several days after that.
And now I am craving the DELICIOUS kind of garlic (a.k.a. ROASTED garlic). So thank you for this beautiful and humorous post reminding me how to perfectly roast some.
My husband will be super excited. ;)
ps. I just discovered your site, but you already have a faithful reader in me after going back through some of your old posts and your About Me page. Your posts (and you!) are delightful!
i dreamt about this last night. i dreamyt about roast garlic, roast garlic mash, and all the wonderful things i would eat it with.. you know what the worst part was? waking up and realising that i don’t have an oven (renovating), and that i can’t make this today. i NEED roast garlic in my life…
If I eat the whole thing by myself, will I live to tell?
heck yes you will.
Joy, I’m one of those that read your blog all.the.time and never comment -this, of all things, I had to comment! I’ve made many of your baked goods (hello, pumpkin pie bars – delish!), but this was just heavenly on the homemade pizza with figs and goat cheese. Thought I needed to share. Thank YOU for sharing!!
Mmmmmmmm I love roasted garlic.
Roasted garlic is so nice, i also like to put thyme in the paper
HAHAHAHA! My breath would be deadly after this… but so would my husband’s. So, it’s ok.
I wish it were acceptable to have garlic breath. I LOVE garlic. :) good thing my boyfriend isn’t a vampire. I haven’t roasted garlic in a very long time…might have to add that to my grocery list today!
Yay for burnt toast!
Burnt toast never looked so good!
Splendida idea, ciao
Haha, smell deprived. :P
That toast looks excellent with all that delicious avacado.
It’s so wonderful now and so… not, later on. Two people eating garlic cancel each other out though. So if you must consume it… be sure to share it with the one you love or you will be left quite alone for while.
ah, garlic. it is my favorite and it is my best. last night i tossed steamed green beans with a bit of olive oil and roasted garlic. now i’m going to put it on well cooked buttered sourdough toast (my other favorite and best) with mashed avocado because that just sounds too yum!!!
Oh, I am so in. Just bought garlic and french bread yesterday.
You are a genius!!! I can’t wait to try this. Seriously, STAT. I could care less if my breath smells. If you’re truly dedicated, it doesn’t matter. :)
And here I thought I was the only one who liked burnt toast…
There aren’t too many smells that can come from a kitchen that rival that of roasting garlic. It’s a cure for the soul :)
Yum– Most of my favorite things go on toast: eggs, honey, cinnamon, butter, almond butter. Garlic sounds like a great addition to this list.
Thanks for the reminder of how something so simple can be so amazing!
Oh yum! That looks divine :)
Okay, so one day I needed roasted garlic (can’t remember what for) in a big hurry so I wondered whether you can roast it in the microwave. I looked around on the web and found instructions. Despite what was posted on some other sites, the definitive answer is NO! It totally burned in my microwave, and the small took weeks to fade away despite numerous cleanings. So don’t do it. Ever. Stick to the oven and everything will be fine. Love roasted garlic!
thanks for this! somehow i always end up burning mine. oy.
Didn´t say Mrs Beckham that Spain Smells to Ajos (garlic)? I love the smell and flavour that ajos give off and I must tell you that the idea of roasting them is great and of course I´ll make Roasted Ajos!
great for a tipical spanish recipe original from Barcelona “pa amb tomàquet ” (bread and tomato)
Love your blog and cooking!
Mararia
Oh wow. With buttered sour dough…..mmmmm…..I’m totally doing this today, its a duvet day here in England.
Ok- so I have been reading food blogs for YEARS now. And at some point in the last year or so- I thought, ok enough is enough, I’ve got my favorites. I have enough food blogs to read.
And then I found you. And you are awesome. So many people already know this- but I thought you should know that I am now obsessed with your blog. Carry on.
I love, eat and sleep garlic, I rarely ever get a cold or the flu. I alway’s make sure that if I eat you eat… then we can kiss. I love this blog… I have a friend who has started a blog called “Eating Naked”
If the ingredient list has any additives or are processed they do not make the list. I am passing this on to her.
I like that you like burnt toast-not many people do. It’s a refined taste, I think.
Oh, and roasted garlic+avacado? Yum.
Hi Joy, thanks so much for this post! We absolutely love roasted garlic! Congrats on the pictures, They look amazing!
OMG….this is AMAZING!!! Just made it and cannot get enough : )
Another note, any chance you’d be interested is cooking up something with barley and quinoa? I’ve been experimenting with the two, sweet potatoes, tahini butter and soy sauce lately and I am looking for a new recipe!
luv it all, ‘specially the burnt toast :) yummiest thing EVER!
Looking forward to roasting some garlic and adding to homemade soups and casseroles. Thanks for getting me to think outside the box.
I am so glad to see that you like burnt toast! After years of friends giving me strange looks when my breakfast habits set off smoke alarms, it’s good to know I’m not the only one.
Yay! When I read your blog I always feel like I am being encouraged to be daring! To try something new! I love this. And I love garlic. Thank you!
Oh. Yeah.
I like burned toast too :) But I’m sure it’s even better with roast garlic mmm!
super crunchy burnt toast is the best
I think I just got bad breath my simply looking at this! Totally worth it though! I love garlic but never think to roast the whole bulb. Thanks!
I love, love, love roasted garlic. Thank you for posting this, as I haven’t done this in a very long time. I’m thinking I might just do this this weekend. I’m going to cheer for the Steelers and eat me some garlic!
love love love roasted garlic! so easy, so yummy, so comforting – what more could you ask for?
Fab! I saw a recipe for roasted garlic recently but the garlic was absolutely swimming in oil. I like your version much better.
I’ve never roasted garlic in paper like this. Trying NOW!
That’s a nice one!
“I’m gonna chop your head off and put oil in your brains.”
This has to be one of your best-est posts ever.
Joy, you are precious.
Looks wonderful. My question is, why just one? Why not 10?
I love, love, LOVE, roasted garlic! ♥ However, I have never roasted the entire bulb! That is about to change… :)
OMG, yummo. I would love to eat that burnt toast.
Sarah-Anne
wow. I think I’ll spread it on my pizza dough before baking. Thanks again for making me hungry.
Great post! I use this all the time and it makes the world of different in dishes!
Garlic is also very good if you are sick! If you have a cold smear a big mess of garlic on toast with a little salt and butter it will help clear out the illness right quick. I love roasted like this but I also eat it raw. Mmmmm.
Also in summer/mosquito areas chewing on a hunk of raw garlic will help keep the bloodsucking biters away.
pro tips.
I love burnt toast too! And if you’re snow deprived, come to Kansas. I’ll share. Except Kansas really is as boring as one might imagine, so you don’t have to come. I did make your peanut butter biscotti Tuesday when my college had a twice in a lifetime snow day. It was delish.
Your blog is, hands down, my favorite food blog. I especially like all the non-baking lately. I keep bringing your recipies for lunch and my coworkers are always curious-and drooling. I’ve told them about you, started sharing your recipies and the secret which is, “I trust everything Joy the Baker makes.” :)
So, so, SO worth the atrocious after-breath.
Thanks for the garlic tutorial!
Happy Friday!!
and I also love your pom heart header. apparently I am having trouble combining two thoughts into one post today
My favorite part is where you tell the garlic you are going to chop its head of and pour oil on its brains. so creative and vivid
Thanks this is great.
Garlic is AMAZING.
Ohhh, I love garlic — especially roasted. Sadly the hubster does not. :-(
I love the parchment paper idea (great for serving it to other people and vampires). I also love the double down of garlic and avocado. That’s a whole lot of yum.
Mmmmmmm, Garlic. Yummy.
I love roasted garlic!! Thanks for sharing these helpful tips!
Oh my mouth is watering! Nummers!!!
OH man…that looks fabulous. I love few things more than some soft roasted garlic spread onto a piece of fresh bread like you have pictured above. It looks beautiful, and I can’t wait to try it out. Thanks Joy!
Love garlic! After seeing this I feel like running home and roasting some..for roasted garlic soup maybe..
I’ve never tried roasted garlic but it seems easy enough to do. Thanks for the post!
I love roasted garlic – smeared on toast with some sauteed mushrooms. Oh la la. This sounds delicious even though it is 7.30 in the morning.
Yumm! Just love the sweetness of roasted garlic!
I love the way the parchment and string look! How cute would it be to make a bunch of these to take to a barbecue? I like the way you think.
Love garlic!
Hey, Joy, your blog has apparead in The Kitchn’s The Homies: Best Home Cooking Blog of 2011 pool
I voted for you!
that’s sweet of you. thank you!
I voted for you too Joy!
I do love roasted garlic, great photos :)
Hmmm… looks awesome with the avo!
“I’m gonna chop your head off and put oil in your brains.”
Love it! And garlic, mmmm……
hello, I am Giovanna and I am a garlicholic.
I am too! If a recipe calls for 2 cloves I put in at least 4!
you’re right sister! ;)
Amen!
Mmmm Just the thing I was looking for, the perfect thing to go on the rib eye steaks I plan to make my hubby for valentines day.
Thanks Joy :)
x x x
Aaaaaahhhhhh i can smell the deliciousness here at home!!!!! Garlic makes everything better.
I sure do love roasted garlic! I can eat two heads all by myself. I don’t care about garlic breath ’cause the smell and taste of garlic is an aphrodisiac! :) Good thing my honey feels the same way! :)
oh, joy, thank you for posting this!! i ALWAYS burn garlic! it may or may not be because i never set a timer. or because i’ve never looked up an actual recipe for it. i don’t know.. i’m just sayin.
I’ve always loved roasted garlic…..I also love burnt toast. Must be the carcinogens.
I love garlic! And the smell of roasted galic when opening the oven door is an ultimate pleasure.
Oh my, roasted garlic may be the best invention ever.
Roasting your own garlic is such a great idea. I always tell myself that I will do this and its about time I do! I think I’m going to roast garlic and add it to mayo
i roasted some garlic for a potato soup recipe the other day and had some leftover (garlic that is, not soup). it’s possible that i spread it on potato chips…is that acceptable? or just embarrassing…
It is past 10 in the evening. My whole house is asleep and now I am wondering if the smell of garlic roasting will wake them…is it worth the risk? Looks delicious!
I’ve never even heard of roasted garlic!! My boyfriend currently lives several thousand kms away, so I’m going to do this up before he comes for a visit. And I’m totally gonna pretend to be a garlic zombie while eating it. Brains….
OMNOMNOMNOM!! that’s all that neeeds to be said really.
I am SO glad you posted this! I’ve always wanted to do this!
Mouth…watering.
This has nothing to do with garlic although I’m going to roast some soon, but there is no place to just post to you so I thought I’d do it here.
I live in New England and we have been hammered with snow these past few days (along with the rest of the world), but when it’s a snow day I think to myself “what would Joy bake?” In my head we’re great friends who bake together. One day I made banana bread with rum, and another lasagna.
What do you like to do on a snow day? If you get one.
P.S. I thought I read that you were going to come out with a cookbook, any update?
It looks super yummy – but is it bad that my warped mind never got past “Brrrraaaaaaiiiinnnns….”?
Roasted garlic is amazing stuff. Simple, delicious food.
This looks delicious, especially with the avocado!!! I really want to say that I am totally in love with your banners. That one is perfect! Do you design them yourself?
no… they’re from my friend at andshedesigns.net
thanks for the tutorial. i’ve never roasted a head of garlic. i do love slightly burned toast. i usually toast my bread 1 and a half times so that i can get a serious crunch situation. i have actually burned my toast too much before, so i have to watch it now. : 0)
I love roasted garlic! It is amazing how smooth and flavorful it is! My fave way is to have it on toasted french bread and ooey gooey brie. Oh and of course a fabulous red wine to drink.
I’ve always wanted to roast garlic; you’ve reminded me that I probably should. If only for the hideous breath. It’s what I’ll eat when I want my husband to leave me alone :)
Oh my goodness! YUM! I’ve gotta do that one of these days. Oooh maybe for Super Bowl sunday! Hey Joy is that the Rustic Sourdough from Trader Joe’s? Love that stuff!!
I love fancy roasted garlic on something as simple as toast! Deliciously genius :)
Pretty sure I’m going to be trying this very soon…lovely, lovely roasted garlic. Mmmm…
Roasted Garlic .. I must try this! I love garlic and everyone who is in my vicinity probably knows it too! :) Some of the best things are easy to make!
I will use this method for roasting my garlic for my homemade hummus – MMMMMmmm!
Yummmmm!! Garlic brains… drool…
*love*
I love roasting garlic! I especially love putting it into soups – I’m on a roasted tomato soup kick right now and the best version I’ve come up with had tons of roasted garlic in it. Screw good breath, bring on the garlic!
I just googled how to roast garlic the other day! (I wasn’t sure how long). Almost everything is better roasted.
How truly ironic that this pops up in my RSS feed as I have garlic currently roasting in the oven. It’s going to become an element of some amazing lamb kafta kabobs. Mmm… can’t wait. :)
roasted garlic spread on anything is the best. THE. best.
Husband doesn’t care (as long as he gets some too) since we both love garlic… though anytime I touch it my hands are garlicky for days. Not that I mind, but not everyone likes shaking hands with a clove of garlic.
Hey Jamie,
Maybe you’ve tried this before, and it doesn’t completely remove the smell, but if you rub your hands on something stainless steel (sink/tap/knife) after chopping onions/garlic it really helps to lessen the smell….way more than if you just use soap and water. I have no idea how or why it works—like magic!!
No better way to keep the vampires away. Delish!!
layers of delicious indeed! that looks so so good.
I like burnt toast too. Maybe out of necessity. Our toaster is possessed by some sort of demon. It also shoots the toast across the kitchen.
Avocadoes and roasted garlic? Yes please!
I just made roasted garlic for the first time on Monday! It’s so easy and yummy that I will definitely be doing it more often!
I love burnt toast too! I thought I was the only weirdo who would! Looks delicious!
The trick is to also serve some delicious roasted garlic to your special someone. That way you BOTH have garlic breath to mingle. :)
Umm, yum. I might need to recreate that toast. The big avocados are on sale for $1 here!
thnks,…for the virtual treat
garlic.butter.avocado.droooool….
I love roasting a whole head of garlic, and just spreading it on a piece of bread. Does my boyfriend like it? Probably not. The deliciousness of garlic always overcomes the need for human interaction.
wow. I want garlic.
awesome pics!
I LOVE roasted garlic. Especially left to go cold and then mashed into butter to make garlic bread. So much sweeter than the raw stuff. Yum. (I will forever see brains when I cut open a bulb since reading this post… :-))
i was just thinking of a brunch type of meal to make for my boyfriend’s parents, and i think i’ve found it! just kidding! maybe… but if you smell roasted, creamy, delicious avocado pushing through your door at night, you’ll know if i’m your neighbor! rock on Joy! and as always, remember to share…! :D
I am 7 weeks pregnant, and about nothing appeals to me except the thought of toast, and apparently garlic! I’m going to try this as soon as I get home! Thank you!
Nothing better.
Roasted garlic is one of my favourite things EVER. It is so delicious. And you have just reignited my avocado craving! Off to the fruit n veg stalls over the weekend for me so I can follow your lead :)
there is nothing better than roasted garlic. i think you just convinced me to toast some whole grain bread, smear on some roasted garlic, and top it with some brie. mmmm delicious.
That sounds like a breathe nightmare, but OMG so delicious!
I can’t get enough avocado lately. Avocado with roasted garlic? yes please.
Oh with a side of avocado fries heaven.
oh em gee, joy!!! LOVE *drool*…*drool*
ps. you’re the coolest!
I looovvveee roasted garlic, well anything garlic really haha. My husband hates it though because I’m releasing garlic from my pores for days haha. I’m going to have to make this soon though, yum <3
That looks just about right!
I must get myself a head of garlic and an avocado.
Mmmm.