Garlic is a fairly common ingredient, no matter what type of food you’re cooking. It’s versatile, useful, and adds a great flavor to tons of dishes. Nearly everyone has had a taste of it somehow or another. But if you’ve yet to get a taste of garlic after it’s been roasted to its full nutty, creamy, and delicious potential, you’ve got to give garlic another chance.

Roasting garlic is easy and takes almost no preparation. All it takes is one bulb of garlic, some oil, aluminum foil, and an oven.

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel away the outer layers of skin covering the bulb of garlic. Keep the layer that surrounds each individual clove intact.

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Photo by Jenny Shen

2. Cut away the top inch or so of the bulb so that it exposes the insides of the cloves.

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Photo by Jenny Shen

3. Drizzle some oil to coat the bulb, especially the tops.

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Photo by Jenny Shen

4. Wrap the bulb with aluminum foil.

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Photo by Jenny Shen

5. Pop the garlic into the oven for 30-40 minutes (the longer you roast it for, the creamier it gets!)
6. Once finished, you can squeeze the garlic out from the bulb. It should be soft and almost creamy in texture.

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Photo by Jenny Shen

Here are 5 delicious ways to use roasted garlic in your next meal:

Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Cheese Soup

Roasted Garlic Hummus

Mushroom and Roasted Garlic Sandwich

Spinach and Roasted Garlic Salad

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes