It is sooooo easy to roast garlic, and so worth the minimal effort. I have only ever used roasted garlic for mashed potatoes, but I'm sure there are many other uses I have yet to try (pasta sauces, pizza topping, garlic bread...). There are 4 simple steps to roasting garlic--try it! The smell alone will make your mouth water.
Roasted Garlic
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1. Cut about 1/2 inch (maybe a little more) off the pointy side of the garlic to expose the garlic inside.
2. Put on aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
3. Wrap the aluminum foil up and twist the top closed.
4. Bake at 350 for about 30-45 minutes. The garlic should be soft. To remove the roasted garlic, simply squeeze it and they pop right out. Let the garlic cool before handling it!!! (I have burned myself many times because I couldn't wait that long)
The oven temperature and time it takes to roast can be tweaked around a little bit. I usually throw in the garlic when I'm already cooking something else. If my oven is hotter than 350, I just roast the garlic for a shorter time, and if the oven is cooler than 350, I may leave the garlic in a little longer...you get the idea!
To use in mashed potatoes, I just mash up the roasted garlic with a fork and then beat it right in with the potatoes. Roasted garlic has a much milder and sweeter flavor than regular garlic. I use the ENTIRE bulb for about 2 1/2 pounds of potatoes.
