Roasted Garlic - So Easy!

You've heard of some people giving a recipe but leaving out one ingredient so the person trying to replicate it will never get it as good as the original?  I never do that.  Well, almost never.   Roasted garlic is one ingredient I often leave out of the telling.  Sometimes it just is too much trouble to explain quickly.  And often the other person's eyes will glaze over because it SOUNDS hard.  It's not hard.
Y'all THIS is my secret ingredient in the best guacamole!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Get a head of garlic.  Hold it sideways on a cutting board and using a sharp knife, cut across the top just deep enough to expose the top of each clove.  If you miss some little cloves, just go back and cut the tops off of them.

Now set the whole bulb in a skillet (it doesn't HAVE to be a skillet, but I think it's better) and drizzle a bit of olive oil over the whole thing.  Put it in the oven and start checking it at 25 minutes.  I think it may take between 30 and 45 minutes.  It is ready when the whole thing has gotten a little darker and when you squeeze a clove, it is soft.

After it cools enough for you to handle it, just turn it upside down over a dish, squeeze each little clove out of its paper packet!  This is so cool because you didn't even have to peel the cloves!  While they are still warm you can actually smash them into a pulp if you want to.  I usually slice them.  You can use whatever amount you need right now and put the rest into a small jar and cover with olive oil. You can put the whole cloves in and slice them as you need them or slice or smash or dice first.

It must be stored in the fridge where it will keep for weeks.  The olive oil will get firm when cold so when you need to use some you'll need to set it out or run warm water over it if you forget like I do.

Now you have roasted garlic ready for whatever recipe AND you have LUSCIOUS roasted garlic-flavored oil!  Use it on everything that's not sweet is what I say!

I use it on any pasta, even just pasta, roasted garlic and oil, and parmesan cheese; on pizza crusts, particularly the edges; for dipping bread; and for guacamole

This is another "little thing" that makes a big difference