I adore roasted garlic. But for whatever reason one of my last hold-outs on fresh produce was garlic. Those big buckets of pre-minced garlic from wholesale clubs were just so convenient for me! But, after reading about how much of garlic’s flavor is lost after it’s cut (and continues to be lost after sitting in its own oils after being cut), I decided to kick the habit. I was a little scared of having to smoosh or mince all my garlic before dropping it into my recipes, but I decided it would be worth it.
So, when the giant bucket breathed its last breath (on a batch of Slow Cooker Marinara Sauce if you’re curious), I kicked pre-minced garlic to the curb. And I did it with style, first adding a 1/2 pound of garlic to my CSA box order and then picking up a big multi-pound sleeve of garlic at the market. What can I say? When I commit, I really commit. And I have to admit it’s been a ton easier than I expected. I’d forgotten how simple it is to smash a clove of garlic under a cleaver and then either just toss it in or roughly chop it. So I was pretty happy with my decision already.
And then came this cool cookbook I picked up at a used book store near my mom’s house…
And my life will never be the same. I may just live on roasted garlic and Honey Whole Wheat Bread toast this week. I’m pretty sure I can survive. And if not, I’ll probably be pretty happy regardless. So incredible and incredibly easy.
Roasted garlic was one of the first appetizers I made for my now husband, the meat-eater, when we were dating. I also made him my mom’s lasagna for dinner, with real meat and everything! Oh, the wooing days. He was impressed with the garlic then and he likes it just as well now that I can actually conveniently make it again.
Easy Roasted Garlic
Adapted from The Everything Slow Cooker Cookbook.
Ingredients
2-3 whole bulbs garlic
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Method
Cut the tops off of your bulbs of garlic to expose the cloves (I could only fit 2 bulbs in my Little Dipper, but they were those gigantic organic white garlic bulbs from my CSA box…I’m pretty sure 3 standard-sized bulbs would fit fine). Squirt a bit of olive oil in the bottom of a Little Dipper CrockPot (or a 1-quart slow cooker). Place bulbs of garlic, top up, in the Little Dipper.
Squirt the remaining olive oil over the bulbs. Cover and cook for 2-3 hours (on LOW if your crock has settings, the Little Dipper does not).
When complete, garlic with be golden brown and delicious. Just like roasting in the oven, but simpler and more energy-efficient. Bonus! Just pop out the cloves and smoosh them directly onto your bread. No need for butter!
The Results
I absolutely LOVE this recipe. I used to roast garlic in the oven regularly and have gotten out of the habit because it’s a bit more difficult to run the oven with crazy toddlers. Roasting garlic in the little dipper (or any small slow cooker really) is incredibly convenient. This is a definite, frequent repeat.
I also poured remaining oil remaining in the crock onto some pasta noodles for a delicious garlic oil noodle treat. Yum! It is so incredibly good. It’s kinda like pouring the garlic butter sauce that comes on the bread rolls at Italian restaurants on your noodles.
This post is shared with Real Food Wednesday, Whole Food Wednesdays, What’s Cooking Wednesday, Works for me Wednesday, These Chicks Cooked and Bake with Bizzy.
Easy Roasted Garlic
An easy dip or spread of roasted garlic made in the slow cooker
Ingredients
- 2-3 whole bulbs garlic
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Cut the tops off of your bulbs of garlic to expose the cloves (I could only fit 2 bulbs in my Little Dipper, but they were those gigantic organic white garlic bulbs from my CSA box...I'm pretty sure 3 standard-sized bulbs would fit fine). Squirt a bit of olive oil in the bottom of a Little Dipper CrockPot (or a 1-quart slow cooker). Place bulbs of garlic, top up, in the Little Dipper.
- Squirt the remaining olive oil over the bulbs. Cover and cook for 2-3 hours (on LOW if your crock has settings, the Little Dipper does not).
- When complete, garlic with be golden brown and delicious. Just like roasting in the oven, but simpler and more energy-efficient. Bonus! Just pop out the cloves and smoosh them directly onto your bread. No need for butter!
- I also poured remaining oil remaining in the crock onto some pasta noodles for a delicious garlic oil noodle treat.