You recently bought garlic in bulk with big plans for a week of easy sheet pan dinners. Sadly, plans don’t always work out. You’ve had an incredibly busy week with no time for cooking, and now the garlic’s going to go bad. Hold up! If you can cook just a few meals before the start of next week, you can use up that garlic in no time. It’s like they always say: There’s no use crying over spoilt garlic. So get on these 16 garlic-centric recipes, and be sure to keep a mint or two handy.
1. Brown Rice Congee With Fried Garlic: Fried garlic adds a delightful, crispy texture to dishes with little to no chew. That’s why it’s an essential topping on this velvety brown rice porridge. (via Food to Love)
2. Garlic Parmesan Cheese Bombs: Garlic knots get a hot and gooey upgrade in this recipe for garlic parmesan cheese bombs. Make a classic marinara sauce to dip these in, and your day will now become the best day. (via The Recipe Critic)
3. Garlic Roasted Carrots: Tossing veggies in a mixture of olive oil and minced garlic is one of the best no-stress tricks to putting together a vegetable dish. This technique works on nearly any vegetable — try Brussel sprouts or turnips next. (via Damn Delicious)
4. Homemade Garlic Naan Bread: Garlic naan is a fresh twist for anyone who’s gotten a bit tired of their local Italian restaurant. Pro tip: Turn up the heat on your oven if you’re a fan of air pockets and char on your bread. Try dunking it in a spicy curry or creamy dip like baba ghanoush. (via Foodness Gracious)
5. Garlic and Thyme Quinoa Patties: Give these vegetarian quinoa patties a kick of flavor with some fresh minced garlic. Enjoy them tucked in pita pockets with a drizzle of lemon tahini sauce for an easy on-the-go lunch. (via Cook Republic)
6. Garlic Bok Choy: Stir frying vegetables is a quick and easy way to use up garlic. Bok choy becomes tender in no more than 10 minutes, making it the perfect last-minute side. You can also serve it over rice with a fried egg for a simple meal. (via Rasa Malaysia)
7. Slow Cooker Buttery Garlic Herb Mashed Potatoes: As far as we’re concerned, the only way to do mashed potatoes is with lots and lots of garlic. This recipe calls for one tablespoon of the stuff, but you can add more if that’s your jam (and we hope it is). You can get really creative and add roasted garlic for a richer flavor. (via Creme de la Crumb)
8. Garlic Sauce Chicken: Save this dish for a special occasion, like a hot date or dinner party. The recipe recommends using at least a head of garlic for six guests, which is around two cloves per person. Feel free to add more if you really love garlic. (via Diethood)
9. Roasted Garlic Potato Soup: Roasted garlic gives this potato soup its decadent flavor, with a little help from salty Parmesan cheese. Try it as a hearty main or a tempting appetizer. This is comfort food at its finest. (via Little Spice Jar)
10. Emeril’s Rigatoni With Broccoli and Sausage: It’s a toss-up whether the best thing about this dish is the garlicky pasta or the fact that it’s a one-pot ordeal. The garlic lemon anchovy sauce is super versatile too. Try it on any pasta for an inexpensive way to punch up a quick weeknight meal. (via Martha Stewart)
11. Slutty Low Carb Pasta: Use a spiralizer or a julienne peeler on zucchini and swap in for spaghetti for a low-carb take on puttanesca. If your palate tends to favor funky and savory, you’re going to fall in love with this sauce — it’s made with anchovies, olives, capers and lots of garlic. (via The Londoner)
12. Lebanese Garlic Sauce: You won’t believe how many cloves of garlic are in this fluffy, addictive sauce (hint: it’s more than a head). It’s like a much more intense aioli that also happens to be vegan. Try it on a shawarma or with crudités. (via The Lemon Bowl)
13. Roasted Garlic and Dill White Bean Dip: Hummus lovers will be all about this dip, and for good reason. The white bean mixture tastes a lot like hummus, but without the tahini. Go to town on it with your best buds, plus some carrot sticks and toasted pita. (via How Sweet It Is)
14. Roasted Garlic With Thyme: If you REALLY love garlic, you’ll be very excited about this recipe. Wrap garlic in foil and roast it whole. When you pop it out of the oven, you’re left with a beautiful head of tender, golden garlic cloves. Spread on toast with a little olive oil for a delicious appetizer, or save for a special touch in another recipe. (via Drizzle and Drip)
15. Caprese Stuffed Garlic Butter Portobellos: Keep this savory spread on hand to take dishes to the next level, or just put it on toast. Brushing garlic butter on these stuffed mushrooms keeps them moist and infuses them with delicious garlicky flavor. (via Cafe Delites)
16. Som Tam: Traditionally, this flavor-packed Thai papaya salad is made using a large mortar and pestle. In the ultimate kitchen hack, this recipe calls for mashing the garlic with a rolling pin! (via She Simmers)
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