Cooking with Garlic - Cooking Light

Photo: Johnny Autry

Great Garlic Recipes

Growing your own garlic gives you a variety of flavor and color you won’t find in the supermarket—from fiery hot to mild and streaked pink or purple. Use these varieties in our delicious, light recipes for a flavorful dish friends and family won't soon forget.

First up is Shrimp and White Bean Cakes with Roasted Garlic Sauce. Roasting mellows it to a sweeter, caramelized paste that is great on a toasted baguette or in sauces like this one, perfect for shrimp and cannellini bean cakes.

View Recipe: Shrimp and White Bean Cakes with Roasted Garlic Sauce

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

This classic French comfort food is simple and satisfying at its best. One of the basic tenets of French cuisine is making full use of ingredients—hence, whole chickens in this recipe.

View Recipe: Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

Photo: Johnny Autry

Green Beans with Toasted Garlic

Simple, garlicky beans are a great side dish to any meal.

View Recipe: Green Beans with Toasted Garlic

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Roasted Garlic and Butternut Squash Cassoulet

To get a head start, roast the garlic, caramelize the onions, and even assemble this robust casserole the day before you plan to serve it. Use leftover roasted garlic to flavor soups, or combine with olive oil as a spread for toasted baguette slices.

View Recipe: Roasted Garlic and Butternut Squash Cassoulet

Photo: Levi Brown

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

These mashed potatoes start with red potatoes and 2 cloves of garlic and are then cooked together. Simple ingredients, such as milk, butter, and seasonings, are all that's added to make this side dish a standout.

View Recipe: Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Roasted Garlic and Shallot Potato Soup with Cheesy Croutons

The strong cheeses provide a good opportunity to enjoy a full-flavored ale that doesn't dominate the food. Try Fuller's ESB from London, or Dock Street Ale from Philadelphia. The caramel flavors of Guinness stout would also work well, bringing out the sweetness of the onions.

View Recipe: Roasted Garlic and Shallot Potato Soup with Cheesy Croutons

Photo: Oxmoor House

Roasted Garlic Pizza

Roast the garlic a day ahead; cool, extract the pulp, and refrigerate until you're ready to assemble the pizza. A slice of this pizza makes a tasty hors d'oeuvre, or serve two slices with a tossed salad for supper.

View Recipe: Roasted Garlic Pizza

Photo: Oxmoor House

Garlic Fries

Tossing the fries in a small amount of butter and garlic after cooking makes them unbelievably rich, yet still lower in fat than fast-food fries.

View Recipe: Garlic Fries

Photo: Randy Mayor

Garlicky Spaghetti with Beans and Greens

Canned beans are a great pantry staple with lots of protein and fiber. To help reduce sodium in regular canned beans, we rinse and drain them.

View Recipe: Garlicky Spaghetti with Beans and Greens

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Lemon-Garlic Asparagus

Simple, sauteed asparagus is an easy side dish that adds color and garlicky flavor to your meal.

View Recipe: Lemon-Garlic Asparagus