Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place garlic, cut-side up, in small glass baking dish; pour oil over each head and sprinkle with salt. Cover; bake until garlic is tender, about 1 hour. Uncover; let cool 15 minutes.

Squeeze garlic from each clove into medium bowl and mash. Mix in Parmesan, cream cheese, mayonnaise, and thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made one day ahead; cover and refrigerate. Allow to soften slightly at room temperature before continuing.)

Preheat oven temperature to 425 degrees. Spread garlic mixture on bread slices; arrange on 2 baking sheets. Bake until toasts are beginning to brown at edges, about 12 minutes.

This recipe yields about 32 toasts.

Comments: "My profession as a real estate agent requires a lot of my time," writes Edi Meadows Morrissette of Westin, Florida, "so it helps that I am lightning-fast in the kitchen. I cook every day, and on the weekends I sometimes make three meals a day. I accomplish that by following my main cooking principles: (1) do a lot of prep work, and (2) keep the kitchen well stocked. For example, at holiday time I might chop onions in advance or bake bread the day before company arrives. And since I converted the bedroom next to my kitchen into a pantry for extra storage, I know I"ll always have the right ingredients at my fingertips."

Nice with drinks, soup, or salad. The cheese spread can be made a day ahead.

Yield: 32 toasts

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