These Garlic Mashed Potatoes are smooth and silky, creamy, deliciously buttery and beyond garlicky! You can serve these at every holiday and Sunday supper dinner.Â
Mashed Potatoes are a simple food. But if you’ve ever made a simple food before then you know they can be anything but. Because you’re working with such few ingredients it’s crucial that they be of high-quality and that you follow a reliable technique. So, not only am I gonna give you the best recipe for mashed potatoes but I’m also gonna give you a few of my best tricks.
The Heart and Soul of this Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Cuisine Inspiration: Comfort Food Extravaganza
Primary Cooking Method: Boiling and Mashing
Dietary Info: Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
Key Flavor: Bold, Rich Garlic Goodness
Skill Level Required: Easy for Kitchen Newbies and Pros Alike
Sweet Highlights:
- Garlic Galore: We’re not skimping on garlic here; it’s the star of the show, delivering a bold and aromatic punch.
- Creamy Perfection: The potatoes are whipped to perfection, creating a smooth, velvety texture that’s utterly irresistible.
- Buttery Bliss: Each bite is enriched with a luscious buttery flavor, bringing comfort in every spoonful.
- Simple and Straightforward: The recipe is user-friendly, ensuring a stress-free cooking experience.
- Versatile Side: These garlic mashed potatoes are the perfect companion to any main dish, elevating your dinner game instantly.
Perks and Highlights
Cuisine Inspiration: Comfort Food
- Who doesn’t love a dish that feels like a hug for your stomach? This recipe is all about that soothing, heartwarming experience that only the best comfort food can provide.
Primary Cooking Method: Boiling/Mashing
- No need for fancy gadgets or techniques here; we’re going back to basics. You just need a pot, a masher, and your fabulous self.
Dietary Info: Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
- Good news! This dish is a friend to our vegetarian pals and doesn’t invite gluten to the party.
Key Flavor: Garlicky Goodness
- Garlic reigns supreme in this dish, offering its uniquely pungent and oh-so-wonderful flavor that makes these potatoes anything but ordinary.
Skill Level: Easy
- Whether you’re a kitchen newbie or a seasoned pro, this recipe is a breeze. It’s like riding a bike, but tastier!
Special Perks:
- Crowd-Pleaser: Guaranteed to wow at any gathering. Who can resist the creamy, garlicky call of these spuds?
- Versatile Side: These taters play nice with others. They’re the perfect accompaniment to a wide variety of main dishes.
- Make-Ahead Magic: Short on time? No problem! Prep these bad boys in advance, then warm them up when you’re ready to feast.
- Customizable: Want to jazz things up? Feel free to add your favorite mix-ins—cheese, herbs, you name it!
- Comforting and Hearty: Not only do they taste like home, but they also fill you up in the most satisfying way.
These garlic mashed potatoes aren’t just a side dish; they’re the secret weapon of your dinner table!
Why Use Roasted Garlic?
This recipe is a bit different than your average because its got a special ingredient: Roasted Garlic. This key ingredient adds a delicate, nutty flavor without steering too far away from the simplicity that makes mashed potatoes so great.
I also add a hint of garlic powder to the mashed potatoes as well. My decision to add garlic powder was to add a granulated ingredient that would make sure the garlic flavor was infused in every single bite of the potatoes. By adding the powder, you can stir in and make sure that if some spots don’t get all of the roasted garlic, you will have a hint of garlic mixed in.
Ingredients
For the mashed potatoes, I believe in using the following ingredients:
- Yukon Gold Potatoes – They have such an incredible texture and buttery flavor almost.
- Butter – Unsalted and salted butters can become a preference here. The salted will allow you to do less seasoning of the potatoes in the end but I do love using unsalted here because I can control the salt content here, and unsalted tastes much fresher.
- Half and Half – Half and half is also a creamier option for a liquid versus milk. Half and Half is a combination of whole milk and heavy cream so it is the perfect thickness, not too thin or too thick with all heavy cream and you also get that nice amount of richness and butteriness from the heavy cream.
- Salt and Pepper – gotta season these babies up y’all!
I use a lot of butter for my mashed potatoes. I like the butter to start at room temperature to ensure that it truly melts right into the potatoes making them creamy and smooth.
What is Best Potato for Mashed Potatoes?
For this recipe, I selected Yukon Gold potatoes. They have such an incredible texture and buttery flavor almost. I adore them in mashed potatoes. However you can also use Russets for this recipe as well.
Both of these potatoes result in the very best and fluffiest mashed potatoes you will ever taste. They become smoother and mash quicker than other potatoes like red potatoes. These are just naturally creamier in mashed potatoes.
Tips
Do boil your potatoes in large pieces
Small pieces means more opportunity for water to get into your potatoes which means more liquid and a lot less flavor. Bigger chunks might take a bit longer to cook but it’s completely worth it.
Don’t allow your potatoes to cool after boiling
Start getting busy with your potatoes as soon as they are fresh out of the pot! Adding in your fats and mashing while your potatoes are hot creates a creamier taste and texture. Who doesn’t want that?
Do taste your potatoes along the way
Mashed potatoes tend to need a lot of salt because of all the starch and fat being used. It’s very easy to under or over season your potatoes if you aren’t proactive about tasting as you go. Season, stir, taste and repeat.
Don’t add your liquid all at once
Your potatoes aren’t capable of soaking in all the liquid in one go and if you try to force them to you will end up with wet mashed potatoes. Yuck. Add your liquid in small increments and thank me later.
Now that I’ve passed down all my secrets you’re ready to get in the kitchen and give those tired ole mashed potatoes a facelift.
What to Serve your Potatoes With
Serve as is or with my Turkey gravy or easy Gravy!!
This Garlic Mashed Potatoes recipe goes well with my Best Meatloaf Recipe, Neck Bones, Chicken Fried Steak, Mississippi Pot Roast, Smothered Pork Chops and Fried Chicken.
My Favorite Mashed Potato Recipes
- Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
- Twice Baked Potatoes
- Smothered Potatoes
- Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 quarts water
- 2 lbs yukon gold potatoes peeled, diced and rinsed in cold water
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup half and half warm
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Remove top of garlic head so that all cloves are showing. Add garlic to a large piece of foil. Drizzle with olive oil then completely wrap it up.
- Add garlic to a baking sheet and bake for about 50-60 minutes or until garlic is completely tender.
- Next add water to a very large pot along with some salt to taste for potatoes and bring to a boil. Once water is boiling, add potatoes and cook for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are completely tender when pierced with a knife or fork. Drain potatoes then rinse potatoes in warm water to remove starch.
- Add half in half, roasted garlic and butter to a medium sized pot over medium heat. Once butter has melted and liquid is warmed through, mash garlic in the liquid.
- Add garlic liquid to potatoes in increments of 1/3 cup and mix and mash along the way until the potatoes reach the consistency you prefer. DO NOT DUMP ALL LIQUID INTO POTATOES AT ONCE.
- Finally season with garlic powder, salt and pepper and serve.
Video
Notes
Your potatoes aren’t capable of soaking in all the liquid in one go and if you try to force them to you will end up with wet mashed potatoes. Yuck. Add your liquid in small increments and thank me later. Do taste your potatoes along the way
Mashed potatoes tend to need a lot of salt because of all the starch and fat being used. It’s very easy to under or over season your potatoes if you aren’t proactive about tasting as you go. Season, stir, taste and repeat.
Christine L Allison says
Excellent! I made these last night for New Year’s
Eve dinner! I love garlic, and have been searching for a good authentic garlic flavor mashed potato! Thank you, they were delicious!!!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
Fantastic! I love these potatoes too!
Sue Defoe says
Hello,
I am making these today to eat with our meal tomorrow. Do you have a suggestion for how to reheat them? Should it be on the stove or can it be in the oven?
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
I would reheat by adding to a pot and adding a bit of milk or cream to keep them most. You can warm over low heat and just stir until heated but don’t over stir them. You can add them into a slow cooker too on warm.
Amanda says
I followed this recipe, very closely. I weighed the potatoes and was diligent in completing the steps. I tasted the potatoes just before serving to see if they needed more salt and pepper, and the garlic taste was completely overpowering. They were inedible. I frantically started peeling and dicing the rest of the 5 lb bag of potatoes to dilute the garlic taste. The extra potatoes helped, but they were still way too garlicky. I don’t know what happened since I followed the recipe so closely. It was a bit disheartening and disappointing to have to throw them away.
Grandbaby Cakes says
So sorry to hear that Amanda! If it had a strong, spicy garlic flavor then your garlic may have been on the older side. If you remove the sprout in the center of the garlic it does tame the flavor quite a bit! Garlic should be the main flavor here though and it should come through pronounced.
Chancey says
THESE POTATOES RIGHT HERE!!!!! My kids and I were eating them by themselves. I made them twice. The first time I added sourcream, cream cheese, and feta. The second time I was out of feta, but still added the other two cheeses, and both times AMAZING!!!
Deborah says
Will be making these delicious looking potatoes for Christmas dinner, Cannot wait!
Jeanette Smith says
My family raved about these potatoes. Had them with braised short ribs in red wine. Your recipe is fantastic.
Elizabeth says
What method or tool do you find is best when mashing the potatoes? Thx!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
I love my hand mixer
Kathy says
I like to add a hint of horseradish. Even though I even got my hand almost cut of when I suggested it at my Sister’s big Thanksgiving Dinner, so I will just keeping adding it at my own house.
Garrett Haines says
Your grandmother is a national treasure and I’ll fight anyone who says otherwise.
MJ says
These are delicious! I’ve made them for Thanksgiving and today for Christmas. So, so good. The first bite is sublime.