by Holly
Garlic Mashed Potatoes are the easiest way to make your next dinner extra special. Tender potatoes are mashed until rich and creamy with butter, cream and roasted garlic.
While I do love a good classic mashed potatoes recipe, the secret to turning ordinary spuds into a sensational dish worthy of seconds…or thirds is the addition of roasted garlic!
What Potatoes to Use
The best potatoes for garlic mashed potatoes are nice and starchy like russets or Yukon gold.
Another option is to make garlic red skin mashed potatoes. The thin tender skin doesn’t need to be peeled and offers a little texture, flavor and color.
How to Prepare Garlic
There are 3 possible options to add a nice garlicky flavor to your spuds!
- Roasted Garlic: Roasted garlic is by far my favorite option. It becomes buttery and sweet once roasted. Garlic can be roasted a couple of days in advance (just pop it into the oven next to your roast chicken and set aside).
- Fresh Garlic: This is still a great option if you don’t have time for roasting. Simply slice up 8 or so cloves of garlic and add them to the water with the potatoes. The flavor will mellow out and be great.
- Garlic Powder: If you don’t have any garlic on hand, you can add garlic powder (you can even buy roasted garlic powder) once the potatoes are cooked. Heat it up with the milk/butter mixture and stir it in.
How to Make Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Potatoes are washed before they are bagged, but it’s still a good idea to give them a good rinse before peeling, and usually again after the peels are removed to ensure you don’t have any grit or dirt.
- Roast garlic per recipe below (or prepare garlic to add to potatoes for boiling).
- Bring potatoes to a boil starting in cold salted water. Drain well.
- Mash and add warmed cream, melted butter, and roasted garlic.
- Season with salt & pepper and serve.
Just like scalloped potatoes, these garlic mashed potatoes can easily be made ahead of time. Serve topped with beef tips & gravy or as a side to any meal!
Other Additions
- Parmesan: Make these into garlic parmesan mashed potatoes by adding in some finely grated parmesan.
- Herbs: Fresh parsley, chives, dill or thyme all make amazing additions.
- Cream Cheese: A few ounces of cream cheese will make these cheesy and extra creamy.
- Caramelized Onions: I make big batches of caramelized onions and freeze them. They’re perfect to add to this recipe.
- Horseradish: If you’re serving these alongside steak or roast beef, a generous scoop of horseradish is a delicious addition!
Can You Freeze Mashed Potatoes?
You can freeze mashed potatoes for up to a year, so go ahead and make lots. They retain their quality remarkable well as long as they have lots of nice fat in them (butter and cream).
- To Freeze: Scoop into freezer bags, squeeze out the air, and store flat.
- To Reheat: No need to thaw first. Just use the microwave on a medium setting or heat up in the oven.
More Mashed Potato Goodness
- The BEST Mashed Potatoes – perfectly creamy every time
- Loaded Mashed Potato Cakes – great for leftovers!
- Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes – no boiling required!
- Loaded Mashed Potato Bombs – bite-sized comfort food
- Roasted Smashed Potatoes– just a few simple ingredients!
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Servings 6
Course Side Dish
Cuisine AmericanIngredients
- 1 head garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 pounds potatoes russet or Yukon gold
- ⅓ cup salted butter
- 1 cup heavy cream more as needed
- salt & pepper to taste
- chives and/or parsley for garnish optional
Instructions
To Roast Garlic*
- Slice the top off of the whole head of garlic and drizzle with olive oil.
- Wrap in foil and roast at 425°F for 45-55 minutes or until the garlic reaches a golden brown color and is very soft. (This can be done up to 5 days in advance). Remove golden cloves from the skin.
Potatoes
- Peel and cube potatoes, place in cold salted water (add raw garlic if you are not using roasted garlic). Boil uncovered 15-20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain well.
- Heat cream and butter until warm and butter is melted.
- With a potato masher, mash potatoes and roasted garlic until smooth. Add cream mixture a little bit at a time while mashing to reach desired consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
