Made with real roasted garlic, this garlic mashed potatoes recipe is a crowd-pleasing side dish that’s light, fluffy, rich, and flavorful all at once! Perfect for everything from weeknight dinners to holiday feasts.
Table of Contents
- Why you’ll love this mashed potoes recipe
- Key Ingredient Notes
- How to make roasted garlic mashed potatoes
- Tips for Success
- Make-Ahead Tips
- Storing Tips
- How should I reheat leftover roasted garlic mashed potatoes?
- Repurposing Leftover Mashed Potatoes
- FAQs:
- More Potato Recipes
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe
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Pin ItWhy you’ll love this mashed potoes recipe
Mashed potatoes are one of my absolute foods, along with chocolate, of course. And I have to admit that I’m a bit of a mashed potato snob. Don’t even get me started on the boxed stuff!
However, these roasted garlic mashed potatoes are the definition of perfect in my book. Simple to prepare and so delicious, they offer so much to love!
- Large batch – Great for a crowd, one batch makes enough to feed up to 10 people.
- Flavorful – Rich and buttery, every bite is infused with bold, garlicky flavor, taking the original side dish up a notch in deliciousness.
- Texture – Not too thick or too runny, these mashed potatoes are ultra fluffy and can be made smooth or chunky, depending on your preference.
A family favorite, I’ve been making this recipe for years and have perfected the technique.
I’ll let you in on all my secret tips and tricks for the best taste and texture. I can guarantee you’ll never go back to boxed or frozen options again!
Key Ingredient Notes
- Potatoes – I always use Russet potatoes, because they have a low moisture content and absorb the butter and seasonings well. However, you can also use German butterball potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes if preferred. For the best results, use high-starch potatoes or a combination of starchy and waxy potatoes.
- Seasonings – Coarse kosher salt, garlic powder, and black pepper enhance the savoriness of the potatoes and create a bold garlic flavor.
- Milk – I highly recommend using whole or 2% milk, because they have a sweeter taste and creamier consistency than other varieties. Be sure to warm it up before adding it to your potatoes!
- Unsalted butter – Mashed potatoes without butter is just sad! It adds richness and creaminess. If using salted butter, be sure to taste test before adding any additional salt.
- Roasted garlic – This is my secret weapon to create the best flavor! You can make roasted garlic using a head of garlic, salt, and a pinch of salt.
- Mayo – Trust me on this. You don’t taste it, but mayonnaise makes the potatoes unbelievably rich. If preferred, you can substitute cream cheese or sour cream, but it may impact the flavor of your roasted garlic mashed potatoes.
Avoid only waxy potatoes
Using only waxy potatoes is a guaranteed way to create gummy, gluey mashed potatoes.
How to make roasted garlic mashed potatoes
Make sure to roast garlic ahead of time, and allow it to cool enough to handle! You can prepare it up to 3 days in advance. Keep it refrigerated.
1. Cook the potatoes
- Wash and peel the potatoes, if desired. You can leave the skins on if you prefer a chunkier texture!
- Cut the potatoes into 1-inch pieces.
- Place the pieces in a large pot filled with cold water.
- Add the salt and garlic powder.
- Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce the heat to medium, and simmer the potatoes until they’re fork-tender about 20-24 minutes.
2. Make the mashed potatoes
- Carefully drain the potatoes.
- Run the hot potatoes through a potato ricer if desired. This step isn’t necessary but helps create a smoother consistency!
- Squeeze in the roasted garlic into the potato ricer along with the potatoes.
Don’t let the potatoes cool
Start mashing the potatoes while they’re hot.
If you wait for the potatoes to cool, they’ll become stiff and gluey, and it’ll be harder to combine all the ingredients.
- Add half the hot milk, butter, and mayo.
- Mash the potatoes until smooth or just a little chunky using a potato masher. Continue adding the remaining milk until you reach your desired consistency.
- Season with freshly ground black pepper and more salt if needed.
Keep it Warm
If you aren’t serving your roasted garlic mashed potatoes right away, transfer them to a warm oven to keep them hot. Or, place them in a slow cooker, or Instant Pot, set to the “warm” setting.
Tips for Success
- Generously salt the cooking water. Potatoes love salt and absorb its flavor well while they’re boiling. However, this is only true while they’re in the hot water. After they’re removed, no amount of added salt will help the flavor of your potatoes. So, use a heavy hand when boiling! Most of the salt will be dumped with the water.
- Work quickly while ingredients are hot. It’s crucial to begin mashing the potatoes right away. Use hot milk and softened butter, too! Otherwise, the potatoes begin to release too much starch, becoming gummy and gluey, which is not what we want!
- Don’t overwork the potatoes. I do not recommend using blenders, food processors, or other high-speed gadgets to mash your potatoes. This overworks them, making them gummy. Instead, stick with a potato masher or a potato ricer if you want an extra silky consistency.
- Adjust the milk. Depending on how thick and creamy you like your potatoes, you may need to include more or less milk than what is listed. Start slowly, adding a splash at a time until your desired consistency is reached.
Make-Ahead Tips
Follow the directions all the way through. Then, let your mashed potatoes cool completely, and cover them with foil. Or, transfer them to an airtight container. They will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Reheat them in the oven or microwave when you’re ready to serve!
Storing Tips
- Transfer leftover roasted garlic mashed potatoes to an airtight container, and store them in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- Freeze small portions by placing mounds roughly a cup in size on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Then, freeze until solid, and transfer the mounds to freezer bags. They’ll stay fresh for up to 10 months!
- Freeze large batches in a large freezer bag or an airtight container, and freeze the entire bag for up to 10 months.
- Thaw individual or large portions in the fridge overnight when you’re ready to serve.
How should I reheat leftover roasted garlic mashed potatoes?
The secret to preventing grainy mashed potatoes, especially when reheating them after freezing, is to make sure to heat them until they’re piping hot!
- For small batches, microwave for 5-6 minutes, stirring halfway through. The total time will vary depending on your microwave and how big your batch of mashed potatoes is.
- For larger batches, place the mashed potatoes in a baking dish, and bake uncovered at 350°F for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once hot, add a bit more butter and milk, and fluff your potatoes up with a potato masher. I promise you’ll get rich and fluffy mashed potatoes as if you just whip them up!
Repurposing Leftover Mashed Potatoes
I love leftover mashed potatoes. Not only you can reheat it into fluffy goodness again, you can also repurpose the leftover mashed potatoes to make totally new dishes.
- Leftover Mashed Potato Patties – Loaded with cheese and bacon, these fluffy potato patties are an absolute crowd-pleaser!
- Sausage and Potato Croquettes – This unique spin on traditional croquettes, this version is dipped in egg and lightly fried. It’s so filling and delicious!
FAQs:
More Potato Recipes
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 lbs (2 kg) russet potatoes Note 1
- 2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1.5 cup (360 ml) hot milk Note 2
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter softened
- 1 head of roasted garlic
- 6 tablespoons (80 g) mayo Note 3
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Equipment
- 6qt Dutch Oven
- Potato Masher
Instructions
To cook the potatoes:
- Wash and peel potatoes, if desired. Cut into about 2-inch pieces and place them in a large pot, filled with cold water. Add salt and garlic powder.4 lbs russet potatoes, 2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt, 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- Bring it to a boil over medium high heat, and then reduce heat to medium to gently simmer the potatoes.
- Cook until potatoes are fork-tender, 20-25 minutes.
To make mashed potatoes
- Carefully drain the potatoes.
- Run the potatoes through a potato ricer, if desired. You can totally skip this step if desired.
- Add half of the hot milk, butter, roasted garlic and mayo. (TIP: It's important to mash the potatoes right away when they're hot to prevent gluye texture.)1.5 cup hot milk, ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 head of roasted garlic, 6 tablespoons mayo
- Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until nice and smooth (or chunky, however you like it). Keep adding the rest of the milk (or more) until desired consistency.
- Season with freshly ground black pepper and additional salt, if needed.Freshly ground black pepper
- Serve immediately, or put it in a warm oven to keep it hot. Or place it in a slow cooker set to 'keep warm' setting.
Freezing Instructions:
- Place cooled leftover mashed potatoes in an airtight container, or ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 2 months.
- Thaw frozen mashed potatoes overnight in the fridge. (Note: At this point the mashed potato will be grainy and not very appetizing, but don't worry.)
- For small batches, microwave thawed mashed potatoes on high to thoroughly heat it up. Cooking time will vary, depending on how big of a batch you have. I usually heat it up in 3 minute increments twice, stiring well half way. Just make sure, the mashed potato is piping hot.
- For larger batches, place the mashed potatoes in a baking dish and bake, uncovered, at 350°F for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add little bit of softened butter and warm milk and mash it to fluff it up. If needed, warm it up again in the microwave on high for another minute or two. I promise, it'll taste just like freshly made one!
Tips & Notes
– Store leftover mashed potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on November 4th, 2015.
QUESTION! Hi! I want to triple this for Thanksgiving – would you use 3 heads of garlic? Sounds like a lot and I just don’t want the garlic to overpower. Thanks!!
Hi, Katie. I would triple the roasted garlic. Roasted garlic is so mild, I don’t think you’ll overpower it. But you can start with 2 and taste and decide on the last one.
Garlic Mash Potatoes are my favorite -I like to add Parmesan and dried basil too. Whip up with Heavy Cream and yummo!
Oh my, Parmesan, basil and heavy cream all sound fantastic! And I bet the mashed potatoes with cream is even more luxurious and creamy!! Thanks for sharing your add-ons, Carole!