Roasted garlic mashed potatoes are so delicious and creamy! This super flavorful recipe is the complete opposite of bland. It’s made with a whole head of garlic cloves, sea salt, a generous amount of butter, a touch of cream and fresh thyme.
These roasted garlic mashed potatoes are great any time of year but I especially love making them during the holiday season. This simple side will have your family and guests raving, they’ll definitely request it year after year.
Whether you’re making a simple weeknight dinner or a Thanksgiving spread, potatoes are the best side! There are so many ways to prepare this tasty root veggie and I’ve got lots of recipes for you to try.
I highly recommend my delicious sweet potato casserole with brown sugar topping (especially for the holidays). Or you can try my classic Mashed Potatoes Recipe, Mashed Sweet Potatoes or cheesy Potatoes Au Gratin. If you need to save some space on the stovetop, try my Air Fryer Baby Potatoes or Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes.
How To Make Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- Garlic — This recipe uses a whole head of fresh garlic!
- Extra virgin olive oil — Or avocado oil will also work.
- Seasonings — Salt and pepper. I prefer to use sea salt for this recipe!
- Potatoes — Either russet potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes.
- Butter — I generally use unsalted butter for this recipe, but salted will work in a pinch. If you use salted butter be careful with the added salt seasoning so you don’t over-do it on accident.
- Heavy cream — Just a touch for extra delicious creamy texture.
- Herbs — Fresh thyme is my go-to for this recipe, it adds the best classic holiday flavor!
Instructions
Roast garlic:
- Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F.
- Slice ¼ inch from the top of your garlic bulb and place it cut-side up in a large piece of aluminum foil.
- Generously drizzle olive oil over the garlic bulb and season with sea salt, then wrap it up in the foil and roast 40-60 minutes until tender and golden-brown.
- Take garlic out of the oven and let it cool down a bit.
- Remove cloves from peel. Use a knife, fork, or small masher to turn the roasted garlic cloves into a paste and set aside.
Boil potatoes:
- Peel potatoes, give them a good rinse, and chop into large pieces.
- Place chopped potatoes in a big pot or saucepan and cover with cold water and salt seasoning. Then, place your potatoes on the stovetop and turn heat to high.
- Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer potatoes for 15-20 minutes, until they’re nice and tender!
- Use a colander to drain cooked potatoes, then return them to your pot.
Mash potatoes:
- Add garlic paste, butter, salt, pepper and heavy cream to the pot containing boiled potatoes. Grab your masher and get to work!
Serve:
- Once your potatoes are smooth and creamy, transfer them to a serving bowl (if desired). Garnish with fresh thyme leaves and enjoy your ultimate comfort food!
Recipe Tips
- Even though we’re peeling our potatoes, it’s important to give them a good rinse before chopping. This way we can ensure the removal of all dirt and debris!
- Be sure your potatoes are well cooked and very tender before you begin to mash them, this will help to prevent lumps.
- It’s best to start your potatoes in cold water so they cook evenly. Adding potatoes to already hot or boiling water will create potato chunks that are too mushy on the outside and potentially under-cooked on the inside.
- Don’t use an immersion blender or hand mixer for your potatoes. These high-speed tools can create a gluey, rather than creamy, texture. But you can use a electric masher that is made specific to mash potatoes. Or you can use a hand-masher or a potato ricer. Be sure to avoid overworking the potatoes.
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes are a great holiday side to make-ahead of time. They can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer and then reheated for your holiday spread with no loss of quality or flavor!
How To Store Leftovers
To Store: Allow leftovers to cool and place them in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 to 5 days.
To Freeze: Roasted garlic mashed potatoes are also freezer friendly. Store them in an airtight freezer-safe container or Ziploc bag for about a month.
To Reheat: Reheat your mashed potatoes in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop until warmed through completely.
What To Serve With Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Main course: Serve your potatoes alongside a holiday main course like garlic butter roasted turkey, roasted turkey breast, roasted turkey legs or juicy pork tenderloin. Potatoes also go with a simple weeknight main like ground turkey meatballs or my creamy parmesan chicken skillet.
- Gravy: Roasted Garlic Mashed potatoes and gravy is a classic combination that can’t be beat. You can use brown gravy, white gravy or a pan sauce!
- Other vegetables: Round out your meal with another veggie like my air fryer Brussels sprouts or roasted cauliflower.
- A nutritious salad: Try my easy broccoli salad, arugula salad, or parmesan Brussels sprouts salad!
- Any kind of bread: Crunchy garlic bread, gluten-free cornbread with honey or low-carb dinner rolls and garlic butter.
Recipe Variations
- Herbs & seasonings: I use salt, black pepper and fresh thyme for my roasted garlic mashed potatoes! Feel free to incorporate different fresh herbs and spices like garlic salt, onion powder, Italian seasonings, oregano, sage or fresh rosemary.
- Sweet potatoes: Use sweet potatoes instead of russet or Yukon gold and make my creamy mashed sweet potatoes!
- Loaded mashed potatoes: Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese, bacon bits and green onion slices atop your creamy mash. Don’t forget a dollop of sour cream! You can also add cream cheese.
- Vegan: Use your favorite non-dairy milk or creamer instead of heavy cream and a vegan butter substitute.
Recommended Tools
Large Pot: I recommend using a pot at least 6 quarts in size when boiling your potatoes.
Aluminum Foil: You’ll need a sheet of aluminum foil to wrap your head of garlic for roasting.
Electric Masher: This one is made specific to mash potatoes. It is essential when making this classic side dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
You may have overworked your potatoes while mashing, this is the most common reason for gluey potatoes. Avoid using an electric hand mixer or immersion blender to mash your potatoes as these high-speed tools often result in gluey potatoes. Use a hand masher and be careful not to over-do it!
You don’t technically have to, but I highly recommend it. Potatoes chunks will cook much more quickly and evenly than whole potatoes. Avoid chopping them into small cubes, and simply create several large chunks out of a singular potato.
I recommend Yukon gold or russet potatoes because they both have a high starch content! This helps to create that desired creamy and fluffy texture!
More Mains To Serve With Potatoes
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
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Ingredients
For the Roasted Garlic
- 1 whole garlic bulb
- Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
- Sea salt
For the Mashed Potatoes
- 1.5 lbs. russet or Yukon gold potatoes peeled and cut potatoes into quarters lengthwise.
- Salt for boiling water
- 1 stick softened butter plus 1 tablespoons for garnish
- 1/4 cup heavy creamy
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- Fresh thyme for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Make the roasted garlic: Trim the upper ¼ inch of the garlic bulb, then position it cut-side up on a sheet of foil. Drizzle it with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Wrap the garlic in the foil and roast it for 40 to 60 minutes, or until the cloves turn a deep golden brown and become tender. Take it out of the oven and allow it to cool slightly. Afterward, use the back of a chef’s knife or a small masher to transform the garlic into a paste, which can then be mixed into the mashed potatoes. Set it aside.
- Peel potatoes and remove the little knots from the potatoes with the tip of a potato peeler.
- In a large pot (6qt.), place potatoes and cover with cold water. Add salt and bring to a boil. Cook potato until fork tender (about 15-20 minutes).
- Drain and return potatoes to pot.
- Add butter, salt, pepper, heavy creamy and roasted garlic paste.
- Use a potato masher to mash potatoes until smooth. I LOVE to use this one (It's the best).
- Stir until completely combined and creamy.
- Transfer potatoes to a serving bowl and top with more butter. Season with fresh thyme.
Tips
- Rinse potatoes after peeling to remove all dirt and debris.
- Potatoes should be very tender before mashing to avoid lumps.
- Start potatoes in cold water, adding them directly to hot water can cause un-even cooking.
- Use a hand-masher rather than an electric mixer or immersion blender. High speed tools can create a gluey texture.
- Avoid overworking your potatoes, even when using a hand-masher.
- Make your potatoes ahead of time and heat them back up with no loss of quality/flavor. Perfect make-ahead side for the holidays!
- To Store: Place cooled leftovers in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 to 5 days.
- To Freeze: Store mash in an airtight freezer-safe container or Ziploc bag for about a month.
- To Reheat: Reheat your mashed potatoes in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop!
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
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