These mashed potatoes passed the ultimate test when Jack declared, "These are SO good!" I have to agree - they're creamy, deeply flavorful & delicious.
The standard for mashed potatoes is high in our house. See, Jack grew up eating his Uncle Billy’s perfect mashed potatoes, and he still reminisces about them. They were creamy, fluffy, and rich with (lots of) melted butter, (lots of) sour cream, and topped with “butter lake,” as Jack lovingly refers to it. I’ve made mashed potato recipes before, but always with a twist like cauliflower or kale. This year, I stepped up to take on the challenge of making a delicious, classic homemade mashed potato recipe.
This mashed potato recipe is not quite the same as his Uncle Billy’s, so I didn’t know what Jack would think. Instead of dairy, olive oil and starchy potato cooking water give these potatoes an amazing creamy texture, and roasted garlic fills them with rich, nutty depth of flavor. I thought they were delicious, but the real test came when we sat down to eat.
Jack’s verdict? “These mashed potatoes are SO good!”
Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe Ingredients
The best mashed potatoes only require a few simple ingredients:
- Potatoes – My first picks are Yukon gold or German butterball potatoes. Unlike russet potatoes, they have a rich golden color, and they make for super creamy mashed potatoes.
- Roasted garlic – The secret ingredient! I mix in a whole head of roasted garlic to pack these guys with flavor.
- Olive oil – I love the rich taste of olive oil in this recipe, and, along with starchy potato cooking water, it makes these garlic mashed potatoes just as creamy as any I’ve had with butter, milk, or sour cream.
- Salt and pepper – Absolute essentials! For optimum flavor, I salt the potato cooking water as well as mixing salt and pepper into the mashed potatoes.
- Toppings – Top your potatoes however you like! My favorite way to eat them is with a sprinkle of chives, minced fresh rosemary, and a pat of butter.
How to Make Mashed Potatoes
First, roast the garlic in a 350-degree oven until the cloves are deeply brown and tender. This could take up to 60 minutes! Tip: You can easily do this step ahead of time. Wrapped in foil, the roasted garlic will keep for 3 days in the fridge.
Then, peel the potatoes. If you love creamy mashed potatoes, peeling is a must. Once they’re peeled, there’s no need to cut the potatoes before cooking. Just put them in a large pot, and cover them with 1 inch of cold water.
Next, boil them. Add a teaspoon of salt to the pot, and boil until the potatoes are tender. Before you drain the potatoes, don’t forget to reserve 1 cup of the starchy cooking water.
Then, it’s time to mash! For the best creamy texture, I rice the potatoes first. Then, I use a regular potato masher to break up any chunks. If you don’t have a potato ricer, that’s ok! Just be sure to mash them thoroughly.
Finally, fold everything together. Remove the tender garlic cloves from their paper and mash them into a paste with a fork or small masher. Fold the garlic into the potatoes, along with olive oil, reserved potato cooking water, salt, and pepper. Season to taste and add more cooking water, as needed, to reach your desired consistency.
Top with your favorite fixings, and enjoy!
More Favorite Holiday Recipes
If you love these roasted garlic mashed potatoes, try one of these favorite side dish recipes next:
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Baked Sweet Potato
- Creamed Spinach
- Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon Zest
- Spaghetti Squash
- Roasted Butternut Squash
- Simple Roasted Beets with Citrus
- Roasted Delicata Squash with Apples and Sage
- Simple Lemon Green Beans
- Maple Roasted Acorn Squash
- Best Pumpkin Pie
- 5o more Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
Roasted Garlic*
- 1 whole garlic bulb
- Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- Sea salt
Mashed Potatoes
- 2 pounds Yukon gold or butterball potatoes, peeled
- 2 teaspoons sea salt, divided
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Butter, optional for serving
- Chopped chives and/or rosemary, optional for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Make the roasted garlic: Trim the top ¼ inch off the top of the garlic bulb. Place cut-side up on a piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Wrap the garlic in the foil and roast for 40 to 60 minutes or until the cloves are deeply golden brown and tender. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Use the back of a chef’s knife or a small masher to mash the garlic into a paste before incorporating into the mashed potatoes. Set aside.
- Make the mashed potatoes: Place the potatoes and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large pot and fill with enough water to cover the potatoes by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
- Use a ricer or a potato masher to mash the potatoes into a large bowl. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the roasted garlic, olive oil, ½ cup of the reserved cooking liquid, 1 teaspoon salt, and several pinches of pepper. Continue folding until creamy, adding up to ½ cup more cooking liquid if desired for creamier potatoes. Serve hot with butter, rosemary, and chives, if desired.
Notes
The potatoes were bland. I’ll try it again. The issue could have been the chef.
May I humbly suggest using the Quick “Roasted” Garlic technique from https://planetarianlife.com/. Your excellent recipe and their garlic with the olive oil that comes with it was a potato game changer.
I adjusted for the quantity of oil and added a cut-up shallot to add depth. Thank you for the recipe.
Can you freeze the mashed potatoes and reheat them before serving?
Hi Amanda, We haven’t tried freezing the potatoes, but they reheat well after 2 days in the fridge!
No, because of their starch and water content.
Great recipe! As a chef for 15 years i love you cut down the calories in mash potatoes without losing any of the creamy texture by reusing the starchy cooking water. Great idea!
Can one roast a few bulbs of garlic and freeze the rest? How should I freeze them? Whole or mashed?
yes, absolutely! I freeze my garlic all the time. I freeze the individual cloves. They thaw quickly at room temperature. A paste would freeze well too.
So easy and so delicious. I roasted the garlic the day before so putting it together for the actual meal was simple. I did 2 versions, the recipe exactly and then some with some sour cream added in. Both were fabulous and everyone raved about them. I actually used a stand mixer on low for maybe 30 seconds instead of a ricer/masher. Makes it easy to fold in the oil and potato water (and sour cream in my case), you just don’t want to go too long and lose the chunks of texture. Will make this often now.
How much sour cream did you use, and what was the result? Creamier/more tart? Planning for a holiday meal and was curious! Thanks!
This is such a terrific basic recipe that I’ll use again and again. I baked my Yukon gold potatoes instead of boiling them and used homemade veggie stock instead of the boiling water; otherwise the recipe was the same.I made them in the morning and they kept beautifully all day in a covered bowl over a pan of simmering water—thanks!
These were so good . I have never made potatoes that I didn’t put butter and milk in so I was a little hesitant but I’m glad I gave it a go. I roasted garlic yesterday which I never did either before but holy cow what a flavor. I didn’t quite use half a cup of cooking liquid and I mashed my little arms out with a potato masher and I couldn’t believe it. I always used a mixer ,I didn’t know the texture difference it would make but color me surprised . I omitted the extra tsp of salt as I didn’t personally think it needed it . Definitely a five star potato recipe .
I am curious if you think you could make them earlier in the day and warm them up in the ovem
Hi Cathy – yep, you can, although I usually reheat in the microwave. If they get too thick or dry, stir in a bit more oil.
Do you peel the potatoes?
Yes, they are peeled
These are, hands down, the BEST mashed potatoes I have ever had! Thank you for sharing this recipe! 🙂
I’m so glad you loved them!
Can I substitute unsweetened soy milk for the oil?
When roasting the garlic ahead of time should I mash it up before refrigerating or leave it whole?
Hi Kayla, I remove the individual cloves and store them in a freezer safe container. I don’t mash them.
Hi Jeanine!
Can I make these ahead of time (the day before) and reheat them?
Thanks!
Hi Anna, you can! Stir in a little more olive oil if they start to get dry.
I really love mashed potatoes as side dish so I’m happy to see this recipe.
I’ve been Super happily cooking from your blog and books for Months but think this may be my first comment. I’ve been vegan for 20+ years and these were hands down the best mashed potatoes I’ve made yet. A huge hit at thanksgiving. My sous chef (I.e my lovely husband) threw out the cooking water so I just added a healthy splash of full fat canned coconut milk open on my counter for another recipe. A hit on the thanksgiving table with or without gravy. Thank you!
Hi Elizabeth, thank you for your sweet comment! I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying the recipes and I’m happy these were a hit at Thanksgiving!
This looks great!
Also, where did you get your ceramic bowls? LOVE them.
Hi Diana – Sheldon Ceramics!
This looks amazing! One question. For the roasted garlic, is the dried outer layer peeled off before or after roasting? I’m a little confused on that.
Peel it off after roasting, it cooks in its paper (in the foil). Hope that helps!