Name: Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 1 head roasted garlic ((or 2 if you want them to be extra garlicky)); 5 pounds Yukon Gold or Butter Potatoes, (peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks); 1/2 cup salted butter, (cut into chunks (1 stick)); 1/2 cup whole milk, (warmed); 1 teaspoon kosher salt ((to taste- add more if needed)); 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper ((to taste- add more if needed))

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Making some of your dishes ahead is always a good idea and this creamy, decadent roasted garlic mashed potatoes recipe is perfect to make in advance!

Try these other awesome mashed potatoes recipes: Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes and French Onion Mashed Potatoes.

An overhead image of a bowl of mashed potatoes with melting pats of butter and chopped parsley on top with a head of garlic, grey napkin and sprigs of parsley round it.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

To me, it's not Thanksgiving without mashed potatoes (or really most other cozy family dinners for that matter!). I've been an enthusiast all my life and plan to stay that way.

This year it occurred to me to add roasted garlic. No idea why I didn't think to do that before but I sure am glad I did! In my opinion it adds the most deliciously savory flavor without being overwhelming.

Actually, when I was testing this recipe, I served it with a big family dinner. I was initially nervous the potatoes weren't garlic-y enough with the one head of roasted garlic that I added. But the overwhelming opinion for the 12+ people in attendance was that it was the perfect amount to make the potatoes extra delicious without overdoing it.

A spoon holding a scoop of mashed potatoes with a bowl of them behind it and a grey napkin.

Tips for how to make garlic mashed potatoes

Cook the potatoes in a pot of cold water and make sure the water goes about an inch or two above them.
I like to add the butter into the bowl and then pour the hot drained potatoes over them to help them start melting.
Warm your milk for a minute or so in the microwave before adding to the potatoes to keep them nice and hot as they mash.
Always taste these before you serve and adjust the seasonings to your taste.

Helpful ingredient information:

Roasted Garlic: I like to roast my garlic ahead of time. Click here to read the post I wrote about how to roast garlic.
Potatoes: My favorite potatoes to use for roasted garlic mashed potatoes is butter potatoes or Yukon gold. Another good option is russet.
Other ingredients: I tried to keep it simple for this recipe and let the garlic be the star of the show. Of course I had to include salted butter. My liquid of choice for this is whole milk so that they aren't too rich and heavy. And the addition of salt and pepper balances out the flavors.

An overhead close up of the top of a bowl of this garlic mashed potatoes recipe with chopped parsley and melting butter pats on top of it.

How long do I boil potatoes for mashed potatoes?

I start my potatoes in cold water and bring them to a boil which takes about 10 minutes. Then I let them boil until they're fork tender. Usually this will take around 10 minutes but keep an eye on them and check them because they could go faster depending on the size of the chunks.

What's the best way to mash my potatoes?

So this is definitely a matter of personal preference. Some people like manual potato mashers (to do it by hand) and others swear by using a ricer. My favorite method is using my stand mixer and then taking the manual potato masher and getting any chunks I may have missed by hand.

How do I keep mashed potatoes warm?

I like to make them and put them into a slow cooker set to warm. Cover it and give them a stir once in a while and you'll be good to go for dinner!

Leftovers and reheating:

These leftover will last for up to 4 days covered in the fridge. You can either reheat individual potions in the microwave or for best results in a pan over medium heat on your stove. You can even mix in a small amount of milk to get a creamier consistency.

Ingredients that can be prepped ahead:

Roast garlic
Clean potatoes

Helpful tools:

The side of a bowl of mashed potatoes with melting butter pats on top of it in a blue bowl.

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down. Check out my Amazon Store for all my favorite tools, including those used in this recipe. And follow @thelifejolie on Instagram and TikTok!

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Jessy Freimann

Is it even a holiday dinner without mashed potatoes?! Making some of your dishes ahead is always a good idea and these creamy, decadent potatoes lend themselves perfectly to being made in advance!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Garlic roasting time 1

Total Time 1 30

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings servings

Ingredients

1 head roasted garlic (or 2 if you want them to be extra garlicky)
5 pounds Yukon Gold or Butter Potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
½ cup salted butter, cut into chunks (1 stick)
½ cup whole milk, warmed
1 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste- add more if needed)
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (to taste- add more if needed)

Instructions

Place potatoes into a pot of cold water so they're covered with an inch or two of water on top of them.
Bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook for 10 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.
Place butter at the bottom of the mixing bowl.
Drain potatoes well and pour them into the mixing bowl over the butter while still steaming hot. Give them a minute so the butter can begin to melt.
Begin mixing with your electric mixer (or a potato masher) to start breaking the potatoes up a bit.
Add roasted garlic, milk, salt and pepper. Mix more until well combined and no chunks remain.
Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve immediately.

Notes

This can be made earlier in the day and held on warm in a slow cooker.

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