Add an entire head of roasted garlic along with fresh herbs, butter & cream to make this Garlic Roasted Mashed Potatoes recipe. Roasting the garlic mellows out the the punchy bite making room for a more savory, nutty flavor that really elevates this humble side.
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes at A Glance
- For the garlic lovers:
- You need to roast a whole garlic head! It may sound like a lot, but roasting the garlic tones down the sharp intensity of fresh garlic in favor of a sweeter, nuttier, more mellow flavor in the end.
- Potato Type – your choice!
- If you like fluffy mashed potatoes choose a starchy variety like Maris Piper, King Edward, Russet Potatoes, etc.
- If you like creamy mashed potatoes opt for a waxy potatoes like New Potatoes or Red Potatoes.
- Easy to Adapt:
- Make sure to check the recipe notes for flavor variations, additions and ingredient swaps – including tips on making dairy free/vegan mashed potatoes.
How to Make These Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes in Bite-Sized Steps
Roast garlic: Cut off the top of the garlic head then cover in oil & a pinch of salt. Wrap up in baking paper and/or foil & roast until golden & soft.
Boil potatoes: While the garlic roasts – start boiling the potatoes. Cover with at least 1-inch cold water and 2 tsp salt. Boil until fork tender.
↳Why roast the garlic in paper or aluminum foil?
Roasting the garlic in an enclosed container will hold on to the moisture in the garlic and allow you to roast the garlic at high temps until caramelized without it burning or drying out.
Drain & dry: Tip boiled potatoes into a colander to drain the cooking water then set aside for a few minutes to air dry.
Warm butter & cream: Gently heat the butter & cream until warm and melted. Stir in the roasted garlic cloves and mix until combined
↳How to remove the roasted cloves?
Unwrap the garlic and give it a few minutes to cool down. When you’re ready, squeeze each clove from the bottom and move up. The garlic should pop right out with little effort.
Mash potatoes: Return the drained potatoes to the big pot and start breaking down with a masher or rice until mostly mashed.
Combine: Pour the warmed dairy and chopped chives into the pot and continue mixing and mashing until you reach your desired texture.
Mashed Potato Substitutions & Additions
- Make it Cheesy: Add 1 cup grated cheddar cheese or similar cheese towards the end of mashing. Add 2-4 tablespoons grated parmesan. These are simply estimated recommendations. When it comes to cheese – go with your heart.
- Make it with Browned Butter: If you’re not familiar with the process, check out my guide on How to Make Brown Butter with step-step pictures of what to look out for. If you get started while the garlic is roasting it won’t add any extra time to the full process.
- Cream Alternatives: Full fat dairy like heavy cream or whipping cream is ideal if you’re after a super rich and creamy texture, but you can absolutely use regular milk instead. Greek yoghurt is a great option if you’d like to pack in a bit more protein into diet – just make sure to let it come up to room temperature first. No adding cold dairy to mashed potatoes.
- Make it Dairy Free or Vegan: Use vegan butter or olive oil in place of dairy butter and swap out the cream/milk for vegetable stock instead. The finished texture won’t be quite as creamy, but the the final flavor will more than make up for it.
- Peel or Unpeeled: Your choice! If you like your mashed potatoes with a bit of texture to them, leave the skin on. Waxy potatoes like the baby potatoes I used have a very thin skin which isn’t too distracting. If you’re prefer a smoother overall finish then peel them.
More Gluten Free Potato Recipes To Try
Enjoy!
Let me know if you try this Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes recipe! Leave a comment and review with your thoughts. I always appreciate the feedback and serving suggestions that you come up with!
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Elevate your regular mashed potatoes recipe by adding an entire head of roasted garlic! Roasting the garlic tones down the sharp intensity in favor of more nutty & mellow notes.
Ingredients
- 1 whole head of garlic
- 1 tbsp olive oil (15ml)
- 2 ½ lbs baby potatoes (1.1 kg)
- 2 tsp salt, plus more to taste if needed
- ¼ cup butter (56g)
- ½ cup heavy cream or whole milk (120ml)
- ¼ cup fresh chives, finely chopped (12g)
Instructions
Roast Garlic
- Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C) and set aside a small baking sheet or roasting pan.
- Garlic prep: Without removing the individual cloves from the head or fully removing the skin, peel off the outer-most, papery skin on the garlic head. Use a sharp-knife to cut off about 1/4-inch off the top of the garlic head to expose the cloves.
- Season garlic: Place the garlic head with the exposed cloves facing up in the middle of a small piece of parchment paper and/or foil. Drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil over the top and season with a pinch of salt. Use your fingers to spread the oil and spice all over the garlic. Wrap the garlic up in the paper/foil so it's completely covered and place on the small baking tray/pan.
- Roast & cool: Roast in the middle of the oven for about 35-40 minutes until golden brown around the edges and the cloves are soft. Unwrap the garlic and let it cool for about 5-10 minutes until cool enough to handle. When you're ready, pinch from the bottom of the clove and pull up - the garlic should pop right out.
Mashed Potatoes
- Boil potatoes: Add the potatoes to a large pot and cover with at least 1-inch of cool water and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the temperature to maintain a rapid simmer. Let simmer about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Drain & Dry: Transfer the potatoes to a colander to drain away the cooking water. Shake the colander to rid the potatoes of excess water. Set the potatoes aside to let them air dry a few minutes.
- Warm dairy: In a small sauce pan, warm the butter and cream over a medium low heat until the butter is fully melted. Stir in the roasted garlic cloves and mix until well combined.
- Mash potatoes: Add the potatoes back to the boiling pot then start mashing or ricing until mostly mashed.
- Combine: Pour the melted butter/cream into the pot along with the chopped chives and continue mashing and mixing until fully combined and you reach your desired mash consistency.
- Enjoy: Taste and season with addition salt and black pepper as you see fit then serve warm and enjoy. Cool and store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Use within 3-4 days.
Notes
- Potato Type: High starch potatoes (Yukon Golds, Maris Piper, King Edward, Russet Potatoes, etc) are a popular choice for mashed potatoes, but it's up to you. If you want to use a waxy variety, just make sure you don't over work the potatoes by using an electric mixer or stand mixer to break them down as they'll go gummy faster.
- Unpeeled Potatoes If you choose to leave the skin on your potatoes make sure to wash & scrub off excess dirt before boiling.
- Cream Alternatives: High fat dairy like heavy creamy & sour cream will make for an extra rich and creamy texture, but you can just as easily use whole milk or even semi-skimmed milk instead. Greek yogurt works great and adds a bit of protein and a nice tangy flavor to mashed potatoes - just make sure to let it come up to room temperature before adding it to the potatoes.
- Dairy Free Options: Swap dairy butter for vegan butter or olive oil. Instead of cream/milk use ½ cup vegetable stock.
- Freeze It: Cool completely then store in a freezer safe bag or container up to 2 months. Dairy free mash made with vegetable stock won't freeze very well without the extra fat.
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