These creamy garlic mashed potatoes are rich, buttery, and smooth. Slow-cooked garlic turns soft and mellow before being folded into fluffy potatoes, creating an easy side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a family dinner.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ways to Cook Garlic
- Equipment Needed
- Ingredients
- Shopping for Garlic and Potatoes
- How to Poach Garlic
- How to Make Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Top Tips for Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- How to Keep Mashed Potatoes Warm
- Storage and Reheating
- What Goes with Garlic Mashed Potatoes?
- Dairy-Free Option
- Key Takeaway
- More Potato Recipes
- FAQ
- Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Why You'll Love This Recipe
These mashed potatoes get their deep garlic flavor from cloves gently cooked in olive oil until soft and golden. The garlic becomes sweet and spreadable without overpowering the potatoes.
Garlic mashed potatoes are classic comfort food and pair with almost any main course, including turkey, chicken, steak, lamb, or fish.
Butter and warm cream give the potatoes a smooth texture, while the poached garlic adds a mellow, savory flavor.
Ways to Cook Garlic
We're making garlic confit today. Garlic confit is made by slowly cooking peeled garlic cloves in olive oil over low heat until they turn golden and spreadable.
The oil becomes infused with garlic flavor and can be drizzled over the finished potatoes. Refrigerate homemade garlic and herb oils promptly and discard any unused portion after 4 days.
Quick Simmer (Fast and Subtle)
The simplest way to make garlic mashed potatoes is to add peeled garlic cloves to the pot with your potatoes and cook them together until both are soft. The garlic softens as it boils and gently sweetens the pot. Then mash everything together.
Roasted Garlic (Smells Amazing!)
You can also roast garlic in a terracotta garlic baker or wrapped in foil for easy cleanup.
Equipment Needed
- Large pot for boiling potatoes
- Small saucepan for poaching garlic
- Colander for draining
- Potato masher or ricer
- Rubber spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Heatproof bowl (for keeping potatoes warm over simmering water)
Use a potato masher or ricer instead of a blender or food processor. Blenders break down the starch too much and make the potatoes gluey. A masher or ricer keeps them light, fluffy, and creamy. If the potatoes are cooked until tender, they'll be easy to mash.
Ingredients
- Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces - russets make a fluffier mash; Yukon Golds are naturally creamier.
- Unsalted butter - lets you control the final seasoning.
- Heavy cream or whole milk, warmed - cream makes the potatoes richer, while milk makes them lighter.
- Kosher or sea salt for the cooking water, plus more salt and black pepper to taste.
- Garlic, cloves separated and peeled - slow cooking makes the garlic mellow and sweet.
- Olive oil, or enough to cover the cloves in a small saucepan.
- Fresh herbs: chopped parsley or chives for garnish.
Shopping for Garlic and Potatoes
When you are picking out garlic, choose bulbs that feel firm and solid in your hand. The outer skin should be dry and papery, not damp or peeling. Avoid cloves that look soft or are starting to sprout. If you see mold, skip it.
Choose russet potatoes with firm skins and no cuts, sprouts, or green areas. Avoid potatoes with any green areas.
When shopping for Yukon Gold potatoes, choose ones that are firm, smooth, and golden yellow with no green spots or sprouts. Their naturally buttery flavor and medium starch content make them perfect for creamy mashed potatoes.
If you have red or small round potatoes, try my Roasted Tiny Red Potatoes or Oven-Roasted Baby Gold Potatoes.
How to Poach Garlic
- Peel a head of garlic and trim the ends. Place the cloves in a small saucepan and cover with olive oil.
- Cook over low heat for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is soft and golden.
- Lift out the cloves with a slotted spoon and mash them into a paste with the back of a fork. Add 1 tablespoon of the garlic-infused oil to the potatoes if desired.
- Refrigerate the remaining oil promptly and discard it after 4 days.
How to Make Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Poach the garlic. Gently cook the peeled cloves in olive oil for 30-40 minutes, until golden and soft. Remove them with a slotted spoon, then mash them into a paste.
- Cook the potatoes. Cover them with cold water by about 1 inch, add salt, and bring to a boil. Cook until fork-tender, about 20-25 minutes. Drain well.
- Mash. Use a potato masher or ricer. Mash in the butter, then stir in the warm cream or milk and fold in the garlic paste.
- Season. Taste and add more salt and pepper.
Top Tips for Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Always start potatoes in cold, salted water for even cooking.
- After draining, return the potatoes to the hot pot for 1-2 minutes so excess moisture can evaporate.
- Use a ricer or masher, not a blender, to avoid gummy potatoes.
- Warm your dairy before mixing. Cold cream can stiffen the potatoes.
How to Keep Mashed Potatoes Warm
Place mashed potatoes in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Cover loosely to trap steam, stirring occasionally. Add warm milk or butter if they start to thicken.
To make ahead, keep them warm in a slow cooker on the "warm" setting for up to two hours, stirring occasionally.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container within 2 hours and use them within 3-4 days.
For longer storage, freeze the potatoes in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag for 1-2 months. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of milk as needed.
What Goes with Garlic Mashed Potatoes?
Here in the Florida Keys, fresh fish is always close by, and these potatoes make the perfect side. We especially love serving them with fish, along with simple vegetables like peas or broccoli.
Dairy-Free Option
To make these mashed potatoes dairy-free, replace the butter with a little of the poached-garlic oil and use unsweetened almond or oat milk instead of cream.
Key Takeaway
Creamy garlic mashed potatoes are simple, classic, and always welcome at the table. Whether it's Thanksgiving or a weeknight dinner, this recipe proves that good, old-fashioned comfort food never goes out of style.
FAQ
Yes. Make the poached garlic up to 4 days ahead. Transfer the cloves and oil to an airtight container, refrigerate promptly, and discard any unused portion after 4 days.
Start with the right potatoes, such as Yukon Gold or russet. Boil them until soft, then mash while they're still hot. Mash in softened butter, then add warm milk so the potatoes absorb it easily. Mash gently with a hand masher or ricer and stop once they're smooth.
Garlic confit is a French method of gently cooking garlic cloves in oil until they become soft, sweet, and spreadable. The slow cooking removes the harsh bite of raw garlic and gives a smooth, buttery flavor.
Yes. Instead of butter, use some of the oil from the garlic confit. It adds rich flavor and keeps the potatoes silky.
Transfer the cloves and oil to an airtight container and refrigerate promptly at 40°F or below. Discard any unused homemade garlic oil after 4 days. For longer storage, freeze it in small portions.
Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon kosher or sea salt, for the cooking water
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup heavy cream or whole milk, warmed
- 1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled
- ½ cup olive oil, or enough to cover the garlic cloves (most will remain after poaching)
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley or chives, for garnish (optional)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place the peeled garlic cloves in a small saucepan and add enough olive oil to cover them. Cook over low heat for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden. Remove the cloves with a slotted spoon and mash them into a paste. Refrigerate the remaining oil promptly and discard it after 4 days.
- Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover them with cold water by about 1 inch. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil. Cook until fork-tender, about 20-25 minutes, then drain well.
- Return the potatoes to the hot pot for 1-2 minutes to remove excess moisture. Mash in the butter with a potato masher or ricer, then stir in the warm cream or milk.
- Fold in the garlic paste and up to 1 tablespoon of the garlic-infused oil, if desired. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and top with chopped parsley or chives.
