Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe

This Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe is the side dish that steals the show. Roasting a whole head of garlic turns it sweet, soft, and spreadable, and when it is mashed into buttery Yukon Gold potatoes with warm cream, the result is impossibly smooth and deeply savory. No raw garlic bite, no gluey texture, just cloud like potatoes with a gentle roasted flavor.

For more favourites, try our French Onion Scalloped Potatoes, our Herb Roasted Turkey Breast with Garlic Butter and our Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts.

What Makes This Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes So Good

The difference is the garlic. Raw or sauteed garlic can taste sharp, but a head of garlic roasted low and slow becomes sweet and caramelized, almost like a paste. Mashed through the potatoes, it gives a round, mellow savoriness that never overwhelms. Yukon Gold potatoes are the other key: naturally buttery and waxy enough to mash smooth without turning gluey.

Technique matters just as much. Warming the cream and butter before adding them keeps the potatoes fluffy, and mashing by hand with a ricer or masher avoids the gummy texture an electric mixer can cause. A little cream cheese, if you like, adds tang and extra silkiness.

The Key Ingredients

Four ingredients do the work, so quality counts.

The Potatoes

Yukon Gold potatoes are the best choice for mashing: thin skinned, naturally buttery, and smooth when mashed. Russets also work and make a fluffier mash, but they absorb more liquid, so add cream gradually. Peel them for the silkiest result.

The Roasted Garlic

One whole head of garlic, roasted at 400 degrees until soft and golden, gives about 2 tablespoons of sweet garlic paste. Roast it while the potatoes boil, and squeeze the cloves out like toothpaste once it cools enough to handle.

The Dairy

Unsalted butter and warm heavy cream make the mash rich and silky. Whole milk works for a lighter version, and a few spoonfuls of cream cheese or sour cream add tang and body. Salt generously, since potatoes need more salt than you think.

How to Make Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Roast, boil, mash, and season, in that order.

• Roast the garlic: trim the top off a head of garlic, drizzle with oil, wrap in foil, and roast at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.
• Boil the potatoes: simmer peeled, cubed Yukon Golds in salted water until very tender, about 15 to 18 minutes.
• Warm the dairy: heat the butter and cream together until the butter melts and the mixture is hot.
• Mash gently: drain the potatoes well, mash with a ricer or masher, and fold in the roasted garlic and warm dairy.
• Season and serve: salt to taste, finish with extra butter, and garnish with chives or parsley.

Mistakes to Avoid

Overworking the Potatoes

Beating potatoes with an electric mixer or food processor releases too much starch and turns them gluey. A ricer or hand masher keeps them fluffy.

Adding Cold Dairy

Cold milk or cream cools the potatoes and makes them seize up. Warm the butter and cream first for a smooth, hot mash.

Undersalting

Potatoes are bland without enough salt. Salt the cooking water generously and taste the finished mash before serving.

What to Serve with Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

These potatoes go with almost everything:

• Herb Roasted Turkey Breast with Garlic Butter, with pan gravy
• Brown Sugar Glazed Ham, sweet against the savory mash
• Crockpot French Onion Chicken, saucy and rich
• Roast chicken or meatloaf, for an easy weeknight dinner

Make It Your Own

The base recipe is a blank canvas. Stir in grated Parmesan for a cheesy version, fold in browned butter for nuttiness, or top with crispy shallots for crunch. For a lighter mash, swap half the potatoes for cauliflower. The mash reheats beautifully with a splash of cream, and it can be made a day ahead and warmed in a slow cooker.

Make This Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes Today

Silky, garlicky, and endlessly comforting, these mashed potatoes are the side dish your table will ask for again and again. Roast the garlic tonight and mash tomorrow. Browse more of our Dinner recipes for more cozy sides.