These roasted garlic mashed potatoes are incredibly creamy, buttery and infused with mellow, slightly sweet roasted garlic flavor. They’re the kind of crowd-pleasing side dish that goes with everything, from turkey and gravy to steak and roasted veggies.
Fluffy Potatoes Meet Sweet, Caramelized Garlic
There are mashed potatoes… and then there are roasted garlic mashed potatoes. Once you’ve tasted that mellow, caramelized garlic flavor swirled into buttery, cloud-like potatoes, there’s no going back.
I’ve made a lot of mashed potatoes in my day, from my secret ingredient mashed potatoes to extra-creamy mashed sweet potatoes, but this version takes the cake (or the gravy). A whole head of garlic gets roasted until the cloves are golden, soft and sweet, then mashed right in for a subtle, rich flavor that turns simple spuds into something extra delicious.
Serve them with anything from holiday turkey and gravy to weeknight chicken or pan-seared steak, and don’t be surprised when these become your forever mashed potatoes.
The Best Potatoes for Mashed Potatoes
The best potatoes to use for mashed potatoes are Russet potatoes. Their high starch and low moisture content mean they break down easily, creating a light, fluffy texture that can soak up milk and butter like a dream.
Yukon Golds are another great option. They’re naturally buttery with a creamier, slightly denser texture.
And here’s a little chef secret: you can mix the two. Russets bring the fluff, Yukons bring the flavor. It’s the best of both worlds!
Avoid waxy potatoes, as they tend to get gummy when mashed.
- Garlic: One whole head. Roasting it turns sharp, raw garlic into something sweet, soft and caramelized.
- Olive oil: Just a drizzle of olive oil keeps the garlic from drying out as it roasts.
- Russet potatoes: You’ll need 3 pounds, which is about 5 or 6 medium potatoes. Peel them completely for the smoothest texture.
- Whole milk + heavy cream: Using both gives you the best of all worlds: the milk keeps the potatoes light, while the cream adds richness. Warming the dairy before adding it to the potatoes keeps everything silky and helps the potatoes absorb it better.
- Butter: I use unsalted so I can control how salty the finished dish is, but salted works, too. If using salted butter, taste before adding more salt.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Roast the garlic. Slice the garlic head in half width-wise (through the cloves, not through the root). Place the bottom half on a piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then place the top half back on. Wrap tightly and roast at 400°F for 45–50 minutes, until the cloves are deep golden and soft enough to squeeze like warm butter. The darker the garlic, the sweeter and more caramelized the flavor.
- Prep and boil the potatoes. Peel the Russets completely, then cut them into evenly sized quarters so they cook evenly. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until they are tender enough to be pierced with a fork, about 15 to 20 minutes. The exact amount of time will depend on how big they are cut. If your fork slides in easily, they’re ready.
When will I know my potatoes are done boiling? Pierce one with a fork. If it slides in with zero resistance, they’re ready.
Avoid both undercooking and overcooking. If the potatoes are still firm in the center, you’ll end up with lumpy mashed potatoes. Leave them in too long, and they’ll become waterlogged.
- Mash the potatoes. Once the potatoes are well-drained, add the roasted garlic and mash everything together. I like to run the potatoes and garlic through a ricer for the creamiest texture, but a good ol’ potato masher works, too.
- Warm the dairy and add it in. Warming it first helps the potatoes absorb it better (and you don’t have to stir as much). Slowly pour it in, stirring until the potatoes are as silky or fluffy as you like. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then serve.
Make-Ahead Tips
Holiday cooking is 90% timing and 10% praying the turkey finishes when it’s supposed to. The good news? Mashed potatoes are one of the easiest sides to make ahead.
- Up to 2 days in advance: Make the mashed potatoes completely, transfer to a 9×13-inch baking dish, and let them cool. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming, then cover tightly with foil and refrigerate.
- To rewarm: Dot the top with butter, cover with foil, and heat at 325°F for 20–30 minutes, stirring once or twice until silky again. For a golden brown top, leave the dish uncovered for the last 10 minutes.
How to Keep Them Warm
My go-to method for keeping mashed potatoes warm without drying them out? The slow cooker. Transfer the potatoes to your slow cooker, set it to WARM, dot the top with a little butter, cover and give them a stir every so often. They’ll stay silky-smooth for up to 4 hours.
If you’re not juggling a dozen dishes in and out of the oven (holiday miracles do happen), you can also keep them warm in a 200°F oven until serving. Just keep the pot covered so the steam stays trapped and the potatoes stay creamy.
Make the Most of Your Leftovers!
Don’t let those extra spuds go to waste! Fun fact, I almost always make a double batch just so I have leftovers. Trust me, once you try Cheesy Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes, you’ll never look at leftovers the same way again.
Here are a few of my favorite ways to give spare spuds a second (very delicious) life:
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic
- Olive oil
- 3 pounds Russet potatoes
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Halve the head of garlic width-wise then place the bottom half in a piece of foil. Drizzle it with olive oil then sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Add the top of the garlic head back on then securely wrap the foil up and around the garlic. Place it on the center rack of the oven and roast until the cloves are golden brown and soft, 45 to 50 minutes. While the garlic roasts, prep the potatoes.
- Peel the potatoes then cut them into quarters.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until they are fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes then pass them through a ricer back into the large pot.
- Remove the garlic from the oven and squeeze out the cloves onto a plate. Pass the cloves through the ricer into the pot with the potatoes.
- In a small saucepan set over medium-low heat, combine the whole milk, heavy cream and butter until warm.
- Slowly stream the milk mixture into the potatoes until combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper then serve.
Kelly’s Notes
- How to know when your potatoes are done: Pierce a potato with a fork. If it slides in with zero resistance, they’re ready. If the centers are still firm, you’ll get lumpy mashed potatoes. And don’t go too far the other direction either: overcooked potatoes turn waterlogged and won’t mash up creamy.
- Make-ahead tips: Make the mashed potatoes up to 2 days in advance. Transfer to a 9×13-inch baking dish, press plastic wrap directly on the surface, then cover with foil and refrigerate. To rewarm, dot with butter, cover with foil, and bake at 325°F for 20–30 minutes, stirring once or twice. For a golden brown top, uncover for the last 10 minutes.
- Keep them warm: Transfer the mashed potatoes to a slow cooker on WARM, dot with butter, cover and stir occasionally. They’ll stay silky for up to 4 hours. Alternatively, keep them covered in a 200°F oven until serving.
- Turn leftovers into Cheesy Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes!
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