Mashed, smashed, or bashed - these Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes are an absolute flavor bomb. Picture this: creamy potatoes infused with buttery, garlicky goodness. It's a match made in heaven, trust me. Creamy, savory, and bursting with roasted garlic flavor, these potatoes are the perfect side dish for any meal.
Some people love it as a holiday side dish, but in my home, we love a nice potato side dish with grilled meats! Since I'm a fan of rich garlic flavor, creamy garlic potatoes easily become my favorite food! Enjoy them as a classic side dish, top them on roasted garlic bread, or make mashed potato pancakes for brunch—this recipe is incredibly versatile with endless possibilities! So, ready to dig in?
This Recipe Is:
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- Gluten Free
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- Vegetarian
Table of Contents
5 Reasons to Love This Recipe
Here are five reasons why you'll love these simple garlic mashed potatoes:
- Gluten-free and vegetarian, perfect for accommodating dietary needs!
- Easy to prepare with simple ingredients, great for busy weeknights!
- Rich, buttery flavor with irresistible garlic flavor!
- Versatile side dish that pairs well with any main course!
- Satisfying food, without a doubt!
Are Garlic Mashed Potatoes Low Carb?
No, traditional garlic mashed potatoes are not considered low-carb due to the high carbohydrate content of potatoes. As for this recipe, I developed it when I was strictly gluten-free and not following a low carb lifestyle. Each serving contains 34g of net carbs, exceeding typical low-carb guidelines. However, you can make a low-carb version using cauliflower as a potato substitute.
Garlic Mashed Potatoes Ingredient List
You'll need the following ingredients for making garlic butter mashed potatoes:
For the garlic:
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- ½ cup butter
For the Mashed Potatoes:
- 2 pounds potatoes (yellow), peeled
- 1.5 cups stock (beef, chicken, or vegetable)
- 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Ingredient Substitutions
If you're missing some of the original ingredients for this recipe, here are a few alternatives you can try for these creamy mashed potatoes:
- Stock: Use bouillon cubes or water as a substitute for stock.
- Butter: Opt for ghee, vegan butter, or coconut oil for a dairy-free alternative.
- Garlic: Use garlic powder or roasted garlic paste if fresh garlic is unavailable.
Additional Ingredients
Enhance your roasted garlic mashed potatoes recipe with these simple ingredients:
- Dairy: Add a dollop of sour or heavy cream or mix in shredded sharp cheddar cheese for extra richness. Shredded Parmesan can add a touch of sophistication.
- Herbs: Top with fresh chives or parsley for a burst of freshness. Add rosemary along with the garlic while poaching in butter.
- Spice: Kick up the heat with red or white pepper flakes to elevate the flavor.
- Bacon: Incorporate bacon croutons (lardons) or homemade bacon bits for a savory and crispy addition.
Note: These ingredients are entirely optional and are not included in the original recipe.
Cooking Tools Required
You'll need the following cooking tools to make Garlic Butter Mashed Potatoes:
- Double boiler
- Pot with a tight-fitting lid
- Wooden spoon
- Potato masher or fork for mashing
- Serving dish
How to Make Garlic Mashed Potatoes: Complete Cooking Guide
Cooking Method
- Poaching
Preparation Steps
- Gather all the tools and ingredients for this recipe.
- Peel and chop garlic cloves.
- Peel yellow potatoes.
Cooking Instructions
For the Garlic:
- Set up a double boiler over medium-low heat.
- Add the butter and garlic to the double boiler.
- Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour. As it cooks, skim off any milk solids on the surface.
For the Mashed Potatoes:
- When the garlic has been cooking for about 30 minutes, place the peeled potatoes in a pot with a tight-fitting lid.
- Add the stock to the pot and place over medium-high heat.
- Cook for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. If the cooking liquid runs low, add water as needed.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, remove them from the pot and place them in your serving dish.
- Mash the potatoes with the backside of a fork.
- Mix the garlic butter, smashing some of the garlic as you mix.
- Pour the garlic butter over the mashed potatoes and serve hot.
Making Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes With The Skin:
You can easily adapt this recipe to include the potato skins, as shown in the accompanying pictures. Here's how:
- Prepare the Potatoes: After cooking the potatoes until fork-tender, leave the skins on. Use the backside of a fork to mash the potatoes, incorporating the skins into the mixture.
- Add Garlic Butter: Mix in the garlic butter, smashing some of the garlic as you blend it into the potatoes.
- Serve Hot: Pour the garlic butter-infused mashed potatoes into your serving dish and serve while hot.
This method results in a more rustic texture. It enhances the dish's overall flavor, adding a delightful mouthfeel that we enjoy in my household.
Making Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes Without Dairy:
You can easily adapt this recipe to be dairy-free. Here are two options:
- Use Clarified Butter: Clarified butter removes most of the milk solids, making it suitable for many with dairy sensitivities. You can learn how to clarify butter at home, ensuring it's free from lactose and casein.
- Try Ghee: Ghee, a form of clarified butter, is another dairy-free alternative. Unlike regular clarified butter, ghee has toasted milk solids that settle at the bottom, giving it a nutty flavor. Look for 100% dairy, casein, and lactose-free ghee, which you can find online.
If you prefer a buttery flavor without dairy, ghee is an excellent option to maintain the richness in your roasted garlic mashed potatoes.
Making Butter Poached Garlic
Creating butter-poached garlic is simple and delightful. Here's how to do it:
- Chop the garlic head.
- Place the garlic and unsalted butter in a double boiler.
- Poach for 45 minutes to an hour.
- Remove any milk solids that form.
- Mash the garlic with a fork.
- Drizzle over potatoes, rice, quinoa, or any other delectable dish.
💡 My Pro Tip
You can totally skip poaching the garlic in butter, but it's adds delicious garlic flavor and worth it. Trust me, you'll be hooked. I like to add some shallot slices or a sprig of fresh thyme or rosemary to the butter while poaching—it adds a subtle flavor that makes everyone ask, "What's the secret ingredient?" I love it when people genuinely enjoy a dish like that.
⏲️ Time-Saving Tips
- Poach garlic a few days ahead and keep it in the fridge until needed, or poach garlic when the potatoes are cooking.
- Make ahead mashed potatoes and simply reheat them when ready to serve.
- Save time by using pre-peeled garlic cloves for poaching.
What to Serve With Garlic Mashed Potatoes?
This mashed potatoes recipe is a delicious side dish that pairs perfectly with a variety of main courses, enhancing their flavors. Here are some delightful combinations:
- Tandoori Style Grilled Chicken: The creamy texture and savory garlic flavor of the mashed potatoes complement the bold spices of tandoori chicken, creating a harmonious balance of flavors.
- Grilled Pork Chops: Juicy grilled pork chops and mashed potatoes with butter make for a classic and hearty meal that's perfect for any occasion.
- BBQ Lamb Chops: The richness of BBQ lamb chops is beautifully complemented by soft potatoes with garlic flavor, making each bite irresistible.
- Crispy Golden Rotisserie Chicken: Pairing rotisserie chicken with roasted garlic mashed potatoes creates a comforting and easy-to-prepare meal for the whole family.
- Roasted Asparagus: For a vegetarian-friendly option, serve the mashed potatoes alongside roasted asparagus or green beans, creating a balanced and flavorful dinner.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Storage Tips
- Store the roasted garlic mashed potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Freezing Tips
- Freeze the mashed potatoes for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or use the microwave for quicker thawing.
Reheating Tips
- Reheat on the stovetop over low heat, covered, until hot 65°C/150°F.
- Microwave on low heat, stirring frequently. Oven at 176°C/350°F until heated through.
- If reheating from thawed (after freezing), add in some stock or butter to bring back the creamy texture.
Recipe Conclusion
Let me tell you, this Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes recipe is hands down the best I've ever had. Trust me, it is worth every minute of waiting!
While it might seem like a time-consuming recipe, most of it is just cooking time. The actual hands-on prep is quick—only about 5-7 minutes for the whole dish. You can even multitask and prepare your main course while these potatoes cook away.
I really hope you enjoy this roasted garlic mashed potatoes recipe as much as I do. Please share your feedback in the comments and rate the recipe!
Other Delicious Side Dish Recipes
Is potato your favorite veggie? Check out these scrumptious potato recipes:
FAQs
To poach potatoes, peel and cut them into even pieces, then simmer them in boiling water until tender.
Yes, you can make mashed potatoes with ghee instead of butter for a slightly different flavor. Ghee mashed potatoes are equally delicious.
Leftover mashed potatoes can be used to make potato pancakes, shepherd's pie, or stuffed potato skins.
Yes, you can use a potato ricer to mash the potatoes for this recipe. It will help create a smoother and more consistent texture.
Starchy potatoes, like russet potatoes, are better for this recipe as they have a creamier texture when mashed.
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes 🥔
Ingredients
Garlic Mashed Potatoes Ingredient List
For the garlic:
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
- ½ cup butter
For the Mashed Potatoes:
- 2 pounds potatoes yellow, peeled
- 1.5 cups stock beef, chicken, or vegetable
- 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Preparation Steps
- Gather all the tools and ingredients for this recipe.
- Peel and chop garlic cloves.
- Peel yellow potatoes.
Cooking Instructions
For the Garlic:
- Set up a double boiler over medium-low heat.
- Add the butter and garlic to the double boiler.
- Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour. As it cooks, skim off any milk solids on the surface.
For the Mashed Potatoes:
- When the garlic has been cooking for about 30 minutes, place the peeled potatoes in a pot with a tight-fitting lid.
- Add the stock to the pot and place over medium-high heat.
- Cook for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. If the cooking liquid runs low, add water as needed.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, remove them from the pot and place them in your serving dish.
- Mash the potatoes with the backside of a fork.
- Mix the garlic butter, smashing some of the garlic as you mix.
- Pour the garlic butter over the mashed potatoes and serve hot.
Notes
If you love this recipe, please let mi know! Have other ideas on how to make this more low carb? Leave me a comment below!
Enjoy your day in the kitchen!
Nutrition
“This website provides approximate nutrition data and information for convenience and as a courtesy only.”
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Dan Grimes says
Cool recipe. I've never made mashed potatoes before like this. Not sure that the garlic is roasted though? Are poached and roasted the same thing?
Scott Groth says
Hey Dan:
Great question. I suppose that it is poached garlic since I cook it in olive oil. I'm going to ask around and see what I can find about this.
Thanks for taking the time to write.
Take care and happy cooking!
Scott
Amanda says
Wow! I love this idea. Poached garlic is a new idea to me. I see how it would be delicious on just about anything
Scott Groth says
Hi Amanda:
It is really good on so many things. I wrote in another response some ideas, but here are a few more: mash up the poached garlic and toss it with some steamed broccoli. Pop some whole poached garlic cloves right into a pan with some fresh pasta and fresh herbs. Or make a poached garlic vinaigrette with a touch of honey and some apple cider vinegar. It all sounds good to me!
Have a terrific day!
Scott
Christine says
OK, I really need to start poaching garlic because this recipe sounds amazing!
Scott Groth says
Hi Christine:
It tastes so good. My friend Giuseppina showed me how to do it. She's a master Venetian chef... such simplicity with such incredible flavor.
Have a fantastic day today-
Scott
Kristina @ Love & Zest says
That butter poached garlic though. It's everything.
Scott Groth says
Hi Kristina:
So yummy- right?
Take care-
Scott
Ashley @ Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen says
This sounds absolutely divine! Love garlicky deliciousness in my mashed potatoes!
Scott Groth says
Hi Ashley:
I love garlicky deliciousness too! The butter poached garlic also works great right on some toast, mixed into salad dressings or plopped right on top of some grilled pork chops or steak!
Have a fantastic day-
Scott
Sasha @ Eat Love Eat says
Mmmm delicious! I could certainly eat a bowlful of these!
Scott Groth says
Hi Sasha:
They are so good. The weird thing is that they actually taste BETTER when they have been on the table for about 10-15 minutes. Not cold, but kind of luke-warm. Just delicious.
Have a great day-
Scott
Heather Stewart-Porter says
Am I missing something? How can you boil 2 pounds of potatoes in 1.5 cups of broth? Are you supposed to cut potatoes down before boiling? Just wondering how you are doing it. I used this recipe as a guideline to make
Garlic "Smashed" Potatoes personalized to suit my family. Absolutely delicious. Thank you!
Scott Groth says
Hi Heather:
I'm on vacation with the family now, but will check the recipe when I get home! Sorry for any inconvenience.
Scott