Garlic Mashed Potatoes are perfectly cooked, fluffy mashed potatoes tossed with sautéed garlic and butter. They taste great all by themselves, or covered with sauce or gravy. Use them in place of regular mashed potatoes for a light touch of garlic flavor. These potatoes pair perfectly with fancy meals such as Steak Diane, Braised Beef Short Ribs, or Prime Rib.
Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Equipment
- large stock pot
- colander
- potato masher
- slotted spoon
- small skillet
- garlic press
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp salt – for boiling the potatoes
- 2 medium russet potatoes – skinned and cut into 2" pieces
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 clove garlic – minced
- ¼ cup half and half
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper – finely ground
- 1 tsp chives – finely chopped, optional
Instructions
- Fill a large stockpot ¾ full with water. Bring to a rapid boil, and add 1 Tbsp salt. Peel the potatoes, and cut into 2-inch pieces. Add the potatoes to the boiling salt water.2 medium russet potatoes, 1 tbsp salt
- Melt butter in a small sauce pan over low heat. Add the minced garlic.1 clove garlic, 2 tbsp butter
- The potatoes are done cooking when you can easily pierce them with a fork, but before they start to fall apart. Drain the cooked potatoes through a colander.
- Turn the heat to low, and return the drained potatoes to the pot. Allow them to steam out until they are dry. Turn off the heat before the dried potatoes begin to brown.
- Use a potato masher to mash the dried potatoes. Allow any remaining steam to escape.
- Pour the melted butter and sautéed garlic into the pot with the potatoes.
- Use a slotted spoon to toss the mashed potatoes with the butter and garlic.
- Add ¼ cup half & half to the mash. Season with salt and pepper. Toss it together with the slotted spoon.1/4 cup half and half, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Server warm, optionally garnished with finely chopped chives.1 tsp chives
PRIVATE NOTES
Nutrition
More Information
Potatoes Should Be Dry
It is important to make sure the potatoes are dry before mashing. They should fully steam out in the warm pan. Do this before adding butter or milk. If you add the butter too early, it will coat the potatoes and lock in the moisture. Drying the potatoes helps them to stay fluffy when mashing. If the potatoes are too wet, the mashed potatoes will be sticky, starchy, and not delicious.
Don’t Over-mash the Potatoes
Mashed potatoes should be a little bit chunky for the best texture. If you over-mash the potatoes, they will get starchy and gummy. Chunky mashed potatoes act as a scaffolding for sauces and gravies. Sauces and gravies will get down into the crevices between the fluffy chunks, making every bite delicious.
Sauté the Garlic Over Low Heat
Keep the heat on low when sautéing the garlic. The goal is to impart the garlic flavor to the butter, not to toast the garlic. The flavor of toasted garlic would be overpowering. It would detract from the flavors of any sauces or gravies used on garlic mashed potatoes.
The Best Potatoes for Mashing
The best potatoes to use for making garlic mashed potatoes are Russet potatoes. Russet potatoes are starchier than waxy potatoes, such as Red potatoes. They stay soft and fluffy when mashing, while waxy potatoes stay firm. Firm, waxy potatoes tend to fall apart when boiling. They are harder to mash, and this results in a texture that’s not great.
Related Recipes
Steak Diane
Braised Beef Short Ribs
Mushroom Gravy
Country Gravy
Turkey Gravy
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