These creamy garlic mashed potatoes are buttery, garlicky, and perfect for Sunday dinners and holiday gatherings!
I look forward to serving these creamy garlic mashed potatoes with turkey on Thanksgiving alongside a juicy prime rib roast for holiday festivities! The roasted garlic has a mellow caramelized flavor that infuses this dish with the right amount of savor flavor without being too over the top. It is so good that you can eat it by itself! Pair it with a delicious gravy for a comforting, cozy side dish that will take an ordinary dinner to extraordinary in no time!
Tips
- Milk: This recipe calls for evaporated milk (not be confused with condensed milk!). Evaporated milk has a creamy, slightly nutty, caramelized flavor that works beautifully with potatoes. You can substitute with whole milk or half and half.
- Masher: Use a sturdy potato masher for this recipe. I really like the Sopito stainless steel 2 pack that comes with one perforated masher that leaves no lumps behind, and a wavy masher for chunky textures.
Ingredients
- 1 head of garlic
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- 8 large Yukon Gold potatoes (sub with medium russet potatoes)
- Evaporated milk (18-24 ounces or two 12-ounce cans)
- 1 stick European butter (higher butterfat), plus 2 tablespoons for garnish
- Sour cream
- Black pepper (optional)
- 2 thyme sprigs, sub with 1 small rosemary sprig (plus more for garnish)
How to Make Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Roast the Garlic: Preheat oven to 400°
- Next, cut the pointed top off of the head of garlic, exposing the cloves. Brush the exposed area with olive oil and season with a pinch of salt. Bake in a small pan, cut side up, for 30-40 minutes until the garlic cloves are golden brown at the top and soft. Remove it from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.
- Boil the potatoes: Fill a large pot slightly more than halfway with water. Bring it to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add 1 tablespoon of salt to the water and stir through.
- Peel the potatoes with a vegetable peeler, then cut them into fourths. Place them in the pot and cook for 20 minutes over medium heat or until they are super tender.
- Toward the end of cooking, heat the evaporated milk and butter over medium heat until melted through, about 2-3 minutes. Do not boil the milk; simmer it gently.
- Milk and butter: Remove the milk and butter mixture from the heat, and place the 2 thyme sprigs (or 1 rosemary sprig) in the warmed liquid to infuse it with herb flavor.
- Mash and combine: Drain the potatoes. Squeeze out the roasted garlic cloves and add them to the potatoes with the sour cream. Mash all of the ingredients together using a potato masher or electric mixer.
- Add milk mixture: Remove the fresh herbs from the warm milk and discard. Slowly add the milk mixture to the potatoes, stirring until you’ve reached your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve: Transfer garlic mashed potatoes to a serving dish and garnish with two pats of butter and a sprig or two of fresh herbs. Serve and enjoy!
Storing Leftover Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Store leftover mashed potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed all the way through, or use it in other recipes like shepherd’s pie or dumplings.
What to serve with garlic mashed potatoes
These versatile mashed potatoes can be served with just about anything, or enjoyed on their own. Here are some of my suggestions for the perfect pairing.
- Dry Brined Turkey
- Grilled or Pan-Seared Steaks, Roasts, Pork Chops or Chicken
- Pan-Seared Zucchini in Whipped Feta
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Sage Butter
- Fancy Green Bean Casserole
- Beef Gravy
- Garlic Bread
More Recipes to Enjoy!
Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
These creamy garlic mashed potatoes are buttery, garlicky, and perfect for Sunday dinners and holiday gatherings!
Ingredients
- 1 head of garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- 8 large Yukon Gold potatoes sub with medium russet potatoes
- 1 1/2-2 cups evaporated milk 18-24 ounces or two 12-ounce cans
- 1 stick European butter higher butterfat, plus 2 tablespoons for garnish
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- Black pepper optional
- 2 thyme sprigs sub with 1 small rosemary sprig (plus more for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°
- Next, cut the pointed top off of the head of garlic, exposing the cloves. Brush the exposed area with olive oil and season with a pinch of salt. Bake in a small pan, cut side up, for 30-40 minutes until the garlic cloves are golden brown at the top and soft. Remove it from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.
- Fill a large pot slightly more than halfway with water. Bring it to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add 1 tablespoon of salt to the water and stir through.
- Peel and cut potatoes into fourths. Place them in the pot and cook for 20 minutes over medium heat or until they are super tender.
- Toward the end of cooking, heat the evaporated milk and butter over medium heat until melted through, about 2-3 minutes. Do not boil the milk; simmer it gently.
- Remove the milk and butter mixture from the heat, and place the 2 thyme sprigs (or 1 rosemary sprig) in the warmed liquid to infuse it with herb flavor.
- Drain the potatoes. Squeeze out the roasted garlic cloves and add them to the potatoes with the sour cream. Mash it all together using a hand masher or electric mixer.
- Remove the fresh herbs from the warm milk and discard. Slowly add the milk mixture to the potatoes, stirring until you’ve reached your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer garlic mashed potatoes to a serving dish and garnish with two pats of butter and a sprig or two of fresh herbs. Serve and enjoy!
- Store leftover mashed potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed all the way through.
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