Creamy, buttery potatoes and sweet, caramelized garlic. It’s a perfect pairing! Find out how adding this one simple ingredient can take this comfort classic from a 10 to a 100!
Here’s what you need:
Equipment you may need:
Roast garlic first.
It takes close to an hour for a head of garlic to become gorgeous, golden-browned and creamy. So obviously, getting it into the oven first is a good idea as far as time management goes. You could even do this even a day or two in advance. I often have a rotation of roasted bulbs in my fridge ready to go when I need them! They are superheroes. They are most dependable when you need an easy flavor boost. I add them to mayonnaise, butter, pastas, sandwiches, salad dressings, etc,…
Start by slicing the top 1/3 of the head of garlic, then placing the bulb upright on a sheet of foil. Drizzle the entire top with olive oil, then close the foil around the bulb. Place the bundle in a preheated 400 degree oven, then roast for 45-55 minutes.
The garlic will be extremely hot right out of the oven, so wait a few minutes before handling the cloves.
While you are waiting for the garlic to cool, start prepping the potatoes.
Whether you choose to peel, or not peel the potatoes is entirely up to you. Since I am using Yukon golds, I’m not going to bother with peeling. The skin on this type of potato is quite soft and I barely notice it in the mash. But if you prefer peeled, go right ahead!
Quarter the potatoes and place them in a medium pot, then fill the pot with enough water to fully submerge them. Add a tablespoon of kosher salt, then bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat to a simmer, place a lid on the pot and continue to cook the potatoes for 20-30 minutes, until they are completely fork tender.
Back to the garlic.
Use a fork to pluck out the individual cloves and place every one of them in a mixing bowl. Use the same for to smash the roasted garlic into a paste.
Make a garlic butter.
This is why it is important for the butter to be room temperature. This gorgeous, velvety roasted garlic butter is going to be folded into the fluffy boiled potatoes!
Use the fork to smash the roasted garlic paste into the softened butter until well combined.
Mash or purée the potatoes using your preferred method.
I rarely have an occasion where I can use my food mill, but when I do, man I am glad I have one! It perfectly pulverizes the potatoes and removes any bits of thick skin that I don’t want in the mash. If you don’t have one, just a potato masher or whisk or whip them up in a food processor.
Add the mashed potatoes to the garlic butter and stir well to get all of that delicious buttery, garlicky goodness into every bite of creamy potatoes! Add tangy buttermilk and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and stir to combine.
You definitely want to get these while they are hot! If you aren’t serving right away, place the potatoes in a lidded pot with a splash more buttermilk and keep on low heat until needed.
My favorite recipes to eat with roasted garlic mashed potatoes:
Other recipes to try:
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 whole bulb fresh garlic
- olive oil
- 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
- 1 tbsp plus 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 4 tbsp butter at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the top 1/3 off from the whole garlic bulb. Place it in the center of a sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle all over the top with olive oil. Gather the foil up at the top and close it tightly. Place it directly on the center rack of the oven. Roast for 45-55 minutes. The cloves will be golden brown and completely fork tender. Allow to cool before handling.Quarter the potatoes and place them in a large pot will a tablespoon of salt and fill the pot with water. Bring the water to a boil, then turn it to a simmer. Continue to simmer for about 30 minutes until they are completely fork tender. While the potatoes are boiling, remove the roasted garlic cloves from from the bulb and place them in a mixing bowl with the room temperature butter. Use a fork to mash the garlic into the butter. Drain the boiled potatoes and use a food mill or potato masher or any other method you prefer to mash them to your desired consistency. Mix the potatoes with the roasted garlic butter, then stir in 1/2 cup of buttermilk. Serve hot. If the mashed potatoes are not served immediately and lose their heat, pour them back into the pot you cooked them in along with 1/4 cup more of buttermilk and heat on low with the lid on until serving.