These garlic mashed potatoes are rich, buttery and packed with delicious garlic flavor! You’ll love how easy it is to make fluffy potatoes with an amazingly creamy texture, all in one pot.
Whether you’re serving them alongside your favorite weeknight dinners or adding them to your Thanksgiving table, these creamy garlic mashed potatoes are the ultimate side dish for any occasion.
Why We Love This Recipe
- Plenty of garlic flavor: Cooking the garlic with the potatoes infuses a mellow flavor that makes these potatoes extra delicious. You can easily adjust the amount of garlic to suit your personal preference.
- Rich and creamy: Using milk instead of heavy cream gives you a creamy consistency without making the potatoes too heavy.
- Easy to make: With a few simple ingredients from the grocery store, you can make this easy garlic mashed potatoes recipe without any complicated steps.
- Perfect for holidays: These potatoes are the perfect side dish for your Thanksgiving table, Christmas dinner menu or any other holiday table.
- Versatile: Serve them with roasted chicken, steak, prime rib or your favorite comfort foods. They’re also a great way to use leftover potatoes in a potato casserole.
Ingredients
- Russet potatoes
- Fresh garlic
- Salted butter
- Milk
- Parmesan cheese
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
How to Make Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Peel and Quarter the Potatoes
Using a vegetable peeler, remove the skins from the potatoes and then cut them into quarters with a sharp knife. Place the potatoes into a large pot.
Smash the Garlic
Place the cloves of garlic onto wooden cutting board. Use the flat side of a large knife to smash them, and then peel them. Now, put the smashed garlic into the pot with the potatoes and cover with cold water.
Cook the Potatoes
Bring the potatoes and garlic to a boil over high heat. Once it starts to boil, cover the pot and let the potatoes cook until they are fork tender. Then, drain them.
Make the Magic
Put the butter, hot potatoes, milk, Parmesan cheese, onion powder and garlic powder into the same pot and mix it all together. Then, remove it from the heat and mash the potatoes.
Serving Suggestions
- Roasted meats: Serve alongside roast chicken, roasted turkey, beef tenderloin or prime rib for a classic dinner.
- Steak: Pair them with grilled steak and roasted vegetables for a restaurant-quality meal at home.
- Brown gravy: Pour warm brown gravy over the potatoes for a traditional comfort-food combination.
- Holiday dinners: Add them to your Thanksgiving table or Christmas dinner menu alongside stuffing, green beans, roasted carrots and turkey.
- Chicken dinners: Serve with baked chicken, crispy chicken thighs or slow-cooker pot roast for an easy family meal.
How Many Pounds of Mashed Potatoes Should You Make Per Person?
A good rule of thumb is to plan for about 1/2 pound of raw potatoes per person when serving mashed potatoes as a side dish. If you’re feeding a crowd or serving potatoes as one of the main holiday side dishes, you may want to make a little extra.
For holiday dinners, I like to plan for a generous serving because mashed potatoes are one of everyone’s favorite side dishes. If you’re hosting Thanksgiving and serving several other sides, you can stick with the 1/2 pound guideline. If your guests love potatoes as much as my family does, consider making a little extra.
Tips for Success
- Start with cold water: Using cold water allows the potatoes to cook evenly from the outside to the center.
- Cut the potatoes evenly: Use a sharp knife to cut the potatoes into similarly sized pieces. This helps them cook at the same rate.
- Cook until fork tender: Cook until a fork slides easily into the center of each piece. Soft potatoes are much easier to mash smoothly.
- Drain the potatoes well: Drain the cooked potatoes thoroughly. Return them to the warm pot over low heat for a minute or two, stirring gently to allow excess moisture to evaporate. This helps create fluffy potatoes instead of watery mashed potatoes.
- Don’t overmix: A potato masher is perfect for rustic mashed potatoes, while a potato ricer creates an especially smooth texture. Avoid overmixing with an electric mixer or stand mixer.
- Finish with fresh herbs: Chopped parsley or chives add color and freshness.
- Make them ahead: You can prepare the potatoes ahead of time and gently reheat them before serving. This is especially helpful when you’re preparing several dishes for holiday dinners.
What Are the Best Potatoes to Use for Making Mashed Potatoes?
The best way to achieve fluffy, creamy mashed potatoes is to start with the right variety. Different types of potatoes have different starch levels, which affect their texture once cooked and mashed.
I recommend Russet potatoes for their high starch content. This makes them a great choice for light, fluffy potatoes. They absorb butter and cream beautifully, resulting in classic mashed potatoes with a soft texture.
Red potatoes have less starch and more moisture than Russets, but they are a solid section option. They hold their shape well and work nicely for rustic mashed potatoes with potato skins left on.
I do not recommend Yukon gold potatoes for making mashed potatoes. They are very creamy and rich, and can easily become gluey if they’re even slightly overmixed.
Why Are My Potatoes Gluey?
Gluey mashed potatoes are usually caused by overworking the potatoes. When potatoes are mashed too aggressively, they release excess starch, creating a sticky, gummy texture instead of light, fluffy potatoes.
A few reasons your mashed potatoes may turn out gluey:
- Overmixing: Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer for too long can break down the potatoes and release too much starch.
- Using the wrong potatoes: Waxy potatoes, including gold and some red potato varieties, tend to produce a denser texture than high-starch Russet potatoes.
- Not draining thoroughly: Excess water can make mashed potatoes watery and heavy rather than creamy.
- Using a food processor: The blades work too aggressively and can quickly turn potatoes into a gummy paste.
The best way to avoid gluey potatoes is to use a potato masher or potato ricer. Both tools gently break down the potatoes without overworking them. If you prefer using an electric mixer, mix on low speed and stop as soon as the potatoes reach your desired consistency.
Unfortunately, once potatoes become gluey, it’s hard to fix the problem.
Storage Instructions
Allow the mashed potatoes to cool slightly, then transfer them to an airtight container. They’ll stay fresh in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat the potatoes in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Add a splash of whole milk or heavy cream to restore their creamy consistency. You can also reheat them in the microwave in short intervals, stirring between each interval.
You can also freeze these mashed potatoes, although the texture may change slightly after thawing. Be sure to thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
When you make these garlic mashed potatoes, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy!
For more potato side dishes, try these:
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. Russet potatoes
- 6 cloves garlic
- 5 Tbsp. salted butter
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. onion powder
- fresh chives garnish, optional
Instructions
- Peel and quarter the potatoes. Place them into a large stockpot. Cover with cold water.
- Place the cloves onto a cutting board and smash them using the flat side of a large knife, rolling pin, or bottom of a measuring cup. Peel the smashed garlic and put it into the pot of potatoes.
- Bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and cook 25 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender.
- Drain the potatoes. In the same pot, melt the butter over low heat. Add the hot potatoes, milk, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder and onion powder and stir to combine.
- Remove from heat. Mash the potatoes using a potato masher or fork. Serve warm.
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