Mashed potatoes are the quintessential American side dish. These Creamy Garlic and Herb Mashed Potatoes pair elegantly with whatever main dish you’re serving for a dinner party, from Thanksgiving turkey to pan-seared salmon.
There are many ways to make mashed potatoes, but after testing recipe after recipe, these Creamy Garlic and Herb Mashed Potatoes are the way to go. The recipe calls for half-and-half (half milk, half cream) infused with hardy herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage, creating a silky and flavorful mash. Plus, roasted garlic adds an extra layer of flavor.
These Creamy Garlic and Herb Mashed Potatoes can be made up to two days ahead of your Thanksgiving or dinner party.
Creamy Garlic and Herb Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes
- 2 1/2 cups half-and-half
- 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter 2 1/2 sticks or 12 oz
- 2 garlic heads
- 1 sprig of thyme
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 1 sprig of sage
- 2 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt it like pasta water. It should be as salty as the ocean.
- Wash and peel 5 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes. Cut the potatoes into similar-sized pieces for even cooking, cutting smaller potatoes in half and larger potatoes in fourths.
- Add your cut potato pieces to the boiling water. Cook the potatoes for 25-30 minutes or until you can easily puncture them with a fork. Be careful not to cook your potatoes for too long or the consistency will be affected.
- In the meantime, roast the garlic heads. Cut the tops off of 2 garlic heads. Wrap the garlic in aluminum foil and add salt and olive oil. Tightly seal the garlic heads and put them in the over at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes and place the cooked potatoes back in the hot pot to dry out any excess moisture.
- Mash the potatoes with a masher or the back of a fork or pass them through a potato ricer.
- While you mash or rice your potatoes, add 2 1/2 cups half-and-half to a saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 sprig of thyme, 1 sprig of rosemary, and 1 sprig of sage. Infuse the herbs into the half-and-half for about 10 minutes.
- Remove the sprigs of herbs from the heated half-and-half and slowly add it to your mashed potatoes little by little. The consistency will be watery at first but will thicken as it emulsifies.
- Add 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter in small pieces. The hot half-and-half will melt the butter as you mix.
- After you’ve added all your butter and half-and-half, squeeze the two roasted garlic heads into the mashed potatoes and mix.
- Add 2 1/2 tsp kosher salt and lots of cranks of freshly ground black pepper and mix.
- Garnish with more freshly ground pepper, chives, or a pat of butter. Serve and enjoy.
Yukon Gold Potatoes
When it comes to making a creamy batch of mash, Yukon Gold potatoes are the ideal option. They are small, golden potatoes that have a creamier consistency than other varieties.
Some people like to use Russet potatoes to make mashed potatoes but I don’t find them as creamy as Yukon Golds. Russets are larger, brown-skinned potatoes that are a great option for a baked potato.
If you prefer a lumpier mash, try cooking with half Yukon Gold and half Russet potatoes. Make sure to cut all the potatoes into similar-sized pieces to ensure even cooking.
Roasted Garlic
In this recipe, we roast two entire heads of garlic and add it to the mashed potatoes. Because the garlic is roasted, it doesn’t have as strong of a flavor as raw garlic would. If you’re a #garlicgirl feel free to roast an extra head of garlic to add to your mash.
To roast a head of garlic, cut the top of the garlic off and tightly wrap it in aluminum foil with salt and olive oil. Carefully place it in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
Half-And-Half
This recipe calls for 2.5 cups of half-and-half for ease. Half-and-half is a mixture of whole milk and heavy cream. Make sure the brand you buy doesn’t have any extra additives like corn syrup. You can always buy whole milk and heavy cream separately and combine 1.25 cups of each into your saucepan.
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