Creamy, buttery, and garlicky mashed potatoes that will make all other mashed potatoes jealous.
Yes, I’m prepping for Thanksgiving already. And, yes, I’m starting with my mashed potato recipe. Why? Because I’ve already got a pretty good head-start on it.
Mashed potatoes are not just one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving, they are often my favorite part of any meal that includes them. And, honestly, the quality of the mashed potatoes can make or break meal.
I generally like them fairly simple—with just a few choice qualities. Butter is key, and I don’t try to skimp on it. Buttery potatoes just taste better, and whole milk helps to make them extra creamy too. I like to use Yukon Golds potatoes because of their fluffier consistency, rich flavor, and buttery hue.
Salt and pepper are usually the only seasonings I need, but, for special occasions, garlic makes them even better. I’ve experimented with many different methods for browning the garlic: roasting a whole head, toasting cloves in a skillet, mincing and sautéing, the list goes on. But the best way I’ve found is browning the garlic directly in butter before adding them both to the potatoes. Not only is this method easy, but the garlic infuses into the butter, which is then soaked up by the potatoes, which compounds the flavor. The garlic itself can be strained out before adding, but I like to leave it in for some toasty garlic chunks.
And that’s it. Don’t overdue it. Let the simplicity shine.
What to serve with these mashed potatoes.
Honestly, it’s hard for me to think of anything that wouldn’t be good with these buttery garlic mashed potatoes. Feel free to mix and match with whatever protein and vegetables you like.
While this recipe can certainly be scaled up to meet your needs, I originally developed it as part of a collection of small scale Thanksgiving recipes for those (like my husband and I) that prefer a more intimate celebration of around 2-4 people. Check out the collection here.
Buttery Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 18 oz (about 3 medium) Yukon Gold potatoes scrubbed
- 4 tbsp butter cut into cubes
- 10 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- ¼-½ cup whole milk
- Kosher salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat a large pot of salted water over high heat. While waiting for water to boil, peel potatoes and cut into 1-2 inch chunks.
- When water boils, add potatoes and cook for 15-20 minutes until very tender. Drain and return to pot.
- While potatoes are boiling, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add smashed garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is golden-brown, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Mash potatoes to desired consistency with a potato masher or ricer.
- Garlic can be removed from the butter with a slotted spoon for smoother mashed potatoes, or left in if you want toasty garlic chunks. Add to potatoes along with 1/4 cup of milk, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper.
- Mix until smooth. Add more milk as needed to obtain desired consistency, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately or keep warm over low heat, stirring occasionally, until ready to serve.
