Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
What’s a holiday spread without mashed potatoes? This quintessential side dish has been on our holiday table for years and years. Since my husband and I have hosted Thanksgiving the last couple years, the potatoes and sides have become my specialty. This recipe for Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes is my new favorite way to prepare them: smooth, fluffy, creamy, and flavorful.
Before getting started, let’s consider the best potatoes for mashing. Yukon Gold potatoes are usually the go-to for mashed potatoes. According to AllRecipes, you want a potato with a high starch content for fluffy, smooth potatoes. These will be easier to mash, and will absorb the other ingredients, like butter and milk. Yukon Golds are high in starch and have a natural buttery flavor. Russet potatoes are also a good option because of their higher starch content. You can do a combination of the two types, but I usually go for all Yukon Gold for my mashed potatoes.
A lot of mashed potato recipes online will tell you to use a ricer to get a smooth, velvety consistency. That’s fine and all, but most people don’t own a ricer. I sure don’t. The good news is, you don’t need any fancy equipment or tools to get smooth, creamy mashed potatoes. My trusty potato masher and a good spatula have never failed me!
What really takes these potatoes to the next level is rich roasted garlic. Roasting the garlic in the oven mellows out the harshness and even makes it a little sweet. This is a great flavor complement to the buttery potatoes, actual butter, and salty parmesan cheese we’ll add later.
Here’s how to make Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes!
This recipe makes enough for 4-5 people. You can obviously double the recipe to serve more people.
To make them, you will need:
- 2.5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes; about 6 larger potatoes
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (fresh is best)
- 1 Head of garlic + 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup Milk, cream, or half & half
- 3-4 tablespoons Butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh herbs to garnish (chives, rosemary, parsley, or thyme)
- Large stock pot (I have this one)
- Large mixing bowl
- Potato masher
Roast the garlic. Slice roughly the top third of the bulb of garlic off, revealing the cloves on the inside. Coat the bulb in olive oil and wrap in aluminum foil. Bake at 425ºF for 45 minutes, until the cloves are golden brown, soft, and aromatic.
Prepare the potatoes. While the garlic is roasting, wash and peel the potatoes. I do a rough peel, leaving a bit of the skin on each. Soak the potatoes in a large bowl in ice water to remove some of the moisture and excess starch (read more on soaking potatoes here). You can soak them for up to a few hours, or even overnight, but the 45 minutes while the garlic is roasting will do the trick just fine.
Boil the potatoes. Transfer the soaked potatoes to a large stock pot with fresh water. Salt the water and turn the heat onto high. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender. This may take a while depending on how big the potatoes are. It took mine about 30 minutes. When they’re ready, strain them from the cooking water and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Mash the potatoes. Give the potatoes a light mash to get started. Add in two tablespoons of butter and squeeze in the roasted garlic. Use a potato masher, whisk, or wooden spoon to start mashing and mixing them together. Add grated parmesan and milk, heavy cream, or half & half and keep mixing until it reaches your desired consistency. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.
Serve warm. Transfer the mashed potatoes to your serving dish. Garnish with a pat of butter and fresh herbs. Thyme, rosemary, chives, or parsley work best.
These potatoes will last for a few extra days in the fridge. They also freeze well. To reheat, scoop your portion into a small bowl or plate and add about a tablespoon of milk. Heat for 15 seconds, stir in the milk, and heat again. Potatoes tend to dry out in the fridge, so the extra milk will help bring them together again.
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Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2.5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
- 1 bulb garlic
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3-4 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup milk, heavy cream, or half & half
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Slice roughly the top third of the bulb of garlic off, revealing the cloves on the inside. Coat the bulb in olive oil and wrap in aluminum foil. Bake at 425ºF for 45 minutes, until the cloves are golden brown, soft, and aromatic.
- While the garlic is roasting, wash and peel the potatoes. Soak the potatoes in a large bowl in ice water to remove some of the starch. You can soak them for up to a few hours, or even overnight, but the 45 minutes while the garlic is roasting is fine.
- Transfer the soaked potatoes to a large stock pot with fresh water. Salt the water and turn the heat onto high. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender, about 30 minutes for larger potatoes. When they're ready, strain them from the cooking water and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Give the potatoes a light mash to get started. Add in two tablespoons of butter and squeeze in the roasted garlic. Use a potato masher, whisk, or wooden spoon to mash and mix them together. Add grated parmesan and milk, heavy cream, or half & half and keep mixing until it reaches your desired consistency. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper and more butter as needed.
- Transfer the mashed potatoes to your serving dish. Garnish with a pat of butter and fresh herbs. Thyme, rosemary, or parsley work best. Serve warm and enjoy!
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