Food & Cooking Recipes Healthy Recipes Gluten-Free Recipes Garlic Mashed Potatoes 4.0 (303) Creamy and delicious, these potatoes are full of robust—but not overwhelming—garlic flavor. Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 25 mins Total Time: 40 mins Servings: 8 Jump to recipe Our garlic mashed potatoes recipe is a much-loved and versatile side dish made with just four ingredients. Packed with garlic flavor, it goes from weeknight dinner to the holiday table seamlessly. You’ll need a few pounds of russet potatoes—which mash up light and fluffy—and a whole head of garlic. To keep the garlic from becoming overpowering, we boil the cloves with the potatoes, which softens and mellows their flavor. For just the right amount of creamy richness, we mash warm milk and a whole stick of butter directly into the potatoes. Savory, robust, and unbelievably delicious, our garlic mashed potatoes recipe is worth adding to your repertoire. 4 Ways to Reheat Mashed Potatoes So They're Always Creamy and Delicious Credit: Jason Donnelly The 4 Ingredients You Need For Garlic Mashed Potatoes Potatoes: For the fluffiest mashed potatoes, reach for russets. They're low in moisture and high in starch which keeps them nice and light when mashed. We like the smooth texture from peeled potatoes, but you can certainly leave the skins on if you prefer. Garlic: This recipe calls for a whole head of garlic, which you'll want to break into cloves and peel before cooking. To help loosen the garlic cloves, hold it in your palm and firmly whack it—pointed end down—on the counter a few times. Milk: Bringing the milk to a simmer before mashing it into the potatoes keeps the mixture from cooling down too much. Use whole milk—or even half-and-half—for the creamiest result. Butter: You'll need a stick of butter, cut into small pieces, for this recipe. Using unsalted butter will make it easier to control the saltiness of the dish. What to Use In Place of a Potato Masher A potato masher makes quick work of breaking down the spuds, but if you don't have one there are a few other kitchen tools that get the job done just as well. Ricer: A ricer results in extra light, tender mashed potatoes and is a favorite tool of our Test Kitchen team. Stand mixer: Using a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment is a solid workaround, especially if you're making a large batch of mash. Just be sure to keep it on the lowest setting to avoid a gluey result. Whisk: In a pinch, you can use a sturdy whisk to mash the cooked potatoes. Break them up a bit with a large fork first, then mash with a whisk until you reach your desired consistency. How to Make Garlic Mashed Potatoes Ahead You can make these potatoes up to 2 hours ahead of serving. After mashing, transfer to a serving dish and top with a thin layer of milk. Cover and set aside in a warm place. Stir to combine when ready to serve. Directions Credit: Jason Donnelly Peel and cut potatoes; place in pan with garlic and cover with water: Peel potatoes and quarter lengthwise; cut crosswise 1/2 inch thick. In a 5-quart saucepan, combine potatoes and garlic cloves; cover with water (about 8 cups) by 1 inch. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Credit: Jason Donnelly Simmer until tender; drain and return to pan: Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain; return garlic and potatoes to pan. Stir over medium-high heat until dry, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Credit: Jason Donnelly Placing the cooked and drained potatoes back on the heat for a couple of minutes helps to remove excess moisture, making for an even lighter and fluffier mash. Heat milk: add to potatoes with butter and salt; mash: In a small saucepan, bring milk to a boil; pour over potatoes. Add butter and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mash until smooth and creamy. Credit: Jason Donnelly Credit: Jason Donnelly How to Store (and Use Up) Leftovers Refrigerate leftover mashed potatoes in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat them on the stovetop (preferably over a double-boiler, which will keep them from drying out), in a 350° oven, or in the microwave, stirring frequently and adding more milk as needed to reach desired consistency. Mashed potatoes can also be frozen for up to 6 months; thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating for best results. Using Up Leftover Mashed Potatoes While leftover mashed potatoes are delicious reheated on their own, there are several other ways to put them to good use, including: Croquettes: Crispy, golden croquettes make a delicious snack or appetizer. Try dusting them with grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese or serving them alongside an easy aioli. Mashed potato pancakes: Mixing in a bit of egg before pan frying creates tender, savory pancakes that are delicious served with eggs for breakfast. Shepherd's pie: There's perhaps no better use for leftover mashed potatoes than as a topping for shepherd's pie. While typically made with lamb or beef, we've got recipes starring ground turkey and vegetables as well. What to Serve With Garlic Mashed Potatoes These garlicky potatoes make an excellent accompaniment to all manner of entrees, including: Chicken: Consider making our crispy breaded cutlets or these quick-cooking paillards to enjoy with garlic mashed potatoes. Or try them with a classic roast chicken or, for a faster cook, this lemony spatchcocked bird. Beef: Our creamy mash would also make a delicious bed for an oniony brisket or a side for some simple pan-fried steaks. Pork: Craving pork instead? You can't go wrong with these vinegary braised chops or our tangy and herby pork scalloppine. 5 More Mashed Potato Recipes to Try Sour-Cream and Chive Mashed Potatoes Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes Vegan Mashed Potatoes Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Luxurious Mashed Potatoes Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.