How to Make Roast Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are a classic favorite and a comforting side dish. The flavor of roasted garlic turns plain mashed potatoes into something special. Roasted garlic has a different flavor from raw garlic and store-bought garlic flavorings, and its smooth texture blends well with creamy mashed potatoes.

Things You'll Need

• Whole bulb garlic
• Foil
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• One large potato per person
• Vegetable peeler
• Knife
• Chopping board
• Large saucepan
• Colander
• Masher or ricer
• 1 to 2 tbsp. butter
• 3 tbsp. milk or cream
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Remove the outer papery layers from the garlic bulb, but leave the innermost layer in tact. Slice off the very top of the bulb, removing the tips from the individual cloves of garlic.

2. Place the bulb root-side-down onto a double-thickness of foil. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper over the garlic and wrap the foil around it to form a sealed parcel. Place this in the oven, roast for about 45 minutes, then remove it from the oven.

3. Peel the potatoes and cut them into quarters. Put them in a large saucepan, and cover completely with cold water. Place the saucepan over high heat to bring the water to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook the potatoes for about 20 minutes or until they are soft.

4. Drain the potatoes and return them to the still-warm saucepan. Add butter and milk or cream. Take the roasted bulb of garlic and squeeze the soft cloves out into the pan with the potatoes. They should easily slide out of their skins, but you can tease them out with a fork if necessary.

5. Mash the potatoes and garlic together, blending in the butter and milk or cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Tips & Warnings

• You can roast the garlic up to a day ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator in a sealed container.

• When making a smaller portion of roasted garlic mashed potatoes, only use half of the garlic and save the rest in the refrigerator.

• To make the potatoes more decadent, add sour cream or grated cheddar cheese.

References

• Food Network: Roasted Garlic Recipe