It’s the time of year where mashed potatoes really shine. Whether you’re serving them as a side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas or using them as a base for some cozy comfort food, like chicken piccata meatballs or red wine braised short ribs, the humble potato makes a big showing in the fall and winter! Normally for the holidays I make my twice-baked mashed potatoes, but this year I wanted to bring you a recipe that tastes both simple and elevated, and adding garlic confit takes your mashed potatoes to the next level. The roasted garlic flavor really makes the mashed potatoes shine and I promise you’ll want a second helping.
How to Make Garlic Confit Mashed Potatoes
- The first step to making these mashed potatoes is making the garlic confit. Garlic confit is easy to make, but it does take time. Using a small oven-safe dish (like this little Le Creuset dish), add whole garlic cloves from about 2 heads of garlic. I like to make sure the dish is full, but with a little space for the olive oil to cover the garlic. Two heads of garlic was perfect for me, but if they are smaller you may need three. You can also buy whole peeled garlic and use that instead. Cover the garlic cloves with olive oil and place on a rimmed baking sheet in case there are any spills. Roast at 250 degrees for two hours. Let cool to room temperature before using in the mashed potatoes, you don’t want to get splashed with hot oil!
- Next, boil your Yukon gold potatoes in a pot of salted water. When they are fork-tender, drain and return to the pot. I like to mash the potatoes while they’re still hot and add the butter as I mash. After the potatoes are nice and smooth, add the roasted garlic cloves, salt, pepper, sour cream, and milk. You can drizzle in a little of the olive oil that the garlic roasted in if you want, or save the oil for another recipe!
- Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir in the milk and sour cream. Serve topped with fresh thyme, any leftover roasted garlic cloves, and a drizzle of the oil that the garlic cooked in.
Garlic confit is such an easy way to take your mashed potatoes to the next level. The roasted garlic adds a wonderful flavor to the mashed potatoes and cooking them in oil makes them so creamy! Whether your Christmas main dish is beef tenderloin, ham, or anything else, these are the perfect side dish for the holidays or any time of year.
- 2-3 heads of garlic
- ½ - 1 cup olive oil
- 5 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- 1 tsp. salt + more to taste
- ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper + more to taste
- ½ cup milk
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- Fresh thyme for topping, optional
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a small baking dish with a lid on a rimmed baking sheet. Peel all the garlic cloves, leaving them intact. If you're having a hard time peeling them, soak them in very hot water for a few minutes. Pour enough olive oil over the garlic to cover the garlic. Cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours. Let cool to room temperature before using. This step can be done days in advance to save time!
- Peel and chop your potatoes into large chunks that are roughly the same size. Place in a large pot of salted water and boil until tender.
- Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Add the butter garlic cloves (as many as you like!) and mash until smooth. Add the salt, pepper, milk, and sour cream and mix to combine.
- Serve topped with additional garlic cloves, fresh thyme leaves, and a drizzle of the oil from the garlic if desired.
- Enjoy!
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