These Easy Garlic Mashed Potatoes are rich, cheesy, and flavored with delicious roasted garlic! They are the perfect side dish for holiday dinners or anytime you’re craving some serious comfort food. Plus, you can skip the hassle of boiling the potatoes – my quick cooking method makes this a super easy recipe to make.
What is pot roast, turkey, baked ham or steak without a side of homemade mashed potatoes to go with them? In my opinion, mashed potatoes are the ultimate side dish and my recipe is easy to make and has tons of flavor.
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Use Roasted Garlic to Make the Best Mashed Potatoes
Sure, you could make plain potatoes, but using roasted garlic takes your basic mashed potato side dish and elevates it to a whole new level. Roasting garlic is really easy and it gives whatever you add it to a more complex flavor. It’s sweet, caramelized, and less pungent than raw garlic – in other words, it’s just amazingly delicious.
So, we have this garlic mashed potato recipe to share today and I’m pretty sure it will be your go-to once you try it. You’ll find all kinds of excuses to make it especially when you see how easy it is.
Ingredients
- Yukon Gold potatoes – these are the best potatoes for mashed potatoes because they’re not too starchy. Starchy potatoes can be a little gummy when they’re cooked and mashed, so stick with Yukon Golds!
- Olive oil – instead of butter, I like to use olive oil which is lighter and not as heavy and rich as butter.
- Roasted garlic – I recommend making your roasted garlic ahead of time, it’s easy to do and will keep in the fridge for several days.
- Shredded cheddar cheese – this is our favorite, but you could sub Parmesan, Monterey jack or even pepper jack cheese for a different twist.
- Salt and pepper
How to Make Garlic Mashed Potatoes
To make this recipe really easy, I skip boiling the potatoes and cook them in the microwave instead. You don’t have to drag out the big pot and wait for the water to boil. Instead:
- Wash and dry the potatoes. You don’t need to peel them.
- Use a fork to poke holes in them. This will allow steam to escape while they cook in the microwave.
- Microwave them for five minutes and then check them. They are done when you can easily insert a fork or knife into them without any resistance. If they are not done, continuing cooking them in 30 second to 1-minute intervals.
Once your potatoes are cooked, place them in a bowl and mash them with a potato masher.
Add all of the other ingredients and mix them together. Mash them with the potato masher until they are as smooth as you like them. We prefer them a little lumpier!
Tip: If you prefer smoother mashed potatoes, you can remove the potato skins and then mash them until they are smooth.
Main Dish Ideas!
This is a great side dish for holidays if your serving turkey or ham, but they’re easy enough for weeknight dinners, too – especially if you make your roasted garlic ahead of time. We always have some in our fridge. Here are some of our favorite main dishes to serve them with:
- Skip the noodles and serve Swedish Meatballs with mashed potatoes instead!
- Or pair them with our BBQ Meatballs – it’s a great flavor combo.
- Our easy Chicken Tenders are perfect with mashed potatoes, too!
- For a cozy comfort food dinner, serve them with our favorite Meatloaf or Mini Meatloaf!
Whether you make them for a holiday or on a weeknight I know you are going to love this easy roasted garlic mashed potatoes recipe. The roasted garlic really takes them over the top and gives them the best flavor. I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!
Other Side Dishes You’ll Enjoy
Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves roasted garlic
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash and dry potatoes. Using a fork, poke holes in the potatoes. Microwave for 5 minutes and check them. Leave the skin on. They should be soft and cooked through. Put potatoes in a medium sized bowl.
- Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes but keep them lumpy. Add in Olive oil, salt, pepper and cheese. Mix all ingredients together and then mash them some more. We like serving them a little lumpy. You can keep mashing and stirring until they are a smoother texture.
Recipe Nutrition
Garlic Mashed Potatoes are the perfect side dish for so many dinners! We love them around the holidays or anytime we are crazing some comfort food.
Roast
Roasted garlic? Yes! Garlic mashed potatoes? Even better!!!