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I don’t know about you but every word in the title of this recipe screams “DELICIOUS!” to me, and put them all together and you’ve got yourself an absolutely indulgent side dish that takes regular mashed potatoes to a whole new level.
To Make These Potatoes We’ll Need:
- Potatoes: I recommend opting for a starchy variety (such as Idaho, Russet or even a Yukon Gold which is semi-starchy semi-waxy type) over a waxy one (such as Red bliss, baby potatoes, French fingerlings etc.) for a smooth and creamy mash. Waxy potatoes, though creamy when cooked, tend to make a more gluey/pap like mash over the starchy potato. Even better, the higher starch content of starchy potatoes allows for fatty add ins such as butter and milk to adhere and coat each individual potato cell which gives tons of flavor throughout your mash.
- Whole Milk: We’re not using a lot but it’s just enough to real make these potatoes nice and creamy. If you must, you can sub in a stock or broth or even water though milk is my first choice recommendation.
- Parmesan Cheese: The flavor and texture that this hard cheese adds to the mash perfectly complements the roasted garlic.
- Roasted Garlic: The flavor this ingredient brings to our mash is what really sets this apart. I highly recommend using a roasted garlic over raw since the sharpness of raw garlic will be overpowering in the dish.
- Butter: This fat adds flavor and creamy texture and works in conjunction with all the other ingredients, I really don’t recommend skipping it. You can use either salted or unsalted. Today I’m using a salted butter.
- Salt: I’m using a pink Himalayan salt but you can use a sea salt if you prefer. Salt your potatoes to taste.
That’s really all you need. If you want to, you can finish by topping your mash with freshly chopped chives and cracked black pepper and pairing it with other side of your choosing (I’ve included a list at the end of this post of what you can pair your mashed potatoes with!)
Let Me Show You How Easy This Dish Is To Make!
Since we’re going for a creamy mash, I’ve scrubbed and peeled my potatoes. You can of course leave the skins on. The choice is yours. I’ve also opted to cut my potatoes into smaller same-size pieces to ensure quicker and even cooking.
Into a pot of cold water go our potatoes. You don’t want the water to be already boiling when you add your potatoes because this causes the outside of the pieces to cook much faster than the inside and you end up with a mushy exterior that may even begin to dissolve in the pot while you’re waiting for the inside to cook. By using cold water it brings everything up to temperature at the same time resulting in an even cook.
Once the pieces are fork tender, we’ll drain our potatoes and put them back into the pot. We’ll set the pot aside to allow the potatoes to dry out a bit while we work on the next step.
A quick note: Some people prefer to use a potato ricer (think a larger scale garlic press) to mash their potatoes since it creates a quick and even mash with minimal agitation which reduces the risk of overworking your potatoes like a masher might. If you prefer to use a potato ricer, then rice your potatoes at this stage and set them aside to dry out.
Into a saucepan goes our milk, butter, and crushed cloves of roasted garlic. Bring the mixture up to a low simmer until the butter is fully melted. This gives sufficient time for the fantastic flavors of our roasted garlic to infuse into the milk. Using roasted garlic really is the key here as raw garlic is much too sharp and will overpower the dish entirely. However, by using the cloves of tender, caramelized, roasted garlic, we’re imparting a much milder garlic taste and a great umami flavor that really heightens this dish and takes it to the next level.
Straight into our potatoes go our roasted garlic infused mixture along with our salt.
Using our masher, we’ll mash and mix all our potatoes together until smooth.
Note: If your potatoes are already riced, all that needs to be done is to add in the mix and stir to incorporate it all.
Finally we’ll add in our cheese. You want to be careful to not over-mash your potatoes because if you do they can end up gloopy instead of creamy. At this stage my masher is used as a stirrer to just mix the cheese in and evenly distribute it. Once that’s done, set your potatoes aside so that all the liquid can be fully absorbed and the cheese can melt from the residual heat of the potatoes.
The last thing that needs to be done is to plate up your potatoes and enjoy! Finish with any topping of your choice (I’ve gone for a touch more butter, some freshly cracked black pepper, and some chives) and, for extra brownie points, serve or pair your mash with any of the following:
- Top your mash with a delicious 5-ingredient Gravy or even these Easy Crispy Fried Onions
- For your protein side I highly recommend any of the following:
- And for a delicious veggie side a great pairing can be:
Roasted Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 lbs potatoes
- ½ cup Whole Milk
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese
- 3-4 cloves roasted garlic
- ½ tsp Himalayan salt (to taste)
Optional add-ins and toppings: butter, ground black pepper, chives, sour cream.
Instructions
- Wash, peel (optional but recommended for creamy and smooth potatoes), and cube your potatoes.
- Add your potatoes to a pot of cold water with just enough water to cover them by about 1.5" and bring to a boil before reducing the heat to medium and letting them cook until fork tender.
- Drain your potatoes and return them to the pot, setting it aside so they can "dry" out a bit.
- Crush your cloves of roasted garlic and add it to your milk and butter in a saucepan and bring to a simmer until the butter is fully melted.
- Pour the milk/butter/garlic mixture over your potatoes and mash using a potato masher.
- Add in the Parmesan and mix. Let your potatoes sit for 5 minutes so that the cheese melts and all liquids are absorbed fully.
- Salt and season to taste.
- Top with your favorite toppings and a small pat of butter and serve. Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Or scoop potatoes in portions onto a parchment-lined tray and freeze solid before storing in airtight bags.
Notes
- For an ultra-smooth potato texture, use a ricer (instead of a masher) to rice your potatoes before adding and mixing in the milk/butter/garlic.
