It’s finally that time again – and it’s one of my absolute favorites! Thanksgiving is right at the top of favorite Holidays for my family. It’s a time to be together, cook and enjoy delicious food! My husband and I are lucky enough to have family on both sides here in town, so we get to enjoy two Thanksgivings on the same day.
One of the traditions at Thanksgiving is most definitely my recipe for Garlic Mashed Potatoes. It was born almost ten years ago with the need to avoid dairy. I set to work trying to find a way to make the perfect potatoes. After a lot of trial and error, I landed on a gold mine. The easiest, most delicious and crowd pleasing potatoes! Here’s my secret…
In pastry school we were putting together a rosemary garlic focaccia for the bread baskets at dinner service and I learned something invaluable – how to transform a normal clove of garlic into something truly amazing. One of our instructors added olive oil to a small sauté pan, along with about a dozen peeled and smashed cloves of garlic. Within a few minutes, there were little bubbles around the edges of the cloves and they were beginning to gently brown and crisp. The cloves were quickly removed from the heat, tossed onto a cutting board and chopped. Then the garlic infused oil and the minced cloves were used to top the most delicious focaccia you can image (with the addition of rosemary of course). The pungent and almost spicy flavor of the garlic had bloomed into a sweet and soft, caramelized treat.
When I was challenged with creating a delicious and flavorful mashed potato, without using dairy of any kind – this garlicky goodness was just the trick I needed. Using the garlic oil, garlic cloves and sea salt to flavor the dish got me 99% of the way there . . . but the potatoes still needed that extra ‘zing’ to really pull the dish together. I found it in the most unexpected place, mayo!!! It just takes the tiniest bit of mayo to knock it out of the park, try it and see for yourself! I’ve tried vegan mayo and my favorite Primal Kitchen mayo and they both deliver fabulous results.
When it’s time to whip up all the ingredients, use a stand mixer or a hand mixer to make it quick and easy. I have quickly outgrown the stand mixer, due to the amount of mashed potatoes we make every year. This recipe easily doubles, triples, quadruples… whatever size you need. Just taste as you go and don’t skimp on the garlic.
I wish you a very happy, healthy and delicious Thanksgiving!
xo
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
This recipe is so easy to make, and fits the bill of a fluffy, creamy and roasted garlic mashed potato! You won't believe how quickly it "whips" up. You'll also get to make infused garlic oil which is always nice to have on hand for sauces, soups, dressings and more.
Ingredients
- 5 large russet potatoes
- 7 large cloves of garlic (or more!)
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil for roasting the garlic
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 cracks black pepper
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise or dairy free cream cheese
Instructions
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Cook the potatoes. Wash the potatoes and then cut into small pieces (they will cook faster when cut in small pieces). You can choose to either leave skin on or peel. Cover potatoes with cold water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook until fork tender (usually takes 10-15 minutes).
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Make the garlic oil. Lightly smash the garlic cloves just enough to peel. Place garlic cloves into a small saucepan and cover with the olive oil (the cloves don't have to be entirely covered, just about 1/2 way up the clove). Cook on medium heat until the garlic has browned and the skin has shriveled slightly. Remove garlic from oil and mince. Reserve the extra garlic oil for other uses, it is delicious! You will also use some of the oil in the mashed potatoes.
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Bring it all together. Toss the cooked and drained potatoes into your stand mixer (or a bowl if you are using a hand mixer). Add the garlic, salt, pepper and mayo and whip it up until everything is well incorporated and you reach the desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking!
Recipe Notes
Garlic oil keeps best in the fridge for about a week or two. Use to make garlic toast, salad dressings, roasted veggies, etc.
Try not to over-whip the potatoes, it will change the mouth feel and consistency.
