Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ready in just 30 minutes – these thick, creamy garlic mashed potatoes are “stick to your ribs” delicious! Fresh, quick, and almost too easy they’re the perfect side dish for a simple weeknight dinner!

 

If you’re looking for the accompaniment to my Slow Cooker Beer Braised Short Ribs, here it is! If you haven’t made my Beer Braised Beef….ummm, what are you waiting for?!?!? Hop on over to that recipe ASAP and get that going in the crock pot, then come back here and make these taters!

How to make garlic mashed potatoes:

Add potatoes to a large pot or dutch oven.

Fill the pot with water until it covers the potatoes by about 1-2 inches.

Turn heat to high and bring water to a boil.

Add a few large pinches of salt and boil potatoes over medium-high heat for 10-12 minutes or until fork tender. Drain and set potatoes aside.

Return the large pot to the stove. Add butter and melt it over medium heat. 

Add garlic and saute, stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Remove pot from heat.

Add potatoes back into the pot. Pour in heavy cream.

Add sour cream along with a large pinch of salt and pepper.

Use a potato masher to mash potatoes as you combine them with the other ingredients. Mash until well combined and well mashed. Season to taste and garnish with fresh chopped parsley. And of course, serve with Beer Braised Beef Short Ribs. 

Tips for making the best mashed potatoes:

• Don’t use low-fat or fat-free ANYTHING in these garlic mashed potatoes! Save the half and half for your morning coffee – these mashed potatoes need heavy whipping cream and full-fat sour cream for the very best flavor and texture!
• Stick with unsalted butter. Get it? STICK. Butter comes in a stick… 🙂 Anyway, as with literally any recipe you’ll find on this blog, always use unsalted butter. This allows you to really control the amount of salt and adjust the flavor as needed.
• Don’t mash the taters too much! Homemade mashed potatoes have lumps – that’s what makes them homemade! Use a potato masher or ricer to get a creamy texture, but don’t worry about getting every last lump out of our luscious mashed potatoes. The more you mash, the higher your risk of getting a gummy, glue-textured mess. Keep the mashing to a minimum and embrace the lumps!
• Add a splash of heavy cream or milk when reheating these mashed potatoes. If you happen to have leftovers (which is highly unlikely) heat them in a saucepan over medium-high heat and add a splash or two of heavy cream to loosen them up. Don’t forget to season them some more with a liberal amount of salt and a moderate pinch of pepper.

Why you’re going to love these garlic mashed potatoes:

• They’re amazing. Garlic, butter, sour cream, heavy cream, and potatoes. How can you go wrong with these simple, comforting ingredients? The answer is, you can’t! The flavor of these mashed potatoes is second to none and will quickly become your family’s favorite.
• They’re easy! The ingredient list is short and sweet. The kitchen skills and prep work are minimal and literally ANYONE can boil potatoes! If there is one thing that you master in the kitchen – let it be these garlic mashed potatoes!
• They’re a great side dish for your vegetarian friends! Your veggie-loving friends will love YOU for serving this vegetarian-friendly side dish at your dinner party or holiday get-together. While they’re not necessarily healthy, they are made with REAL ingredients and everyone needs to indulge a bit now and then, amiright?

Try these easy side dish recipes next!

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This post was originally published in May of 2018. It was updated in August 2019 to include process shots and tips for making the best mashed potatoes every single time!