Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
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Recipe tested & approved
A riff on classic mashed potatoes swapping heavy cream for half-and-half, with roasted garlic added for extra depth. Small quantity tweaks for cream and butter balance. Patience with simmering, gentle mashing to prevent gummy texture. White pepper swapped with freshly cracked black, giving a sharper bite. Chives remain but scallions get replaced with parsley for a fresh twist. Cook times shifted slightly, focus on fork-tender softness over timers. A seasoned approach emphasizing tactile and visual cues, culinary shortcuts, plus real talk on common pitfalls and fixes.
Prep:
12 min
Cook:
22 min
Total:
34 min
Servings:
6 servings
#potatoes
#garlic
#American cuisine
#comfort food
#easy side dish
#herbs
Started off with plain boiled potatoes and cream, butter. Simple. But bland wasn’t cutting it after several tries. So roasted garlic found itself mashed in before the creamy assault. Game changer. White pepper? Swapped for black pepper because it bites a bit more, wakes you up a bit. Half-and-half in place of heavy cream keeps richness without the mid-meal nap risk. Tactile checks during cooking are better than clock-staring. Potatoes screaming soft under a fork say you’re close. Overcooking? Suddenly mushy, waterlogged. Undercooked? Tough lumps, awkward mouthfeel. Chives and parsley vibrant green, fresh instead of scallions which can get cloying. Simple, elegant, no-nonsense with texture front and center. Learned to stop mash frenzy; overwhipping turns to glue. Keep it rustic. Make it yours.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 cup half-and-half warmed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 4 cloves roasted garlic mashed fine
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
About the ingredients
Yukon Gold is my go-to because of the balance between starchy and waxy, fewer lumps but still fluffy. Russets will need more care; they soak liquid faster, risk gummy paste. Peeling? Personal. Skin can add texture but complicates smoothness. Butter should be softened, not melted—that way it distributes evenly without clumping. Half-and-half is subtle less fat than cream, lighter in mouthfeel if you want to dial richness down. Roasted garlic is a twist I swear by; just smash whole cloves in foil, roast 350F 30-40 minutes until buttery soft. Herbs: parsley over scallions avoids onion sharpness while adding freshness; chives offer subtle, onion-like aroma without chewiness. Salt and pepper quantities are starting points—taste test is key. Sometimes salt sneaks in from butter used. Keep some extra on hand for last-minute tweaks. Black pepper freshly cracked because pre-ground fades fast. Warm cream helps prevent mash shockiness or lumps.
Method
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- Start with cold water covering potato pieces by an inch in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Bring up to a gentle simmer. Not boiling hard. Let simmer until poking a fork through the biggest chunks meets no resistance—about 20-25 minutes but watch, poke often after 18 minutes.
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- Drain thoroughly in a colander. Do it fast to cool surface but return immediately to pot off heat. The pot's warmth helps dry out excess water from potatoes avoiding watery mash.
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- Add warmed half-and-half, softened butter, roasted garlic, salt, black pepper. No overmixing madness. Mash gently with potato masher or handheld ricer. Stop when lumps disappear but still some texture. Too much, starch breaks down, gluey goo.
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- If it feels stiff, splash in half-and-half, one tablespoon at a time. More cream makes it richer but watch the weight. Roughly textured, not soupy. Adjust seasoning, maybe a pinch more salt or pepper if flattened flavors.
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- Sprinkle chopped chives and parsley on top. Fresh herbs punch up aroma and give green burst. A smudge more butter on top okay too.
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- Serve hot. Preferred texture slightly chunky with creamy pockets from roasted garlic and butter melting. Don't cover too tight after plating or skin forms faster than you want.
Cooking tips
Water start cold—this is to cook potatoes evenly from inside out. Hot water cooks unevenly, tough outsides, raw cores. Watching the simmer is key; boil down to gentle bubbles, not a rolling boil where potatoes bang around, crack, water absorption changes. Fork test is my favorite gauge: if it slides in with slight resistance, potatoes are done. Drain immediately to stop steaming softening or waterlogging—potatoes can soak up liquid if left too long wet. Returning to pot off heat is simple trick so residual heat dries surface, tightens texture. Adding warm half-and-half blunt shocks and keeps fat emulsified. Butter needs to be warm or soft or it just sinks to bottom, causing separation. Mashing needs to be done carefully. I use a ricer sometimes but if mashing, stop just before completely smooth to keep rustic bits. Too much beating? Starch releases and gluey mess happens. Add liquid gradually for control, keep an eye on consistency—better to add little by little. Don’t overlook seasoning after mashing; cold potatoes dull salt and pepper. Final garnish must be fresh; you want aroma hitting before bite. Serve right away or loosely tent with foil. Tight lids trap moisture that forms unappetizing skin fast.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Cold water start with potatoes. Key for even cooking. Hot water cooks outside faster, inside tough. Watch simmer not boil hard. Gentle bubbles only. Fork pokes early tell when done. No timer obsession.
- 💡 Drain fast to avoid water absorption. Return to pot off heat. Pot's residual warmth dries surface. Avoids watery mash. This small step changes texture, trust tactile feel over exact minutes.
- 💡 Half-and-half warmed avoids cold shock in mash. Butter softened, not melted. Melted butter sinks to bottom, separation happens. Mash gently, stop before totally smooth. Overmashing releases starch, gluey mess follows.
- 💡 Add liquid incrementally if stiff. One tablespoon at a time. Too much = soupy. Better rough texture. Season after mashing. Potatoes dull salt when cold. Taste test critical. Black pepper cracked fresh for punch, not pre-ground.
- 💡 Parsley replaces scallions for fresh herb burst without sharp onion notes. Chives add subtle aroma and mild onion flavor. Sprinkle on top, not mixed in. Final touch with small butter pat okay. Serve hot, cover loosely if resting.
Common questions
Why cold water start?
Even cooking key. Hot water messes outside faster than inside. Potato chunks crack sometimes. Fork test after 18 minutes helps avoid guesswork. Slow bubbling, not rolling boil.
Butter melted or softened?
Soft butter spreads better, no separation. Melted butter sinks, flavor uneven. Room temp is sweet spot. Can use clarified butter but loses texture benefit. Cold butter clumps in mash.
What if mash too gluey?
Overmashing starch released into goo. Stop soon. Use ricer or mash lightly. Add less liquid. Drain water well. Potato type matters. Yukon Gold less prone but russets need care.
Can I store leftovers?
Refrigerate in airtight container. Reheat gently on stove or microwave with splash liquid. Avoid drying out. Can freeze but texture changes, best fresh. Reheat with butter to regain richness.
