Are you searching for the ultimate, show-stopping side dish for your holiday table? A classic so impossibly creamy, so fluffy, so deeply infused with the aromatic flavor of garlic, it will have the whole family raving? This incredible, from-scratch Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes recipe is that perfect dish. We’re talking buttery Yukon Gold potatoes, transformed into a silky-smooth purée and enriched with a luscious, garlic-and-bay-leaf-infused cream.
This isn’t just another mashed potato recipe; it’s your definitive guide to a truly restaurant-quality masterpiece that is secretly simple to make. We’ll show you the crucial professional secrets to the most velvety, lump-free texture and a deep, complex flavor that will make this the undisputed star of your Thanksgiving or Christmas feast. This is pure comfort and elegance in a bowl.
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Creamy & Elegant Holiday Side Dish
What makes these Garlic Mashed Potatoes so spectacularly delicious is their incredible, deep flavor and their unbelievably silky, smooth texture. This recipe is a masterpiece of simple, rustic elegance. The star of the show is the method: instead of just adding raw garlic, this recipe uses a brilliant technique of gently simmering garlic cloves and bay leaves in the milk before it’s added to the potatoes. This is the secret that tames the garlic’s harsh bite and infuses the entire dish with a sweet, aromatic, and savory depth. The naturally creamy Yukon Gold potatoes are simply boiled, mashed, and then enriched with this beautiful, infused milk and a generous amount of butter.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 50 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 6-8 |
The Flavors of the Feast: The Essential Ingredients
This iconic dish uses a handful of high-quality, simple ingredients to create its signature rich and savory flavor.
- The Potatoes (Yukon Golds are KEY!):
- For the best, most naturally creamy and buttery mashed potatoes, it is essential to use Yukon Gold potatoes. Their medium-starch content and thin skin give them a wonderfully dense, uniform texture that is perfect for a creamy mash, and their natural, golden color is beautiful.
- The Infused Milk (The Secret Weapon!):
- Fresh Garlic & Bay Leaves: This is the brilliant, restaurant-quality secret that elevates the entire dish! By gently simmering your garlic cloves and bay leaves in the milk, you are extracting all their delicious, aromatic oils and infusing the milk with a deep, savory, and complex flavor.
- The “Liquid Gold” (Starchy Potato Water!):
- Don’t throw away that cloudy water your potatoes cooked in! The starchy water left over is a fantastic, no-waste ingredient for thinning your mashed potatoes to the perfect consistency without diluting their flavor.
The Chef’s Secret Masterclass: The Keys to a Perfect, Fluffy Purée
This recipe uses two simple but brilliant professional techniques that guarantee a flawless, impressive result.
- Don’t Overwork the Potatoes!: The number one secret to fluffy, not gummy or gluey, mashed potatoes is to be gentle. Overworking the potatoes (especially with a food processor or a blender) will break down their starch cells and release too much starch, resulting in a sticky, unpleasant texture. For the absolute best, silkiest result, pass your cooked potatoes through a food mill or a potato ricer. A simple, handheld potato masher is the next best choice.
- Dry Them Out: After you have drained your boiled potatoes, return them to the hot, empty pot for just a minute or two over a low heat. This is a brilliant professional trick that will allow any excess water on the surface of the potatoes to evaporate, which is the key that prevents a watery mash and allows them to absorb more of the delicious butter and cream.
Step-by-Step to the Best Garlic Mashed Potatoes
This elegant, festive side dish is a joy to prepare.
Part 1: Cook the Potatoes and Infuse the Milk
Step 1: In a large pot of salted water, simmer your 3 pounds of peeled and cubed Yukon Gold potatoes with 3 bay leaves for 15 to 18 minutes. You will know they are perfectly done when they are very tender and can be easily pierced with a fork with no resistance.
Step 2: Just before you drain the potatoes, be sure to reserve about 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water. Drain the potatoes, discard the bay leaves, and return the potatoes to the hot, empty pot.
Step 3: While the potatoes are cooking, in a separate, small saucepan, bring your 1 1/2 cups of milk to a simmer with the 5 chopped garlic cloves and 3 more bay leaves. Let this cook gently for about 15 minutes to infuse the flavors.
Part 2: The Art of the Silky-Smooth Mash
Step 1: Use a food mill, a potato ricer, or a handheld masher to mash your hot potatoes until they are smooth.
Step 2 (The Best Part!): To the pot with your mashed potatoes, add your 1 3/4 sticks of cut-up butter. Strain your hot, garlic-infused milk mixture into the pot, making sure to discard the bay leaves.
Step 3: Use a wooden spoon or a spatula to stir everything together until the butter has melted and the potatoes are beautifully creamy. If the potatoes seem too thick, you can thin them out with a small splash of your reserved cooking water.
Step 4: Season your beautiful, creamy mashed potatoes with salt and pepper to your taste. Serve hot.
Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes (An Easy Holiday Side!)
A classic and flavorful recipe for creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, a perfect side dish for a holiday meal or any comfort food dinner. This dish features Yukon Gold potatoes that are boiled until tender. A rich, aromatic flavor is achieved by simmering milk with chopped garlic and bay leaves, creating an infused liquid. The hot potatoes are mashed and then combined with the garlic-infused milk and a generous amount of butter until perfectly smooth and creamy.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 6 bay leaves (3 for boiling, 3 for milk)
- Kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 5 chopped garlic cloves
- 1 3/4 sticks (14 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut up
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place the peeled and chunked potatoes in a large pot with 3 bay leaves. Cover with cold, salted water and bring to a boil. Cook for 15 to 18 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
- Before draining, reserve about 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water. Drain the potatoes and discard the bay leaves.
- Return the hot potatoes to the pot, off the heat, and mash them to your desired consistency.
- While the potatoes are cooking, bring the milk to a simmer in a small saucepan with the 5 chopped garlic cloves and the remaining 3 bay leaves. Cook for 15 minutes to infuse the flavors.
- Remove the milk mixture from the heat and discard the bay leaves.
- Add the cut-up butter to the hot mashed potatoes, followed by the warm, garlic-infused milk mixture.
- Stir everything together until smooth and creamy, thinning with a splash of the reserved cooking water if the potatoes seem too thick.
- Season generously with salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately.
Notes
- This is a classic holiday side dish that is perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
- Infusing the milk with fresh garlic and bay leaves is a key technique that adds a deep, aromatic flavor throughout the potatoes.
- Using the reserved starchy potato water is a great way to adjust the consistency of the mashed potatoes without diluting the flavor.
- Yukon Gold potatoes are recommended for their naturally buttery flavor and creamy texture.
What to Serve With Your Mashed Potatoes
This beautiful and savory dish is a fantastic and incredibly versatile side dish. It is the perfect accompaniment to almost any fall or holiday main course.
- Holiday Roasts: It is an absolute must-have alongside a classic Roasted Turkey, a Glazed Ham, or a beautiful Prime Rib.
- Weeknight Dinners: It is also the perfect, elegant side for a simple roasted chicken or some classic meatloaf.
For more recipe follow my pinterest account
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This is the ultimate make-ahead holiday side dish!
- Make-Ahead: This is a perfect make-ahead dish! You can prepare and fully assemble the entire dish up to 2 days in advance. Simply store it in an airtight container or a buttered casserole dish in the refrigerator.
- Storage: Store any leftovers, well-covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: The best way to reheat this dish is to place it in a baking dish, dot it with a little extra butter, cover it with foil, and warm it in a 350°F oven for about 20-30 minutes, until it is warmed through.
Frequently Asked questions (FAQs)
Q1: Why are my mashed potatoes gummy or gluey?
The most common culprit is overworking the potatoes. Using a food processor or a blender is the fastest way to get a gluey result. A simple potato ricer or a food mill is the absolute best tool for a fluffy, light texture, as it gently presses the potatoes instead of shearing their starch cells.
Q2: Can I make this side dish ahead of time for a holiday dinner?
Yes, absolutely! This is an ideal make-ahead side dish. You can prepare the entire recipe from start to finish up to two days in advance. The flavor will be even better on the second day!
Q3: Can I use a different kind of potato?
Yes! For a lighter and fluffier (but less creamy) result, you can use a high-starch potato like a Russet. For a denser, waxier mash, you can use red potatoes. But for the perfect, creamy-fluffy balance, Yukon Golds are highly recommended.
Q4: Can I use roasted garlic instead of infusing the milk?
Of course! Roasting a whole head of garlic until it is soft and sweet and then mashing the cloves into the potatoes is another fantastic method that will result in a deep, caramelized, and sweet garlic flavor.
Q5: Can I make this recipe dairy-free or vegan?
Yes! To make this recipe completely dairy-free and vegan, simply substitute the unsalted butter with an equal amount of your favorite vegan butter substitute, and substitute the whole milk with a creamy, unsweetened plant-based milk, like oat milk or soy milk.