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Creamy garlic mashed potatoes piled high in a white bowl with chives on top

Buttery Mashed Potatoes with Garlic

Isabel Laessig
Learn how to make garlic mashed potatoes with a delicious fluffy texture and buttery flavor! These buttery mashed potatoes are the best!
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 357 kcal

Equipment

  • Wooden spatula or spoon
  • Large pot
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Vegetable peeler
  • Sauce pan
  • Cutting board

Ingredients
  

  • 4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt plus more to taste
  • cups Whole milk
  • 2 cloves garlic smashed
  • 5 sprigs Fresh thyme
  • 2 Dried bay leaves
  • ¾ cup Unsalted butter 1½ sticks, plus more for serving

Instructions
 

  • Add potatoes to a large pot with cold water enough to cover them by 1 inch. Salt water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are very tender, but not saturated or crumbly (20-25 minutes).
    4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
    Boiling potatoes for mashed potatoes
  • Drain the potatoes (reserve ½ cup of the water if making potatoes ahead of time). Return potatoes to the pot and set over low heat. Gently stir until the moisture is gone and the potatoes are dry, about 1-2 minutes.
    Dry-stirring mashed potatoes
  • Heat milk, thyme, bay leaves, garlic, and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts. Remove from heat once melted and combined.
    1½ cups Whole milk, 2 cloves garlic, 5 sprigs Fresh thyme, ¾ cup Unsalted butter, 2 Dried bay leaves
    Stirring milk for mashed potatoes
  • Transfer potatoes to an electric mixer with a paddle attachment and blend until the desired consistency is reached (or use an electric hand mixer). Alternatively, a potato masher by hand also works.
    Ricing the mashed potatoes into a bowl
  • Remove herbs from the warm milk mixture and discard them. Gradually add the mixture to the potatoes, stirring with a wooden spoon or the paddle attachment of your mixture until they are combined and smooth.
    Stirring creamy mashed potatoes in a bowl
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with extra butter and chives if desired.
    Creamy garlic mashed potatoes piled high in a bowl with chives on top, taking a spoonful

Notes

  • Start with cold water: potatoes cook more evenly if you let the water slowly come to temperature instead of adding them to already boiling water.
  • Season the potatoes before cooking them using heavily salted water. This allows the salt to infuse with the potatoes.
  • Cut the potatoes into even pieces (about 1-inch in size or so). This way, they cook evenly.
  • Full fat whole milk gives you a heartier mashed potato! Use whole milk for buttery mashed potatoes.
  • Avoid over or under-cooking the potatoes by checking them frequently while they cook. You don't want them to get over-saturated with water and crumbly.
  • Infuse the milk mixture with herbs before adding it to the potatoes, and remove the herbs before mixing it in.
  • Dry-stir the potatoes to remove excess moisture.

Nutrition

Calories: 357kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 6gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 908mgPotassium: 1027mgFiber: 5gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 642IUVitamin C: 46mgCalcium: 89mgIron: 2mg
Keyword best side dishes, party side dishes, side dish recipes, side dishes
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