Creamy Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes Recipe

Mashed potatoes aren't just for Thanksgiving, if you ask plant-based recipe developer Miriam Hahn. Instead, her recipe for creamy garlic mashed red potatoes are a staple at her house. "These mashed potatoes make a great side dish for just about any main," she told Tasting Table, adding, "Anything off the grill works well with these and adding a green salad will round out the meal!"

Don't think that you have to commit hours and hours to creating this indulgent, yet perhaps surprisingly healthy dish. Instead, Hahn's creamy garlic mashed potatoes come together in less than an hour and require fewer than 10 ingredients. Best of all, to make this side tonight, you may not even have to stop by the store, since we are pretty sure most of the required ingredients are already taking up residence in your pantry, cupboards, and fridge. 

Finally, Hahn's recipe gives home cooks options, from the variety of milk used, to how to mash up your mouth-watering meal accompaniment.

The ingredient list for these dreamy mashed potatoes is short and sweet. Simply gather red potatoes, which you will chop, but leave the skins on. "I chose red potatoes because I think they have a richer taste than russet potatoes," Hahn told us, adding, "I love keeping the skin on for a few reasons. First, it is a huge time saver. Secondly, so much of the nutrition is in the skin." She notes as well, "I always buy organic potatoes so the skin is free of pesticides." Finally, Hahn said, "I love the texture and color leaving the skin on adds to the finished dish."

Other needed ingredients include a bulb of garlic, butter, olive oil, sour cream, unsweetened soy milk, salt, and pepper. About using non-dairy milk for this dish, Hahn said, "Soy milk makes the potatoes extra creamy. You can use other milks, but I think these come out best with soy milk."

Step one for making your creamy garlic mashed red potatoes for your next meal is to preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, you will take to roasting your garlic. About this step, Hahn notes, "Roasting the garlic caramelizes it and adds a buttery texture, with a sweet flavor, removing all the sharpness and pungency."

To achieve this delicious effect, peel the skin from the garlic bulb, with Hahn suggesting starting with the end opposite of the stem. Just be sure to keep all cloves intact. "Now, holding the garlic by the root, trim off the top end by about 1/4 inch," she instructs. The trimmed and peeled garlic bulb goes into an oven-safe dish. Brush it will olive oil before baking the garlic for about 30 minutes.

While your garlic is roasting away, you will add your chopped red potatoes to a large pot, covering them with water and bringing the tasty taters to a boil. Then, cook them over medium heat for about 10 minutes, with Hahn instructing home cooks to check them at 7 minutes. Your goal is for the spuds to be fork tender. "Just make sure they are not overcooked. You want a fork to go in easily without the potato breaking apart," Hahn noted.

Finally, drain out the water. Then it's time to combine your ingredients. Seriously, that's it!

When your garlic is done roasting, let it cool. Then, you will squeeze out each individual clove and discard the skin. How satisfying is that process, watching the thick, tasty garlic ooze out of the cloves? Just sayin'. Now, dice the roasted garlic cloves.

You are almost done making this "mmm"-worthy dish. Just take a large bowl, and combine everything — so, your soft, skin-on spuds, that fragrant, caramelized garlic, the butter, sour cream, milk of your choosing, and salt and pepper go in the bowl. You can mix the ingredients by hand, or use a hand mixer. Hahn recommends adding more milk and mixing a bit more if you desire a creamier consistency to your dish.

An optional, final fancy flourish would be to top your taters with fresh parsley. Now serve, savor, and be sure to bookmark this recipe for another try in the near future!