How to Make Creamy Garlic and Herb Mashed Potatoes from Scratch

Creamy Garlic and Herb Mashed Potatoes, filled with heavy creamy, fresh herbs, and cold butter, is a five star side dish that will elevate any meal.

If I could only eat one side dish for the rest of my life, it would undeniably be these creamy garlic and herb mashed potatoes. They pair so well with almost any dish you could think of. Meat, poultry, stews, braises, and so much more; the list goes on and on. There are many ways to make mashed potatoes, and I’ve tried a number of ways, but this method will always be my favorite & yields consistent results every time.

Creamy Garlic and Herb Mashed Potatoes Video Tutorial

Tips & Tricks for the Best Mashed Potatoes

There are a million and one ways to make mashed potatoes, however this is my favorite way to make them (you can properly consider this pomme puree, for my potato enthusiasts out there). There are a few tricks I use that guarantee my potatoes will be silky, creamy, and shiny as a result.

• Start From Cold: Cold water is your friend when it comes to cooking potatoes. The potatoes are given the chance to warm up slowly with the water, therefore cooking more thoroughly.
• Use Fresh Herbs: I like to cook my potatoes in water that has been seasoned generously with salt and fresh herbs. The herbs infuse the potatoes as they cook, so this helps lend a delicious flavor.
• Heat Up The Cream: I never pour cold cream into hot potatoes because it is always harder to incorporate. You want the potatoes to absorb the cream, therefore heating it up beforehand is the best way to make it happen.
• Cold Butter: Many people heat up the butter with their heavy cream. I’ve done this and it comes out great, however I find that when I use cold butter at the very end, the potatoes transform into something even greater. They take on this sheen from emulsifying the butter into the hot potatoes and become super creamy.

Let’s Make Creamy Garlic and Herb Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 4-5 medium russet potatoes, large dice
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• kosher salt
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold & cubed
• white pepper

Instructions

1. Cover potatoes with cold water, just until it’s an inch above the potatoes.
2. Add salt, smashed garlic cloves, rosemary, thyme and olive oil to the potatoes and place over medium heat.
3. Bring potatoes to a simmer, and keep cooking at a low simmer until they are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Skim off impurities from the potatoes while they’re cooking and discard.
4. Warm up heavy cream over a low flame while potatoes are cooking.
5. Remove the herbs and strain the potatoes and garlic into a colander. Use a potato ricer to rice the potatoes, so no lumps will be in the final product; or a potato masher to mash them (both back into the same pot). Place the potatoes over low heat to release most of the moisture left over until they stop steaming, and add in the heavy cream. Mix to combine.
6. Remove from heat and place cold cubes of butter, a few at a time, into the potatoes while mixing to emulsify. The potatoes will be creamy and become shiny from the cold butter. Next, season with kosher salt and white pepper, and taste to adjust seasoning. Lastly, garnish with fresh thyme & enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions About Mashed Potatoes

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