Mashed Potatoes Become 5x More Flavorful With This Single Ingredient Upgrade

From steakhouse meals to Sunday dinners, mashed potatoes are everywhere and in every form imaginable. There's the simplest, silkiest holiday mashed potatoes made Joel Robuchon-style with just a few ingredients. On the opposite side of the spectrum are over-the-top loaded mashed potatoes, peppered with mix-ins like chives and cheese. There's a whole spectrum of squashed spuds, but whether it's lumpy or fluffy, dense or airy-light, one ingredient will make any variety stand out even more: Roasted garlic can give five times more flavor to whatever kind of mashed potatoes you're making. 

Roasted garlic is smooth and spreadable, closer to a butter-like consistency than the raw version. It melts right into mashed potatoes, infusing them with earthy, savory, and smoky tasting notes. The flavor of roasted garlic is milder than the raw version; it has both nutty sweetness and a bit of pungency. Instead of overpowering the potatoes, it provides a noticeable contrast without being too intense. Garlic also caramelizes and browns as it roasts in the oven, meaning it'll add a touch of toastiness and a little extra color. It adds so much flavor right off the bat that roasted garlic should probably be the starting point for any batch of mashed potatoes, regardless of the style.

Roasted garlic mashed potatoes start with oven-baked garlic. Most home chefs wrap whole garlic bulbs in aluminum foil and bake them for about an hour. Before the foil packets are sealed, they take the top off the garlic and soak each bulb with olive oil. After the garlic is roasted, just squeeze the cloves out of the skin, smash them a bit, and stir them into your mashed potatoes. Avoid adding the skin, as it'll just leave flaky bits you'll have to pick out later. Roasted garlic lasts about a week in an airtight container in the fridge, so you can make it in advance to cut down on day-of prep for a batch of savory, garlicky mashed potatoes.

You need to start adding this flavor bomb to your mashed potatoes because it'll enhance almost any other ingredients. It can provide a savory base for herby mashed potatoes made with thyme, rosemary, oregano, sage, and the like. Amped up mashed potatoes infused with ranch also pair well with plenty of roasted garlic. Add sour cream and cheeses like parmesan or cheddar for extra creaminess and a richer, more robust flavor.