Our Favorite Potatoes – the BEST Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic.
When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, some people are all about the turkey. Others are all about the stuffing. Or the green bean casserole. Or dowsing everything in gravy.
But me? I am ALL about the mashed potatoes.
In our house, Chris is our designated potato masher and he makes a MEAN batch of buttermilk mashed potatoes. They’ve become a must-have side dish at our holiday celebrations – hence the name: Chris’ Kinda-Famous Roasted Garlic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes.
These from-scratch mashed potatoes are Chris’ recipe, with a couple of my own PWWB touches to take them completely over the top:
- We use Yukon Gold potatoes, which have the most insane tender and buttery texture, perfect for mashed potatoes.
- The potatoes are mashed with buttermilk for added rich flavor and to help make the potatoes irresistibly creamy.
- It calls for a full head of oven roasted garlic, which is swirled into the potatoes just before serving and adds deep, rich, and caramelly garlic flavor to every single bite.
They’re fluffy, creamy, and buttery, infused with rich, slightly tangy, and caramelly roasted garlic flavor.
Not to mention, they’re super easy to make and flexible enough to be made on the stovetop, in a slow cooker or with Instant Pot too. A true Thanksgiving classic and pure, simple mashed potato perfection.
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Buy Now → How to Make Roasted Garlic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
Other than the fact that they’re made with really simple ingredients, this roasted garlic buttermilk mashed potatoes recipe is my favorite because it’s really easy to prepare!
Make-Ahead, Meal Prep, and Alternate Cooking Methods
These mashed potatoes can be made up to 3 days in advance, stored covered in the refrigerator, and reheated just before your Thanksgiving dinner. You can also meal prep certain steps or use your slow cooker or an Instant Pot to save even more time and stovetop space. Check the Recipe Notes, below, for step-by-step guidance on reheating.
Cut the top off of a head of garlic, drizzle it with some olive oil and give it a good sprinkle of salt and black pepper before wrapping it up in foil and popping it in the oven. Why? ⇢ The garlic slowly roasts and caramelizes in the oven, until it’s totally soft and filled with perfectly roasty, garlicky flavor.
Add potatoes in salty water, which helps season them from the inside out, and boil for about 20-25 minutes or until they’re fork-tender. To peel, or not to peel? ⇢ We like our mashed potatoes a bit more rustic and the skin of Yukon Gold potatoes are paper-thin and super tender, so I forego peeling the potatoes altogether. If you prefer an extra smooth and creamy mash, use a y-peeler – they make peeling potatoes a pretty quick and painless job!
Mash the potatoes, adding butter and buttermilk gradually as you work, until they reach your desired texture. Once mashed, stir in the roasted garlic for caramelly garlic flavor into every bite. Texture Tip! ⇢ We prefer slightly more rustic mashed potatoes, so I use a potato masher for this recipe. If you prefer super creamy mashed potatoes, run your boiled potatoes through a potato ricer once or twice to achieve an ultra-creamy texture.
No Buttermilk? No Problem!
For homemade buttermilk, simply adding vinegar or fresh lemon juice to plain milk. For this specific recipe, you’ll add 2 tablespoons of vinegar or fresh lemon juice to a scant 2 cups of milk. Let it sit for a minute to curdle, then give it a stir – so easy! Don’t like buttermilk? ⇢ Substitute it with an equal amount of milk or sour cream, Greek yogurt, or crème fraîche, all of which provide similar tanginess and creaminess as buttermilk.
I hope you try this Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes recipe this holiday season. It’s so simple to make, and the potatoes are seriously perfect, every single time.
If you do give it a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about and seeing your PWWB creations! ♡ Happy cooking!
Print
Rich and Creamy Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes (with Roasted Garlic!)
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes (includes inactive time)
- Yield: serves 8
- Category: Side Dish Recipes, Thanksgiving Recipes
- Method: Stovetop, Boiling, Roasting
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
An easy & ultra-creamy Roasted Garlic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes recipe! Yukon gold potatoes are mashed with butter & buttermilk until perfectly creamy, & finished with deeply caramelized roasted garlic. The perfect side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any comfort food dinner!
Make-Ahead, Stovetop, Slow Cooker, & Instant Pot instructions provided.
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic
- 1–2 teaspoons olive oil
- 4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch dice
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
- 2 cups buttermilk (see Recipe Notes)
- 1 tablespoon + ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- for serving, as desired: freshly snipped chives, tons of freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Roast the garlic: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Chop just the top off of the head of garlic, to just reveal its cloves. Lightly rub the garlic to loosen and remove any excess paper. Wrap the garlic in foil, drizzling it with the olive oil before you seal the foil, then place in the oven and roast for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Cook the potatoes: Meanwhile, as the garlic roasts, cook the potatoes. Place the diced potatoes in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven and cover with 8 cups cold water, or enough to completely submerge the potatoes. Season with 1 tablespoon Kosher salt. Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Carefully strain the potatoes, then return to the pot.
- Mash the potatoes: Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes to your desired consistency. As you’re mashing the potatoes, slowly add in the butter, one tablespoon at a time, and the buttermilk. Alternate as you go – a little butter, then a little buttermilk. Once the potatoes have reached your desired consistency, add in the roasted garlic – the cloves should squeeze out of the garlic bulb very easily. Stir to combine. Taste and season with additional salt and ground black pepper, to taste. I add ½ teaspoon each, taste, go from there.
- Serve the roasted garlic buttermilk mashed potatoes immediately, with lots of freshly cracked black pepper and freshly snipped chives, as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Substitutes for buttermilk in roasted garlic buttermilk mashed potatoes: If you don’t have buttermilk at home, you can easily make a buttermilk substitute by simply adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar or fresh lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Let it sit and curdle for a minute, then give it a stir. Voila! Homemade buttermilk!
- Alternate cooking methods: If you’re worried about space on the stovetop as you plan out your Thanksgiving dinner timeline, you can prep these mashed potatoes in a slow cooker or an Instant Pot:
- Slow Cooker Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes: Roast garlic according to Step 1 of Recipe Directions. Place potatoes in the slow cooker, covering with 6 cups cold water (or enough to completely submerge the potatoes) and seasoning with 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Slow cook on high for 2-4 hours, until the potatoes are fork-tender. Strain and mash according to Step 3 of Recipe Directions, above. Serve immediately or hold in the slow cooker, using its “Keep Warm” setting for up to 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
- Instant Pot Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes: Roast garlic according to Step 1 of Recipe Directions. Place potatoes in the Instant Pot, covering with 6 cups cold water (or enough to completely submerge the potatoes) and seasoning with 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Cook with manual high pressure for 8 minutes. Let Instant Pot naturally release pressure for 2 minutes before carefully manually releasing the remaining pressure. Strain and mash according to Step 3 of Recipe Directions, above. Serve immediately or hold in the Instant Pot, using its “Keep Warm” setting for up to 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
- Meal prep: By roasting the garlic and prepping the potatoes ahead of time, all you have to do on Thanksgiving Day is boil and mash the potatoes – easy! Here’s what you’ll do:
- Roast the garlic up to 3 days in advance, storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Dice the potatoes up to 1 day in advance, storing submerged in water in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Make-Ahead: Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes can also be made up to 3 days in advance, stored covered in the refrigerator, and reheated just before your Thanksgiving dinner.
- Portions: As written, this roasted garlic mashed potatoes recipe yields a medium batch, serving up to 8 as a side dish. For a different sized crowd…
- Scaled up: To serve up to 14 as a side dish, double the recipe. Be sure to cook the potatoes in a stockpot or a vessel large enough to cover the potatoes with at least 2 inches of water.
- Make it a mini: To serve a cozy crowd of up to 4, halve the recipe. Use the whole head of roasted garlic for extra garlicky mashed potatoes, or put half of it to use in another Thanksgiving side dish, such as risotto, gratin, or mac and cheese.
Recipe by Jess Larson, Plays Well With Butter | Photography by Megan McKeehan
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EXCELLENT!! per usual, you and Chris knocked it out of the park with this one!! I made this for our family Thanksgiving and it was a big hit!
Thanks Morgan! We’re so happy to hear that these were a hit for Thanksgiving!!💜
Made these for our small Thanksgiving this year and OH MA WORD…the yummiest!!
Sad truth: I had never roasted garlic at home before.
Beautiful truth: It’s the easiest thing in the world, and now I’ll never not do it. Thank you so much!!
Hahah roasted garlic on everything!! We are so glad you enjoyed Carrie!
My goodness!! This is mashed potato heaven! Looks so so good! Totally saving this recipe to try. My family loves mashed potatoes!
Can’t wait for you to give this a try, Winnie! It truly is mashed potato heaven!
My sister used this recipe for thanksgiving and they were amazing! I have russet potatoes on hand, will I have to adjust anything to use this recipe?
I’m so glad you love them, Dali! Russets will work great. You may want to add a little more butter, as gold potatoes naturally have a beautiful butteriness about them, but just taste & see what you think as you mash the potatoes. Let me know how it goes! xx
You haven’t lived until you’ve tried these mashed potatoes. SO CREAMY. SO GARLICKY. SO PERFECT. Honestly, I could just eat these for dinner and be perfectly happy.
Girl, SAME. So glad you love them as much as we do!! xx