Garlic Confit Mashed Potatoes

Hands down one of my favorite side dishes for the holidays is a hefty serving of mashed potatoes and I’ve been a mash snob since I was little - they must be creamy but not pureed, buttery, and with plenty of flavor on their own even without gravy. Oh and with a HEALTHY dose of garlic please and thank you! Making garlic confit (just garlic cooked in olive oil) is my holiday secret - using both the garlic and olive oil adds so much flavor to your dishes and it’s incredibly easy to make! 

Note:

• This recipe makes more garlic than you’ll need for the mashed potatoes, but it’ll last for 2 weeks and is great by itself on toast, in garlic bread, in marinades, basically in anywhere you’d want to put garlic in!

• This recipe is easily adapted to make dairy free (I’ve tried it!). Just substitute the half & half for lactose free milk or dairy free half & half and instead of the butter, add either vegan butter or a couple tbsps of the garlic oil. Depending on the milk you are using, I recommend adding a little at a time as you mash to avoid adding too much liquid.

• Reheating tips: To reheat, add the mashed potatoes to a lidded pot with a bit more cream or milk and reheat on the stove on low heat. Add more milk or butter as needed to prevent the potatoes from drying out.

• Note: I use a potato masher which results in a a mash that’s creamy, but still a little textured since that’s how I like it. If you like a smooth mash with zero clumps, I’d recommend using a ricer or pushing the potatoes through a sieve before adding the cream.

Serves 6-8.

Ingredients:

For the Garlic Mashed Potatoes:

• 3lbs yukon gold potatoes 

• ¾ cup half & half or heavy cream

• 3 tbsps salted butter

• 1 sprig thyme

• 1 sprig rosemary

• 1 sprig sage

• 8-10 confit garlic cloves (recipe below)

• Salt to taste

For the Garlic Confit:

• 3 heads garlic, peeled (about 5oz peeled garlic)

• ¾ cup olive oil

• 1 sprig thyme

• 1 sprig rosemary

• Pinch of salt

For the Garlic Confit:

• Add peeled garlic to an oven safe dish (I used a 16oz cocotte baking dish) with the thyme and rosemary. Add enough olive oil to cover (about ¾ - 1 cup). Press down to ensure the garlic is fully submerged.

• For air fryer: Air fry at 275 degrees fahrenheit for 1 hour uncovered.

• For oven: Add to a 250 degree preheated oven and bake for 2 hours uncovered, or until golden and soft.

For the Garlic Mashed Potatoes:

• Wash and peel the Yukon gold potatoes and cut into 1” cubes.

• Add to a pot with enough cold water to cover and season with a large pinch of salt.

• Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to low and cook for 15-18 minutes or until fork tender. 

• Meanwhile, add the cream and butter to a small pot with the fresh herbs. Heat to medium low until the butter is melted, then keep warm on low until the potatoes are cooked.

• Once the potatoes are tender, shut off the heat and drain. Return to the pot and let sit for 2-3 minutes to allow any excess water to evaporate.

• Add some confit garlic cloves (as many as you wish!) with a large pinch of salt, and start mashing, straining in the heated milk and butter mixture a little at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

• Serve the potatoes drizzled with a little garlic-infused oil to top and enjoy!