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Our 2021 Thanksgiving Menu and Guide – the make ahead menu.
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Make Ahead Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, the best holiday mashed potatoes. Made simply with sweet roasted garlic, fresh herbs, and salted butter. Each bite is perfectly smooth, creamy, and so delicious. The secret? Cooking the potatoes together with the milk and cream, then adding in roasted garlic cloves for a delicious garlic flavor that isn’t overpowering. This method makes for the creamiest and most flavorful mashed potatoes. They’re perfect for making ahead of time for easy entertaining!
The secret to these potatoes?
Two things… first, the roasted garlic. Roasting the garlic adds just the right amount of garlic flavor that’s delicious but not over powering.
Second, cook the potatoes together with the milk and herbs. This means no boiling the potatoes, no extra steps, nothing fancy. It turns out that creating almost perfect mashed potatoes is actually really easy.
The steps – roast the garlic
Start with the garlic since it takes time to roast in the oven. If you’ve never done it before it really adds a layer of deliciousness to your recipes.
Simply slice the top portion of the garlic head off to reveal the cloves. Then place the garlic on a small piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap the garlic up. Roast for about forty minutes, until the garlic is deeply golden and soft.
Then simply squeeze the cloves out of the garlic skin.
Meanwhile, make the potatoes
Combine the potatoes with the milk and cream in a large pot on the stove. Add the herbs, then cook until the potatoes are tender. This will take about twenty-five minutes or so. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them, BUT, be sure to save the cream – you’ll need it!
Now, the potato ricer…it’s key to making ultra-smooth mashed potatoes. Do you have to have a potato ricer? No, a good ole masher works too. But if you want the smoothest mashed potatoes, a ricer works really well.
Take the mashed potatoes and those roasted garlic cloves and put them right back into the pot. Then add back the cream and also add some butter. Cook until the butter is melted…and that’s it…the most perfectly flavored creamy mashed potatoes!
Honest these are the BEST – classic, but with amazing flavor and texture.
The added bonus is just how easy these are to make…and that you can make them ahead of time. Steps for warming in the oven, slow cooker, or on the stove are listed in the directions!
Looking for recipes to enjoy with mashed potatoes? Here are my favorites:
Cider Braised Short Ribs with Caramelized Onions
Creamy Balsamic Mushroom Chicken Marsala
30 Minute Coq au Vin Chicken Meatballs
Lastly, if you make these Make Ahead Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
watch the how-to video:
Make Ahead Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 585 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic
- extra virgin olive oil
- 4 pounds yukon gold or russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 8 fresh sage leaves
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 6-8 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- kosher salt and black pepper
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.2. Slice off the top portion of the garlic head to expose some of the cloves. Place the garlic on a piece of foil. Drizzle with olive oil, wrap it up, and bake for 40-55 minutes, until deeply golden and very soft.3. Let the garlic cool, then squeeze out the cloves. 4. Meanwhile, In a large dutch oven, combine the potatoes, heavy cream, milk, sage, and thyme. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat and cook 20-25 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender.5. Drain the potatoes, reserving all of the cream. Discard the thyme and sage. Press the potatoes and roasted garlic cloves through a potato ricer. Then add them back to the warm pot. Alternately, you can add the potatoes back to the pot and mash with a potato masher.6. Over low heat, add 1 1/2 cups of the reserved cream and the butter. Continue to add more of the cream until your desired consistency is reached. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper. 7. If desired, brown a little butter with sage or thyme and swirl into the potatoes before serving. Serve warm and creamy.
To Make Ahead
- In the Oven: Prepare the mashed potatoes as directed through step 6. Spoon the potatoes into a large baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat in the oven, preheat the oven to 325° F. Pour 1/2 cup milk or cream over the potatoes and add 2 tablespoons butter, do not stir. Cover the potatoes tightly with foil and transfer to the oven. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are warmed through. Stir before serving.Slow Cooker: Prepare the mashed potatoes as directed through step 6. Spoon the potatoes into the slower cooker, cover, and keep on low for up to 4 hours. About 30 minutes before serving, turn the heat to low or high, add 1/2 cup heavy cream and 2 tablespoons butter, do not stir. Cover and let the cream warm and the butter melt. Stir before serving.On the Stove: Prepare the mashed potatoes as directed through step 6. Add 1/2 cup cream and 2 tablespoons butter. Place the potatoes over low heat, gently stirring until warmed throughout.
What do you think is the best way to reheat if prepared the next day!? I have all 3 options and want to make sure they are the creamiest 🙂
Hi Judi,
You can follow all of the make ahead instructions that are listed above:) Please let me know if I can help in any other way! Happy Thanksgiving! xT
Thank you! One clarification, do I complete step 6 if making ahead or do step 6 day of?
You will do step 6:)
One modification to this recipe based on my recent experience.
I made these for my boyfriends work potluck and doubled the recipe. I knew going into this how important the gentle boil would be. I was very careful to not put the burner over medium heat. What my boyfriend did not tell me was that the burner we were using ran hot (facepalm). Anyway, the first batch completely burned which resulted in me going back to the store and re peeling 8lbs of potatoes.
So the recipe modification is when cooking with others on kitchen equipment that’s not yours, verify that the stove is trustworthy.
Otherwise great mashed potatoes! Thanks so much!
Hi Nicole,
Oh nooo! So sorry to hear this! Glad they turned out well in the end! Thanks for making this recipe! Happy Thanksgiving! xT
The recipe does not print
Hi Kathleen,
Sorry to hear you are having issues, I just tried printing on Chrome and it worked for me. Maybe give it another try! xx
Going to try these for Thanksgiving this year! They sound delightful.
Thanks Carah! I hope you love this recipe! xT
Any recommendations to replace the heavy cream and whole milk? Can’t have either. 🙁
Hi there,
So sorry, this recipe is going to work best with the heavy cream and whole milk. You could certainly try something else that you are able to enjoy but I just can’t say for sure what the results would be. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
I’ve used broth for my dairy free friends. It still very flavorful!
I always use half and half
Day old mashed potatoes always have a funny taste. Are these different?
Hi there,
So sorry, I have never had an experience like this:) I wouldn’t share this recipe if they tasted funky! Let me know if you give the recipe a try! xx
For the oven reheat version specifically- is there a reason you can’t incorporate the extra cream and butter directly into the potatoes? I’m planning on making them a day ahead of time and then driving a few hours to see family and it seems inconvenient to bring the extra ingredients separately instead of just mixing them in.
Hi Sara,
I find doing this helps to prevent the potatoes from drying out and staying extra creamy:) But you could do that before driving and they should be fine! xx
Can I incorporate truffle oil instead of some of the butter? I love the truffle flavor and think would work great with the flavors here. If so do you think a 1:1 ratio?
Hi Marlana,
I have never used truffle oil in this recipe, but I don’t think I would use a 1:1 ratio, it could be very over powering. I might try just drizzling some over the top when finished that way you can control how much you are adding. I hope this helps! xx
Can i make them ahead and put in the freezer?
Hi Shelley,
Sure, I don’t see why not! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Can I make these 24-48 hours before and then reheat in the crockpot? Looks yummy!!
Hi Nikki,
You bet! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
I made these tonight to test them out for Thanksgiving. I did the crockpot recipe section, and they were great! I used Yukon golds. So smooth and creamy and has the perfect amount of flavors. I kept them on low until I served them for dinner and didn’t even end up adding the extra cream or butter. Will definitely be making these in two weeks!
Hey Ashley,
Wonderful!! I am so glad that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for giving it a go! xx
Can you roast the garlic the day before and store in the fridge?
Hey Erica,
Totally, that would work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
So…sorry if I missed this, but I need to make these the night before Thanksgiving… and then reheat in the crockpot day of. Can you help with how that modifies the steps?
Hi Trevor,
The make ahead instructions are listed above:) Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
What is the best way to reheat these if I’m making them a few hours before serving?
Hi Jess,
All of the make ahead instructions are written above:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Hello,
This looks pretty good. I want to make this ahead of time with small young potatoes and not remove the skins. What modifications do you think I should make?
Thanks
Hi Ama,
I think you should be able to follow the recipe as written, they might be fork tender a little bit sooner, but you can just keep an eye on that. I hope you love this recipe! xT
Delicious !
Thanks so much Cassidy! Glad you enjoyed the recipe! xT
Is it ok to use red potatoes for this recipe, instead of yukon golds or russet?
Hi Sally,
I personally wouldn’t use red potatoes for this recipe:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Can I ask why? Against your advice, I was thinking about trying it anyway. Unfortunately I had already purchased a red potatoes before I found this recipe.
Hi Lauren,
Red potatoes are great for roasting, cooking in soups, or boiling for potato salad. A Yukon gold potato is best to use for mashed potatoes because they are creamy and buttery. I hope you love this recipe!