Rosemary Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe
These creamy rosemary garlic mashed potatoes are what happen when a weeknight dinner meets restaurant-level flavor. Infused cream and garlic confit transform your standard mash potatoes into something indulgent and elegant. Best of all, both can be prepped ahead because fancy should still feel doable on a Thursday.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for meal prep. You can make the infused cream and garlic confit ahead of time, then reheat them gently before mashing
- Deep, elevated flavor in the same amount of time to make plain mashed potatoes
- Potatoes are silky and indulgent
What You’ll Walk Away Knowing
- How to infuse cream with rosemary gently
- How to make garlic confit or cook garlic with the potatoes
Ingredient List
Russet Potatoes: The starchiness in russet potatoes soaks up the cream. You can use red or yellow potatoes as well, but you’ll need less cream because they are waxy.
Heavy Cream: Makes the recipe rich. You can also use whole milk.
Rosemary Sprigs: I have a large rosemary bush outside so I always use fresh. You can also use dried rosemary to infuse. Replace the fresh with 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary. Make sure to use a fine mesh sieve to strain it out.
Garlic: Each week, I make garlic confit to use throughout the week. If you don’t have any, throw a few cloves of garlic in with the potatoes while they boil to soften it and mash it together.
Garlic Confit Oil or Butter: If you’re using garlic confit, you can skip the butter and use some of the garlic-infused oil instead. If you’re using regular boiled garlic, you’ll need to add 2–4 tablespoons of butter for richness.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Make the Garlic Confit (if not prepared)
- Preheat oven to 250°F.
- Place 10 peeled garlic cloves in a small ovenproof ramekin or dish.
- Pour in avocado oil until cloves are just submerged.
- Add a pinch of salt.
- Bake for 2 hours, until soft and golden.
If you want to learn how to make garlic confit for more than just this recipe, check out my post on easy garlic confit. It has specific instructions about storing your garlic confit properly.
Infuse the Cream
- Add heavy cream and rosemary to a small saucepan.
- Bring to a gentle simmer, then set a timer
- Steep for 10–20 minutes (I like 15 for balanced flavor).
- Strain through a fine mesh sieve and set aside.
Make the Potatoes
- Boil potatoes in salted water until fork-tender (15–20 min).
- Drain and mash using a masher, ricer, or food mill.
- Stir in infused cream, garlic confit (or boiled garlic), and confit oil or butter.
- Season with salt, garlic powder, and cayenne. Serve hot.
Additional Ingredients
I like to add additional ingredients from time to time to spice it up. Green onions or parsley as a garnish add freshness. Parmesan cheese adds a salty, umami note. Play around and see what makes sense to you.
Expert Tips
The amount of cream may seem like a lot, but it will absorb into the mashed potatoes. If you want to use less cream, substitute whole milk.
For fluffier whipped potatoes, use a ricer or food mill. For chunkier mashed potatoes, a hand masher works just fine. Avoid using a food processor; it can turn your potatoes gluey.
Don’t overmix your potatoes. Overworking with a mixer can make them gluey as well.
Storage
Rosemary garlic mashed potatoes last for 4 days in the refrigerator.
To reheat, you can use the microwave, but it might dry them out and the texture can deteriorate. I prefer to add a little cream to a saucepan and gently warm the mashed potatoes that way. It will revive them to their former glory.
What to Serve with Rosemary Garlic Mashed Potatoes
I make these with my Crispy Chicken with Black Garlic Sauce. The herbs go well with the sweetness of black garlic. These are perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas dinner, or even a cozy Valentine’s Day steak night. Roast chicken or beef short ribs would pair well with rosemary garlic mashed potatoes.
FAQs
I believe garlic confit is the best choice. The texture is soft, making it easier to incorporate when mashing. Raw will give a sharp, spicy flavor. Roasted and sauteed are good choices; they’re more mellow than raw garlic, with a caramelized depth.
Yes you can. With either fresh or dried rosemary, you should infuse it in the cream and remove it afterwards. That way you don’t have unpleasant twigs in your mashed potatoes. They still taste heavily of rosemary so you get the flavor without impacting the texture.
Steeping your cream in herbs elevates everyday mashed potatoes with minimal work. Let me know what other herbs you use to make mashed potatoes.
Rosemary Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Equipment
- Sieve straining cream and potatoes
- Potato Masher, Ricer, or Food Mill
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs russet potatoes
- 2 rosemary sprigs
- 1 ¾ cup heavy cream
- 10 cloves garlic confit
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
Garlic Confit
- Preheat oven to 250°F.
- Place 10 peeled garlic cloves in a small ovenproof ramekin or dish.
- Pour in avocado oil until cloves are just submerged.
- Add a pinch of salt.
- Bake for 2 hours, until soft and golden.
Infuse Cream
- Add 1 ¾ cup heavy cream and 2 rosemary sprigs to a small saucepan.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and set timer
- Steep for 10–20 minutes (I like 15 for balanced flavor).
- Strain through a fine mesh sieve and set aside.
Make Potatoes
- Boil 2.5 lbs russet potatoes in salted water until fork-tender (15–20 min).
- Drain and mash using a masher, ricer, or food mill.
- Stir in infused cream, 10 cloves garlic confit (or boiled garlic), and confit oil or 2 tablespoons butter.
- Season with 1 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper. Serve hot.
Add a little flavor to everyday mashed potatoes. This recipe is so simple, but packs a lot of flavor.