There’s nothing like a bowl of garlic mashed red potatoes to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. This mashed red potatoes recipe is easy enough for even the most inexperienced home chef, but be careful because this dish will have your family demanding them at least once a week!
PIN this recipe to try it later!
It’s no secret, garlic red mashed potatoes are the best. I mean, who doesn’t love them? They are absolutely delicious! These mashed potatoes are creamy and have an amazing garlic flavor.
They will make you feel like you are eating at your favorite steakhouse!
I’ve started adding this recipe into my weekly dinner menu because of how easy it is to make them. I always make mashed potatoes because they are inexpensive to make and I can easily make a big batch for leftovers.
This is super helpful for those really jam-packed evenings filled with meetings, events, and afterschool activities!
Ingredients Needed To Make Garlic Red Skin Mashed Potatoes
To make these creamy mashed red potatoes, here is a quick overview of all the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe as well as a few tips I’ve learned along the way:
- Red Potatoes: Use small red potatoes and quarter them evenly so they all cook at the same rate. Uneven potatoes can leave you with lumpy, half-cooked bites of mashed potatoes.
- Garlic: I love the extra boost of flavor garlic adds to these potatoes. For the best flavor, I highly recommend using fresh minced garlic. You can always use jarred minced garlic if you don’t have any fresh on hand. Though I’ll have to warn you- it doesn’t taste the same but it’ll do in a pinch.
- Butter: What’re mashed potatoes without butter?!? I like to use unsalted butter so that I can control how salty the potatoes turn out. But, don’t be shy when it comes to adding a “dollop” more of butter.
- Milk: Just use what you have on hand, dairy or non-dairy! For extra creamy potatoes, use heavy cream instead.
- Garlic Salt: This helps give a little more garlic flavor.
- Ground Black Pepper: Add to taste. I like to add a bit more for a little extra kick.
- Sour Cream: This is what makes these so creamy! It also gives the potatoes a little tartness to cut through the salt.
- Parmesan Cheese: When it comes to the cheese, try to use freshly grated cheese and not the grated powder kind. It will make a HUGE difference in the flavor and texture. I’ve found that grated doesn’t melt as well in the potatoes.
- Parsley: This is optional, but use it as a garnish for a pop of color and fresh herby bite when serving.
Variations and Substitutions for This Recipe
- Milk: Replace the milk with buttermilk, heavy cream, or half and half. Use the same amount called for in the recipe.
- Sour Cream: Replace the sour cream with 1/4 cup of plain cream cheese. For a healthier version, you can substitute sour cream with plain yogurt!
- Water: Instead of boiling the potatoes in water, cover them in about 4 cups of chicken broth. While cooking, the broth will soak into the potatoes and add a ton of extra flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mashed Red Potatoes
Before I show you how to make these garlic mashed potatoes, here are a few questions I frequently get asked about this recipe:
Do I have to use red potatoes?
This recipe for garlic mashed red potatoes works best with small red potatoes. BUT, if for some reason you are unable to find them at the grocery store or want to try a different potato, Yukon gold potatoes are a great substitute!
You can also use russet potatoes, but be sure that you peel them before boiling them. Generally, the russet potato skins do not taste good in the mashed potatoes.
Can I make this mashed red potatoes recipe dairy-free?
Yes! It’s actually really easy. Swap out the butter and milk for vegan versions. For the sour cream, you have three options. You can:
- Just leave it out.
- Substitute it with full-fat coconut milk.
- Use a vegan sour cream.
It’s completely up to you!
For the parmesan cheese, there is a variety of vegan parmesan choices at a few health grocery stores. Just know that it won’t fully melt like the dairy kind.
What can I serve with garlic mashed potatoes?
When it comes to serving these mashed potatoes for dinner, my favorite main dish to serve it with are these garlic butter steak bites! The juicy steak bites with a scoop of creamy, garlicky masked potato= YUM! Since they both have similar ingredients, they really pair well together.
Along with the steak, I like to make some grilled asparagus to serve as a veggie side dish.
If you don’t like steak, try making some grilled pork chops, meatloaf, or one-pan chicken and vegetables for minimal clean-up!
How To Make Garlic Red Mashed Potatoes
These steakhouse-style mashed potatoes are so simple and easy to make. You’ll have these whipped up and ready in 25 minutes!
Here’s how you make this recipe:
- In a large pot, fill ½ of the way up with water or enough to cover potatoes by about an inch. Add a pinch of salt and minced garlic. Over high heat, bring the water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, wash and cut the potatoes into quarters.
- Once the water begins to boil, add the quartered potatoes to the large pot and cover. Cook until tender but still firm, about 10-15 minutes. Drain, and place in a large bowl.
- Place the milk in a microwave-safe cup or bowl. Microwave for about 45 seconds, just enough to warm the milk up. Remove and set aside.
- Combine potatoes with butter, milk, sour cream, parmesan cheese, garlic salt, and pepper. Mash together until smooth and creamy. I like to use my Kitchen-Aid mixer and mix them on low. You can also use a potato masher or hand mixer.
- Serve while hot and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
Enjoy!
Try Some Of These Family-Friendly Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe for garlic mashed red potatoes, take a look at some of these other delicious yet time-saving potato dishes you can make on those busy dinner nights:
- Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
- Baked Garlic Parmesan Potato Wedges
- Scalloped Potatoes
- Garlic Roasted Potatoes With Bacon
Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 lbs small red potatoes (quartered)
- 2 tsp garlic (minced)
- 2 tbsp butter
- ¾ cup milk (warmed)
- ½ tsp garlic Salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese (finely grated)
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
Instructions
- In a large pot fill ½ of the way up with water or enough to cover potatoes by about an inch. Add a pinch of salt and minced garlic. Over high heat bring the water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, wash and cut the potatoes into quarters.
- Once the water begins to boil add the quartered potatoes to the large pot and cover. Cook until tender but still firm, about 10-15 minutes. Drain, and place in a large bowl.
- Place the milk in a microwave safe cup or bowl. Microwave for about 45 seconds. Just enough to warm the milk up. Remove and set aside.
- Combine potatoes with butter, milk, sour cream, parmesan cheese, garlic salt, and pepper. Mash together until smooth and creamy. I like to use my Kitchenaid mixer and mix them on low. You can also use a potato masher or hand mixer.
- Serve while hot and garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
HAVE YOU TRIED THIS RECIPE?
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear about your experience. Getting feedback from you helps me and other readers too!
Also, if you share on INSTAGRAM, use the hashtag #modernmealmakeover and tag me (@modernmealmakeover) so we can stop by and give your post some love. Thank you!
Planning to try these tonight. If I use chicken stock, do I still need to add a pinch of salt? I assume not because there is quite a bit already in the broth. Thanks!
I would add the salt to taste.
I followed the recipe exactly, but for some reason wasn’t a big fan of this. I felt the ratios were off somehow, maybe too much pepper and not quite rich enough? It tasted a bit “diet” even though it definitely wasn’t. Half & half or cream probably would have helped. Not sure otherwise. I might make this again and play around with the ratios.
I would love to hear how you change it up.
I agree with the other review. Way too much pepper! Maybe do only 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. And wasn’t as thick, kind of runny. Too much milk?