Is it just me, or are the mashed potatoes usually the first thing to go at every holiday dinner? A staple piece, it’s super important to have some rock solid potato recipes to cycle through this time of the year, so if you don’t have a thick and herby recipe in your possession yet, you’re welcome.
These Garlic & Parsley Mashed Potatoes not your traditional smooth and fluffy taters! They’re thick and dense, and they’re super savory with lots of zesty garlic and delicate parsley. If you’re looking to present a dish that’s a little more developed than your regular mashed potatoes, now’s the time!
Ingredients
- Russet potatoes
- Salted butter
- Sour cream
- Cream cheese
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic
- Parsley
. Try to pick potatoes that are all roughly the same size. It’ll be easier to cut them into equal parts that way.
. If you’d like to use less ingredients or just make the texture a but less dense, swap the cream cheese for more sour cream.
. Using freshly grated garlic will really illuminate that garlicy, spicy flavor. You can use paste instead if you prefer.
. I like to use partially dried parsley, but any form of it will do. If you’re using completely dried parsley then make sure to give it a bit of time to soften once mixed in, as dried herbs can start out a bit crunchy.
Helpful Tools
- Stock pot: having a large pot laying around always comes in handy! If you don’t already have one, I highly recommend!
- Potato Masher: for obvious reasons, having a potato masher is key to making this dish. I prefer to use one with a metal mashing end since it’s going into very hot food, but either way, it’s worth it to have.
- Hand Mixer: If you’ve got creaky joints or just prefer ultra smooth potatoes, try getting an electric hand mixer. They don’t cost much and are useful for lots of different recipes.
- Garlic Masher or Small Grater: A garlic masher may be traditional for specifically mashing garlic, but listen: a small-holed grater can do all that and much, much more.
How to Make these Potatoes
Start by bringing a large pot of water to boil. While it heats, wash and cut your potatoes into equal parts. I usually do thirds and then cut those thirds into halves. When you’re ready, cook your potatoes in the boiling water, dump them in and check them after bout 7 or 8 minutes with a fork. Keep checking the potatoes every minute or so with the fork and once it goes in halfway easily, remove from the heat and drain the potatoes of their water.
Toss the freshly drained and super hot potatoe chunks into a large bowl (or even back into the pot) and add all remaining ingredients. Depending on your tastes and abilities, mash or mix the potatoes and ingredients until well combined but not gluey! Unless you like gluey, which most folks do not.
You may have noticed that I kept all my potato skins on. Again, this recipe is meant to be tinkered with so it fits into your life so if you want to peel then before boiling, go ahead.
What to Pair these With
The obvious choice would be gravy, but you can also lop on more butter, seasoning salt, chives, or whatever else floats your boat! As a larger meal goes, I really enjoy these with a nice rare steak and a mean of pan seared garlic green beans, but that’s all amendable.
And if you’re looking for the perfect vegetarian gravy to match this with, try my Mushroom & Onion Gravy!
Garlic & Parsley Mashed Potates
Equipment
- Potato Masher or Hand Mixer
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lb russet potatoes, roughly 3 large potatoes
- 3 tbsp salted butter
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 3 oz cream cheese
- 1 1/2 tsp salt, can partially sub with seasoning or garlic salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and grated or shredded
- 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Begin by washing the potatoes and cutting them into equal chunks. I usually cut them into thirds and then cut those chunks in half.
- Toss them in a pot of boiling water and let them come back to a boil, checking them after about 8 minutes with a fork to see if they are soft enough to pierce most of the way through. Timing depends on the size of the potatoes.
- When they're cooked enough to stick a fork through, drain them, throw them in a large bowl, and toss in all the remaining ingredients.
- Either manually or with a mixer, mash the ingredients into the potatoes until you've got the constancy you desire. Try not to mash them too much as they will become gluey!
- Serve hot with your favorite gravy or toppings!
Notes
- I prefer to keep my potato skins on as they add nutrition and texture, but feel free to partially or fully peel them.
- It's not very common that people like gluey potatoes, so really watch out not to mash or mix yours too much. This can be challenging for those who want perfectly smooth taters.
- This version of mashed potatoes is very thick! If you like the idea of the flavors but not the thick texture, add in more butter and some milk to loosen it up.
- I like the flavor of both cream cheese and sour cream, so I mix both in. If you'd prefer to use less ingredients, I suggest cutting the cream cheese out and just using sour cream.
1 thought on “Garlic & Parsley Mashed Potatoes”
I’ll rate this after making; I’m sure it will be 5 stars. I’ve still got 13 small Russets left over from Thanksgiving and they’re starting to sprout! Thanks for the recipe!