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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 side dish. 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 to make-ahead of time for easy entertaining, especially for Thanksgiving and Christmas!
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 Yukon gold 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. You will definitely want these along with your turkey and gravy!
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.
This post was originally published on November 3, 2021
Hello! I’m so excited to try these this year! I was going to prep these on the 23rd, and serve them for dinner on the 25th. Is that ok? Will they last 2.5 days in the fridge? I didn’t read anywhere how long ahead I can make them… hopefully it will be ok!
Hi Sophia,
Yes, that will be just fine for you to do! I hope this recipe turns out well for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
I got excited to try these potatoes because I’ve never seen the technique before. It made everything so much easier to have the milk heating right along with the potatoes. It also made a success of using the potato masher without hitting hard pockets in the potatoes and an unintended and upper body workout. I used the oven method and the reheating instructions also worked exactly as described. We do a lot of mashed root vegetables like celery root and parsnip with fennel and cauliflower in our house, and I am thinking of trying this method there too.
Hey Anita,
Happy Monday!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xT
These are probably the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had, I’ll be making these every year from now on. Thank you Tieghan!
Hey Linda,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for giving it a try! Have a great weekend:)
These potatoes are 🔥, I made these for 2 thanksgiving gatherings and everyone LOVED them! Another rockstar recipe!
Hey Kristin,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for giving it a try! Have a great weekend:)
OMG is about all i can say — I’m a huge potato fanatic… these were the very BEST!
Hey Caroline,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for giving it a try! Have a great weekend:)
Hi! On the slow cooker method it says keep on low for up to 4 hours then turn up to low or high. Do you mean keep on “warm” for up to 4 hours?
Hi Alyson,
Yes, keep on warm:) I hope you love this recipe! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Can you used dried herbs?? Thanks for your help!
Hi Viviana,
Yes, dried herbs will also work for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope this recipe turned out well for you! xx
These turned out SO good and smooth! The potato ricer made all the difference for me. For reheating in the oven the next day, can I store and use some of the extra cream/milk mixture leftover from boiling the potatoes?
Hey Ali,
Happy Thanksgiving!!🦃🍁 I am so glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! Yes, definitely:) T
I’m excited to start making your mashed potatoes recipe, it looks so amazing! I had two questions though. The recipe says 1 clove of the roasted garlic, but watching the video, it looks like you roasted 2 cloves of garlic, what do you recommend? Also in the recipe for reheating in the oven for the next day, you say to add 1/2 cup of milk and 2 tablespoons of butter, is that in addition to the amount listed in the recipe ingredients ? Thanks so much!
Hi Dale,
You are just going to use 1 head of garlic:) Yes, the 1/2 cup of milk and 2 tablespoons of butter is in addition to the recipe:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Hi there! I made these potatoes last year and they were SO good. I previously did the make ahead using the stovetop to reheat. This year I need to use the slow cooker. Can I make ahead through step 6 and then transfer directly to slow cooker and place in fridge overnight? I would like to cut down on dishes. Would it take about the same 4 hours to reheat if the pot is cold just out of the fridge? Or would it increase the reheat time?
Hi Julie,
Yes, you can go ahead and follow the instructions for the slow cooker listed above:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Hi Tieghan! Wondering if it’s okay to make the garlic in advance?
I’d say yes, roast the garlic heads and squeeze out the cloves into a container and store until you’re ready to use. Could stir in once your potatoes are warm and ready to go if you like.
Hey Cate,
Totally!! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
I’m excited to try this recipe this year for Thanksgiving. Question I have is in the video I see you adding the potatoes and milk/cream into an Instant Pot. How did you cook it in the Instant Pot (time/temp/etc)?
Hi Leticia,
I would not recommend using the instant pot, I would follow one of the methods listed above:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
What if the instant pot has a slow cooker option?!
Hi Virginia,
I haven’t tried this, I don’t love the slow cooker option on the instant pot, I feel like it doesn’t give the same results as the actual slow cooker:) I hope you love the recipe! xx
Hi! I don’t have a dutch oven. Could I use a pot instead?
Hey Isabella,
Yes, any large pot will work here. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
I didn’t have any milk/heavy cream mixture left over. Maybe my dutch oven was too hot because it sstuck to the bottom of the pot. It smelled delicious so a little disappointed.
Hi Julia,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, sorry to hear you had some issues with the recipe. My guess is you had this at a high boil which caused all of the liquid to evaporate. Sorry for the trouble! xx
Best easy & tasty mashed potatoes ever. I highly recommend this recipe. I roasted my garlic in the air fryer the night before to save time. Pure genius to boil in the milk & half/half rather than water. Our family enjoyed it so much we made them again for Christmas last year..DELICIOUS!!
Hey Hillary,
Happy Monday!! So glad to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for giving it a go! xT
hi…can all 1/2 & 1/2 be used in place of the cream & milk? ty 😉
Hi Sonny,
Sure, that would be okay for you to use! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! Happy Thanksgiving! xx