This Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes recipe makes the perfect side dish to go along with just about anything. They are buttery, garlicky, cheesy and absolutely delicious, with or without gravy.
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Best Fluffy Mashed Potatoes Recipe
When you combine garlic, cheese and carbs, it’s virtually impossible to go wrong, especially if you have a family of garlic-lovers like mine.
But even if your kids are a little squeamish about garlic, just reduce the amount by half. The other ingredients are so kid-friendly that the recipe is still sure to be a hit. The Parmesan cheese, butter and sour cream really bring out the sweetness in the garlic, exposing your little skeptics to its true deliciousness.
Wondering what to serve these delicious potatoes with? The good news is that they honestly go with just about anything. Try them with Easy Crock Pot Mississippi Pot Roast, Garlic Pull Apart Bread or Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken.
“Idahoan” Mashed Potatoes
Maybe it’s because we are from Idaho, but we love potatoes around here. They are just so versatile and adapt to so many different flavors and styles of cooking. You can mash them many different ways, fry them, bake them, roast them, and they are great for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
We’ll even admit that instant mashed potatoes are delicious! But, you just can’t beat the real thing and this recipe is so quick and easy, it’s worth the extra effort.
How To Make Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
- Wash the potatoes, peel (optional), and cut into 1" cubes.
- Place the potatoes in a large pot, add 2 teaspoons of salt, and cover with cold water.
- Bring to a boil, and boil potatoes for 20-30 minutes or until they are fork-tender (and they no longer stick to a fork when you stick one in).
- Drain the water, then add the potatoes back to the pot. Add in your butter, sour cream, salt, garlic powder, Parmesan cheese and milk (or cream).
- Mash potatoes with a hand masher, getting out all of the largest chunks. You can keep mashed potatoes as chunky or as smooth as you like. You can also use a standing mixer with the whisk attachment, but just be sure not to overmix your potatoes or they will get gummy.
- Finish with a pat of butter and chopped parsley if desired. Enjoy!
Mashed Potatoes Ingredients
- Potatoes - we like to use red potatoes for this recipe, but Yukon gold and Idaho work well too.
- Butter - you’ll want this to be cold or room temperature. Melted butter can separate, making it hard to mix in evenly.
- Sour Cream - lite or full fat will work.
- Salt
- Garlic Powder - add half of the suggested amount if you aren’t as big of a fan as we are.
- Parmesan Cheese - we use pre-shredded, but you can grate your own or use any kind of cheese that you have on hand - mild cheddar, gouda or even mozzarella would be delicious. And if you love cheese, by all means, add even more!
- Milk - any percentage will work, or use heavy cream.
Making Mashed Potatoes Ahead of Time
For a variety of reasons, you may want to make your mashed potatoes ahead of time. In order to make sure they taste freshly made, just boil, mix and mash your potatoes as directed, but don’t add quite all of the butter. Let them cool to room temp, and store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve them.
When you want to reheat them (either in a pot or microwave), reheat slowly and add a touch more milk and the rest of the butter until they are soft and creamy, just like when you made them.
Can I Freeze Mashed Potatoes?
Yes! The key to making mashed potatoes freeze well is the fat content, so make sure to add plenty of butter and sour cream! To freeze, just cool them to room temperature and transfer to freezer bags. Press them so that they lay flat and freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat you have a few options:
- Microwave - transfer the frozen potatoes to a microwave-safe dish and reheat based on your microwave's settings (either half-power, defrost...whatever works best). Make sure to stop and stir occasionally and add butter as needed.
- Stovetop - transfer to a pot and reheat over low-medium, stirring occasionally and adding extra butter or a touch of milk if needed.
- Oven - preheat your oven to 350 degrees and put the frozen potatoes in a covered baking dish. Heat for about 30 minutes, or until warm, and mix in any additional butter that you want.
Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5 lbs Potatoes we like to use red, but Idaho or Yukon gold work great, too.
- 1 Tablespoon Salt for Boiling Water
- 3 Tablespoons Butter Plus another Tablespoon to garnish (optional) room temp
- 2/3 Cup Sour Cream lite or full fat are both fine
- 1/2-1 Tablespoons Salt
- 1 Teaspoons Garlic Powder use less if you want
- 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese shredded, or any other cheese you have on hand
- 1/2 Cup Milk can also use heavy cream
Instructions
- Wash the potatoes, peel (optional), and cut into 1" cubes.
- Place the potatoes in a large pot, add 2 teaspoons of salt, and cover with cold water.
- Bring to a boil, and boil potatoes for 20-30 minutes or until they are fork-tender (and they no longer stick to a fork when you stick one in).
- Drain the water, then add the potatoes back to the pot. Add in your butter, sour cream, salt, garlic powder, Parmesan cheese and milk (or cream).
- Mash potatoes with a hand masher, getting out all of the largest chunks. You can keep mashed potatoes as chunky or as smooth as you like. You may also use a standing mixer with the whisk attachment, but just be sure not to overmix your potatoes or they will get gummy.
- Finish with a pat of butter and chopped parsley if desired. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Tips:
- You can leave the peels on or take them off, whichever you prefer, just make sure to wash them
- Start with cold water covering your potatoes, then bring to a boil. They will cook more evenly this way.
- Salting the water you boil your potatoes in seasons them as they cook.
- A hand potato masher will you give you a great rustic mashed potatoes texture.
- Cutting your potatoes smaller will make them cook faster!
Nutrition
We love Potato Recipes! Here are a few recipes using potatoes..
- Gruyere Mashed Potatoes
- 3 Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes
- Loaded Baked Potato Skins Recipe
- Smashed Potatoes
- Crock Pot Scalloped Potatoes
- Fingerling Potatoes with Parmesan and Rosemary
- Bacon and Cheese Scalloped Potatoes
- The Most Amazing Classic Scalloped Potatoes
- Cheesy Potato Casserole
- Creamy Potato and Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
- Herb Roasted Potatoes
- Slow Cooker Ham and Cheese Scalloped Potatoes
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This Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes recipe makes the perfect side dish to go along with just about anything. They are buttery, garlicky, cheesy and absolutely delicious, with or without gravy.
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