Roasted Garlic Ranch Mashed Potatoes
These Roasted Garlic Ranch Mashed Potatoes get their flavor from fresh herbs, tangy buttermilk, and caramelized garlic.
Mashed potatoes rate number one at our holiday table. It’s the favorite side dish every year, which means I usually have to make a double batch to accommodate my hungry guests. Plus, seconds! I live for seconds and leftovers during the holiday season. I like to be able to eat both my Thanksgiving and Christmas meals twice.
Squirrel and I are still trying to decide what we’re doing for Thanksgiving since both sets of parents will be hosting dinner this year, which means we’ll be consuming two meals (again).
When I say my parents are hosting, what that really means is that I’ll be preparing the dinner and they’ll provide the table. My mom is subpar in the kitchen. Her idea of dinner is a cold bowl of cereal or a lunchmeat sandwich, none of which come close to the very high bar I set when it comes to my holiday menu. The only two tasks I entrust my mom with are preparing green beans (she makes the best) and sauerkraut (she’s the only one who can get it to taste like great mom-mom’s). Oh, and she’s pretty great at washing the dishes. Good riddance to that responsibility! I have more important tasks to worry about rather than trying to scrape turkey particles from the roasting pan.
After some careful thought, I’ve decided to switch things up a bit and trade some old menu items for some new and improved recipes. This decision will inevitably cause a generous dose of whining, bitching, and pleading from the family, but I’m going to hold strong and stick to my guns. Every time one of them utters a single “but,” they’re going to get the hand. I’m sure you’re familiar with The Hand? It was the cool thing to do in the ’90s. Well, I’m bringing it back!
Every Thanksgiving since the dawn of time, I’ve made a mashed potato casserole. It’s a damn good mashed potato casserole, but I’m ready to welcome change and to finally refuse the people what they want. Sometimes it’s about what I want, and this year I want a big bowl of these Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes. This recipe was inspired by my Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing recipe.
Being the ranch fanatic I am, I like to ranch-ify anything and everything I can, and I thought mashed potatoes would be the perfect canvas… And so they were! There’s no actual ranch dressing in this recipe. Instead, I added the same flavor elements that make up my ranch dressing recipe to a bowl of creamy mashed Idaho® russet potatoes.
Did I mention the roasted garlic? Garlic is delicious as is, but it’s even better roasted. The pungent cloves caramelize and become slightly sweet when roasted. They turn any dish into something special.
These herb-infused potatoes will be all the rage at your next holiday gathering.
Roasted Garlic Ranch Mashed Potatoes
Whipped mashed potatoes infused with roasted garlic, fresh herbs, and a splash tangy buttermilk.
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds Idaho® potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 small heads garlic
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 4 tablespoons butter or Country Crock® Spreadable Butter
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup milk
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Slice a thin layer off each head of garlic to expose the cloves inside. Place both heads of garlic in an aluminum foil pouch. Drizzle the olive oil over the heads of garlic and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Close the pouch and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the cloves are soft and tender. Allow the garlic to cool long enough to handle and squeeze out the cloves; set aside.
- Place the potatoes in a large pot and add just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and place them back in the warm pot.
- Add the roasted garlic cloves, butter, and sour cream to the pot with the potatoes. Using a potato masher or electric mixer, mash or beat until smooth and creamy. Gently stir in the milk, buttermilk, fresh herbs, and onion powder until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve garnished with fresh herbs, if desired.
Disclosure: This recipe was developed for the lovely folks at Idaho® Potato. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting my recipes and site while I work with brands I adore.