Mashed Garlic & Onion Potatoes is such a flavorful Mashed Potato recipe and easy enough to make. You’re really only including some Garlic Cloves & diced Onions, that gets boiled and mashed along with the Potatoes. Add Butter & Cream along with some reserved Potato Water, Salt & Pepper to taste with a good amount of Green Onions and/or Parsley and voilà!
Mashed Garlic & Onion Potatoes Ingredients
Potatoes, Sea Salt, Garlic, Onion, Butter, Cream, Black and/or White Pepper, Green Onions and/or Parsley. With reserved cooking water to adjust the consistency.
A bit of Onion Powder and/or Garlic Powder can be added to taste, should you want more Onion & Garlic flavors.
Mashed Potato Serving Size
Generally anywhere between 150-225g of Mashed Potatoes per serving, depending on where or with what it is being served with. A main protein with a side of mashed potatoes should be about 150-175g per serving.
If the mashed potatoes are being served with other side dishes like other vegetables, bread stuffing, salads, etc… Then the lower end of 150g per serving is ideal, and maybe even less depending on how many sides.
On the other hand, if the mashed potatoes will take up the majority of the meal, like a ground Beef Gravy Mash or Gravy & Meatballs over Mashed Potatoes, then the upper limit of 225g per serving is ideal.
Weighing out in grams gives you an idea of how much potatoes you need per serving. With this recipe, using 700g of peeled potatoes is enough for 4 large servings of mashed potatoes. When actually serving the Mashed Potatoes, use an Ice Cream Scoop to portion out the Mashed Potatoes evenly.
Serving Mashed Potatoes
Use an ice cream scoop to measure out a standard serving. Use a scoop and a half for a medium serving, and 2 scoops for a large serving. Once on the plate, flatten it out or make a well with the back of the ice cream scoop for gravy or other sauces. If serving as is, without gravy or sauces. Then make a small indent to add some butter or flatten it out and add butter.
Diced Potatoes
Peel the Potatoes and weigh out 700g, a little over is fine. Wash and quarter the potatoes. If the Potatoes are larger, then slice in half lengthwise and quarter each half. Chopping them all roughly the same size so that they cook up at the same time.
If the potatoes are really large, then slice in half lengthwise and quarter each half or slice each half lengthwise again. Chop across to create 6 roughly the same size pieces per half potato.
Boiling Potatoes
Potatoes are a root vegetable and as so should be added to cold water and then brought to a boil over max heat, while covered. Then the heat lowered slightly as to not overflow the pot. The whole cook, starting from cold water, should take about 20 minutes, or a bit longer if the potatoes are quartered into larger pieces. Check the tenderness at 15 minutes or thereabouts. Cook until the Potatoes are fork tender or even a bit softer, which makes for easier mashing.
Do you add salt to water for boiled mashed potatoes
With almost anything you boil, a bit of salt in the water is going to season the foods being boiled throughout. However, since these are being mashed, we can hold off on the salt until they are mashed and then just taste and adjust.
If we were going to serve these up, holding their shape, then you would want the water to be salted, just the same for pasta or beans. Since these are mashed, it makes no difference at all.
Baking Soda Water for Mashed Potatoes
Baking Soda added to the water will break down the exterior of the potatoes, as well as the starches in the potatoes. This helps to create a creamier smoother texture and allows for the potatoes to break down with ease while mashing. Even if you have good potatoes for Mashed Potatoes, the use of baking soda will make it even easier for mashing.
Straining Potatoes
Once the potatoes are softened, strain with the lid, reserving the cooking water to adjust the consistency. This will help the potatoes to get the consistency desired and also not require as much dairy. Add the remaining ingredients in and mash. Using the reserved cooking water to adjust the consistency.
You don’t have to strain well, a small amount of cooking liquid left behind is perfectly fine. You also don’t need to save all of it, you will only ever really need about 1/4 C of or thereabouts.
Do you have to dry boiled potatoes
No, you don’t have to dry the potatoes or place the potatoes into a pot to cook out the water. In fact, a bit of water left behind to mash the potatoes with will help elevate the flavors & consistency. Especially so where Cream, or Milk, and Butter will be added.
For the longest time, I thought drying out the potatoes would help them absorb much more liquid, and they do. But the liquids added to mashed potatoes is usually Cream or Milk and Butter. Adding in more because the potatoes are dry, really doesn’t affect the flavor all that much. So you can save a bit on the Cream or Milk, just by including a bit of the cooking water to get a head start on the consistency. Potato water when combined with Cream & Butter also taste better than just the Butter & Cream added. Sort of the same concept with Hodge Podge. Where a bit of the cooking liquid is combined with Butter & Cream.
If the diced Potatoes were to be roasted or broiled, then yes, air drying will help dry out the exterior and promote better crisping. Not the case for Mashed Potatoes.
Mashing Potatoes
There are a few different ways to mash potatoes, and it really depends on what you’re after. These include a chunky, smooth, and whipped mashed potatoes versions.
Chunky Mashed Potatoes
Many people like a mashed potato with small chunks in it for textural contrast, myself included. In this case a Potato Masher works well here.
Add Butter & Cream and use the reserved cooking water to adjust until you get the consistency you desire. Adjust the flavor with Salt & Pepper.
The chunky version of mashed potatoes is also good or may be preferred when the potatoes are used as a filling. Such as Potato Samosas, Fish Cakes, or maybe even in a casserole, as with Shepherds Pie.
Smooth Mashed Potatoes
For smooth mashed potatoes, you really need a ricer. This does an excellent job at creating a nice even smooth consistency for mashed potatoes. Once all the Potatoes are ran through the ricer, then add dairy and remaining ingredients to mix through. Use the reserved cooking water to adjust the consistency.
Whipped Mashed Potatoes
Whipped mashed potatoes is done with a hand mixer and immediately after straining the potatoes.
Add Butter & Cream along with remaining ingredients to the Potatoes and mix on low to break the potatoes up and let steam off. Add more of the reserved cooking water if needed to adjust for consistency. You can also start by mashing the potatoes and when they are broken down, start whipping them, which is a bit easier and cleaner.
Mashed Potato Consistency
The consistency of mashed Potatoes differs for everyone and where it’s going to be used. You can adjust it simply by adding in the desired amount of the reserved cooking liquids, when straining out the potatoes. Even adding more Butter or Cream.
For me, If being served as a side dish, then I’d like for it to be creamy or thin, but still holds its shape. If serving with a sauce or gravy on top, then a bit firmer. Because the sauce or gravy is going to soften the mashed potatoes. The same with using it as a filling for like say Fish Cakes, then you want a firmer mashed potato that holds its shape. In some cases though, I really like a puree where the Mashed Potatoes are really thin. It really all depends.
Roasted Garlic & Onion Mashed Potatoes
Quarter an onion and place on a sheet of tinfoil with garlic cloves. Drizzle a bit of Olive Oil and toss to coat the onion and garlic well. Wrap and place into a preheated oven at 400F-425F for about 40 minutes. Add them to the potatoes and mash.
Caramelized Mashed Garlic & Onion Potatoes
Heat a pan over medium heat and add finely chopped Garlic & Onions with Butter. Stir every so often and continue to cook until the onions are browned. This can be added to the mashed potatoes or blended in a glass jar with milk or cream for a puréed Garlic & Onions.
Reheating Mashed Potatoes
Reheating mashed potatoes may be the preferred way of preparing and serving mashed potatoes. This is because when potatoes are cooked, cooled and reheated. It creates resistant starch that reduces the blood sugar spike that cooked and immediately served potatoes would cause.
Oven: Place the refrigerated Mashed Potatoes, covered, into the oven at 350F to warm through about 20–30 minutes.
Equipment
- 1 Pot
- 1 Strainer
- 1 Potato Masher or Ricer or Hand Held Mixer
Ingredients
- 700 g Potatoes - Peeled & quartered
- 8 C Water - or to cover
- 1 Whole Onion - Finely diced
- 5 Cloves Garlic - Crushed
- 1/8 tsp Baking Soda
- As Needed Reserved Cooking Water - to adjust the consistency
- 1/4 C Butter & Cream - each
- 1 tsp Sea Salt - or butter popcorn seasoning to taste
- 1/8 tsp White Pepper
- 1-2 Stalks Green Onions - Finely chopped, optional
- 1 Tbl Parsley - Optional
- To Taste Onion Powder & Garlic Powder - either one or both to taste, optional
Instructions
- Boil Potatoes: Peel the Potatoes and weigh out 700g. Quarter the potatoes. If the Potatoes are large, slice the potatoes in half lengthwise and quarter each half into roughly equal size pieces. Place into a pot with Cold Water to rinse and then fill with water. Add Baking Soda, Garlic Cloves and diced Onions. Cover and set the timer for 20 minutes and check at 15 minutes. Continue to cook until the potatoes are softened. Once the pot is boiling, reduce the heat, so the pot does not overflow.
- Strain & Mash: Strain with a lid over the pot, reserving some of the cooking Water to make adjustments to the consistency later on. Add the Butter & Cream and mash. Add the remaining ingredients and mash again to mix everything through. Adjust the consistency with the reserved cooking water to get the consistency desired. If using a Ricer: Run the Potatoes through the Ricer, then add the Butter & Cream, along with the remaining ingredients to mix. Use the reserved cooking water to adjust the consistency.
- Serving: Serve right away, or keep warm in the oven until ready to serve. Optionally, place the mashed potatoes in an oven safe dish and cover to refrigerate and reheat in the oven at 350F while covered for about 20–30 minutes, when ready to serve.