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These Red Skin Mashed Potatoes (with Roasted Garlic) are a classic holiday side dish and a staple for delicious family meals. These mashed potatoes are full of roasted garlic flavor with a great texture that is creamy and slightly chunky. You’ll love this easy mashed potato recipe!
These tasty mashed potatoes are the perfect side dish for a prime rib roast, green beans, and a beautiful citrus salad. Even this easy chocolate cake for dessert!
Red Skin Mashed Potatoes (with Roasted Garlic)
These steakhouse-style mashed potatoes are easy to make and result in the best mashed red potato recipe! The roasted garlic flavor is present but not overpowering, and the texture is just what you crave in the perfect mashed potato recipe.
The perfect addition to Christmas dinner or an elevated potato recipe for a weekday meal. Turn ordinary red potatoes into this delicious side dish in under 30 minutes!
Find more potato recipes here.
Table of Contents
- Red Skin Mashed Potatoes (with Roasted Garlic)
- Simple Ingredients
- How to Make Red Skin Mashed Potatoes (with Roasted Garlic)
- Can I use Baby Red Skin Potatoes?
- What to Look for When Buying Red Skin Potatoes
- Substitutions
- Variations
- What to Serve with Red Skin Mashed Potatoes
- Top tips
- FAQ
- Red Skin Mashed Potatoes (with Roasted Garlic) Recipe
Simple Ingredients
This mashed red potato recipe requires a few simple ingredients. The skins are left on the potatoes providing a pretty presentation.
- Red skin potatoes: I love using redskin potatoes in mashed potatoes. The skin is tender, and you can leave it on. Naturally, they are lower in starch compared to other potato varieties. They obtain a great smooth texture and are a little chunky simultaneously- perfect for mashed potatoes.
- Salted butter: I prefer to use salted Kerrygold butter and adjust the salt based on that. We love salt! If you need to watch your salt intake, use unsalted butter.
- Roasted Garlic: I love roasting garlic! It provides a mild and rich garlic flavor without the dreaded garlic aftertaste that lingers.
- Whole milk: You can also use heavy cream or buttermilk.
- Reserved Potatoe Water– The starchy water makes the potatoes extra creamy.
- Fresh Green Onions and Chives: We only use the green part of the green onion. This adds fresh flavor and garnishes the mashed potatoes.
- Salt & pepper: This gives the potatoes a bit of extra flavor.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Red Skin Mashed Potatoes (with Roasted Garlic)
A simple and delicious way to serve red potatoes. Once you try them this way, you will want to make them again and again!
Make the Roasted Garlic
I love roasting the garlic in olive oil to bring out the sweet and fragrant side of the garlic, if you add raw garlic, it is too strong and overpowering.
Cut the top off the garlic bulb, and place them in a baking dish or aluminum foil (with ends folded up to hold olive oil). Add olive oil (a generous amount of olive oil is good) and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees F) until the golden color starts showing.
Remove from oven and allow to cool. If using immediately, wait long enough to be able to handle the hot garlic clove contents. Then, squeeze the cut end and push the soft, roasted garlic out. Use about four cloves for this recipe. You can spread the rest on toast or save and add to a soup recipe!
Make the Red Skin Mashed Potatoes
Cut the potatoes into quarters and put them in a large pot. Fill the pot with water until the potatoes are fully submerged. Add a large pinch of salt and bring the water to a boil. Cook until fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes.
While the potatoes are cooking, in a small saucepan, heat the butter, whole milk, salt, and pepper on low heat until steamy and very fragrant, about 5 minutes. You want the milk to be hot.
Drain the potatoes and reserve 1/4 cup of the water.
Using a potato masher (or tool of choice), mash the potatoes until your desired consistency. I like the potatoes creamy with a few chunks. Then gently mix the roasted garlic and butter until thoroughly combined.
Transfer to a serving bowl and top with fresh chopped green onion. Add a pat of butter on the top, if desired.
Can I use Baby Red Skin Potatoes?
Yes, you can. However, the standard variety works best for these creamy garlic mashed red potatoes. The medium-sized red-skinned potatoes yield a nice creamy and hearty white mash with highlights of gorgeous red skins.
What to Look for When Buying Red Skin Potatoes
When shopping at your local grocery store for red skin potatoes, look for red potatoes that are unblemished, with no sprouts or cuts.
If stored in a cool, dark, dry place in an open paper bag, red-skinned potatoes will keep for about two weeks. Avoid storing potatoes in the fridge or plastic.
Substitutions
If you are dairy free, you can substitute-
- Olive oil or vegan butter for the butter.
- Dairy-free alternative or coconut milk for the milk, or even chicken broth (chicken stock) or vegetable broth. You can even use beef broth for an extra-rich flavor.
Try these dairy-free Italian mashed potatoes!
Other potato varieties–
- Use Yukon golds instead of redskin potatoes for another type of flavor and texture.
Variations
- Deluxe – add 1/4 cup of cream cheese, cheddar cheese, mascarpone cheese, or sour cream to make these mashed potatoes extra special.
- Boil Potatoes in broth – When the cut red potatoes are boiled in the stock, it enhances the flavor and adds that ‘steakhouse restaurant’ quality.
What to Serve with Red Skin Mashed Potatoes
This red potato recipe pairs well with Perfect Roast Chicken with Citrus and Fennel, Easy Small Roasted Prime Rib Recipe, Italian Braciole Recipe (Stuffed Beef with Sauce), T-Bone Steak, Baked Whole Chicken, Steak Marsala, Lamb Shoulder Chops, or Italian Fennel, Citrus, and Pomegranate Salad.
Enjoy with Best Crispy Brussels Sprouts Recipe or Roasted Green Beans Recipe with Garlic and Lemon.
Don’t forget dessert- Classic Italian Tiramisu Recipe (Authentic), or Italian Crumb Cake with Pistachio Cream (Sbriciolata).
Top tips
- Mash the red skin potatoes DO NOT whip them! Whipping your red potatoes can make them ‘gluey’ in texture since they have less starch than Russet potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes.
FAQ
To store mashed potatoes- let them cool completely, then store them in a freezer bag, freezer-safe storage container, or a tightly covered, freezer-safe casserole dish and place them in the fridge freezer. Store in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Yes! This is a great way to save time when entertaining. When you’re ready to reheat the mashed potatoes, put them into an oven-safe dish and add a few pats of butter on top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350℉ for about 20-30 minutes until warm. Gently stir before serving. You can also reheat in the microwave.
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Make sure to leave a ⭐️star rating on the recipe card and comment below if you make the recipe. I love to connect with you through my recipes.
I would love for you to tag me on Instagram @cucinabyelena so I can see your delicious Italian recipes. To get more ideas, follow me on Pinterest.
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Red Skin Mashed Potatoes (with Roasted Garlic)
These Red Skin Mashed Potatoes (with Roasted Garlic) are a classic holiday side dish and a staple for delicious family meals. These mashed potatoes are full of roasted garlic flavor with a great texture that is creamy and slightly chunky. You’ll love this easy mashed potato recipe!
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
Potatoes
- 2 1/2 – 3 lbs red skin potatoes
- 1/2 cup butter (salted or unsalted butter is fine, adjust salt as needed)
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup reserved
- 1 tablespoon fresh green onions (only the green part), chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
- 2 teaspoon salt, for salting water
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Roasted garlic
- 1 small garlic bulb
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
Make Roasted Garlic
- Cut the top off the garlic bulb, and place it in a baking dish or aluminum foil (with ends folded up to hold olive oil). Add olive oil (a generous amount of olive oil is good) and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees F) until the golden color starts showing.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool. If using immediately, wait long enough to be able to handle the hot garlic clove contents. Then, squeeze the cut end and push the soft, roasted garlic out. Use about 4 cloves for this recipe. You can spread the rest on toast or save and add to a soup recipe!
- While the garlic is roasting, make the mashed potatoes.
Red Skin Mashed Potatoes
- Cut the potatoes into quarters and put them in a large pot. Fill the pot with water until the potatoes are fully submerged. Add a large pinch of salt and bring the water to a boil. Cook until fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes.
- While the potatoes are cooking, in a small saucepan, heat the butter, whole milk, salt and pepper on low heat until steamy and very fragrant, about 5 minutes. You want the milk to be hot.
- Drain the potatoes and reserve 1/4 cup of the water.
- Using a potato masher (or tool of choice), mash the potatoes until your desired consistency. I like the potatoes creamy with a few chunks. Then gently mix the roasted garlic and butter until fully combined.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and top with fresh chopped green onions and fresh chives. Add a pat of butter on the top, if desired.
Notes
Top tips
- Mash the red skin potatoes DO NOT whip them! Whipping your red potatoes can make them ‘gluey’ in texture since they have less starch than Russet potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Category: Savory
- Method: Italian American
- Cuisine: Italian American
The perfect amount of roasted garlic. The garlic is sweet after roasting and adds a great flavor to the red potatoes!
easy and super delicious mashed potato recipe to make again and again.