Elevate the humble potato with a big dose of mild garlicky flavor with this delicious and easy-to-prepare Garlic Confit Mashed Potatoes side dish. This recipe does take a little time to prepare because of the confit garlic, but trust me when I say, this will be your go-to mashed potato recipe for any special occasion or weekend meal.
You can, of course, confit the garlic in advance and make this recipe quickly on a weeknight too! Serve with Braised Chuck Roast, Beer-Braised Short Ribs, Braised Pomegranate Short Ribs, Pistachio-Crusted Rack of Lamb, Greek Lamb Chops, or Pulled Lamb.
Garlic Confit Mashed Potatoes: Recipe at a Glance
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
60 mins
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
Servings
6 People
Calories*
352 kcal
Difficulty
Easy
Main Ingredients
Garlic, olive oil, rosemary, potatoes, milk, and butter.
Technique
Cooking the garlic, boiling, seasoning and mashing potatoes.
*Calories are estimated
5-Star Reader Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“So tasty, the confit adds a nice sweetness along with the mellow garlicky flavor. Pretty easy recipe too.” – Brandy E.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this family favorite recipe!
- Easy to make. While the garlic cooks, you can peel the potatoes and get everything else ready.
- Made for cooler weather. These creamy mashed potatoes belong on fall and winter dinner tables, from Sunday roasts to holiday meals.
- Tested and reliable. Groceries are expensive! All my Side Dish Recipes are tested by me, my team or recipe testers before posting.
Ingredients
This recipe comes together with just a handful of ingredients. Here is what you will need:
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic for this recipe and peel each individual clove. You’ll get a better-tasting finished product. In a pinch, you can use the refrigerated peeled garlic, but I would not recommend it. For a garlicky roasted potato instead, try my Garlic Rosemary Roasted Potatoes.
- Oil: Use extra virgin olive oil. Yes, this recipe does use up a decent amount of olive oil but think of all the ways you can use this garlic-infused oil. Add it to salad dressings, cook with it, drizzle it on bruschetta like my Burrata Bruschetta.
- Herbs: I’m using a small sprig of rosemary for the garlic confit but feel free to use another woody herb like thyme, oregano, or sage. A sprinkling of freshly chopped chives gives the finished potatoes a nice mild oniony kick.
- Potatoes: I prefer to use a starchy potato when making mashed potatoes. Russet potatoes or baking potatoes work great. You can also use Yukon Gold potatoes. Try my roasted Spicy Lebanese Potatoes too!
- Dairy: I like using milk when making mashed potatoes. For a richer dish, you can use heavy cream.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make This Garlic Confit Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Step 1. Confit the Garlic. Preheat your oven to 300F/150C. To a small ramekin, add the peeled garlic cloves, olive oil, and rosemary sprig. Place the ramekin in an oven and slow roast for 45 minutes. The garlic confit is ready when the garlic cloves are golden brown and can be mashed with the back of a fork.
Step 2. Boil the Potatoes. To a large pot, add your cubed potatoes and cover with cold water. Add a big pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Boil until potatoes are fork-tender.
Step 3. Heat the Milk. Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan until the butter is melted and the mixture is warm. Do not boil.
Step 4. Drain. Drain the potatoes using a sieve and put them back into the pot. Add a few confit garlic cloves (as many as you like) to the boiled potatoes along with the milk and butter mixture. Reserve the garlic-scented oil for garnish and for other uses.
Step 5. Mash. Using a masher or the back of a fork, mash until you have a smooth consistency. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.
Step 6. Serve. Serve the potatoes garnished with fresh chives and drizzle over some of the garlic-infused olive oil.
Pairing and Menu Ideas
These potatoes are especially good with braised and roasted mains like my Braised Chuck Roast, Pulled Lamb (Middle Eastern Slow Cooked Lamb), Beer Braised Short Ribs, Harissa Honey Chicken Recipe, Za’atar Chicken Thighs, Baked Trout with Pomegranate Molasses Herb Sauce and Greek Salmon Recipe with Tomatoes, Olives and Lemon.
But you can also serve them with grilled meats like my Grilled Piri Piri Chicken Thighs, Grilled Chicken Margherita (Chicken Caprese), Marinated Greek Lamb Chops, Authentic Shish Tawook (Grilled Chicken Skewers) and Harissa Chicken Skewers (with Sides).
Expert Tips
- Make more garlic confit. Since you’re firing up the oven, you might as well make a bigger batch of garlic confit. Leftover or unused garlic confit will keep in the fridge in its oil for up to 4 days. Or you can freeze it in small batches or in an ice cube tray. I like to freeze garlic confit in small mason jars or in plastic salad dressing cups with a lid. Make sure to also try my Cherry Tomato Confit recipe.
- Keep the potato skin on for added fiber. Sometimes I want silky smooth mashed potatoes, and sometimes I don’t mind if they are a little rustic.
- Potatoes too dry? Different potatoes will have different moisture levels, so if you find that your finished mashed potato dish is a little hard and dry, add more milk, cream or melted butter to it.
- Garlic Confit uses: use the leftover garlic confit oil in marinades, salad dressings or use it in my Bread Dipping Oil recipe. It can also be used when making any of my focaccia recipes. Try it with my Olive Zaatar Focaccia or Tomato Focaccia recipes.
Garlic Confit Mashed Potatoes Recipe FAQs
I would recommend making the garlic confit up to 3 days in advance and storing it in the fridge until you need it. The mashed potatoes themselves are best made before you need to serve them.
Store leftovers in an airtight container (preferably glass) in the fridge. Use within 3 days. To reheat, add the leftover mashed potatoes to a pot with a splash of milk and gently warm them up.
Confit is a traditional culinary technique that involves slowly cooking food in fat at a very low temperature. The French term “confit” comes from the verb “confire,” which means “to preserve.” This method was originally used as a way to preserve meats before refrigeration was available.
The same technique can be adapted and applied to other ingredients like garlic or cherry tomatoes (for cherry tomato confit).
Other Side Dishes
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Sides
Sides
Snacks & Mezze
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Garlic Confit Mashed Potatoes
Equipment
- Small ramekin – Affiliate link
Ingredients
Garlic Confit
- 2 Garlic bulbs – Cloves separated and peeled
- ¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Small sprig of rosemary
Mashed Potatoes
- 3 lbs Russet potatoes – Peeled and cubed
- 1 cup Milk – Whole or 2%
- ¼ cup Butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chives for garnish
Instructions
- Confit the garlic. Preheat your oven to 300F/150C. To a small ramekin, add the peeled garlic cloves, olive oil, and rosemary sprig. Use a small, snug ramekin so the oil surrounds the cloves. Place the ramekin in an oven and slow roast for 45 minutes. The garlic confit is ready when the garlic cloves are golden brown and can be mashed with the back of a fork.
- Boil the potatoes. To a large pot, add your cubed potatoes and cover with cold water. Add a big pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Boil until potatoes are fork-tender.
- Heat the milk. Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan until the butter is melted and the mixture is warm. Do not boil.
- Drain. Drain the potatoes using a sieve and put them back into the pot. Add a few confit garlic cloves (as many as you like) to the boiled potatoes along with the milk and butter mixture. Reserve the garlic-scented oil for garnish and for other uses.
- Mash. Using a masher or the back of a fork, mash until you have a smooth consistency. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.
- Serve. Serve the potatoes garnished with fresh chives and drizzle over some of the garlic-infused olive oil.
Notes
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic for this recipe and peel each individual clove. You’ll get a better-tasting finished product. In a pinch, you can use the refrigerated peeled garlic, but I would not recommend it.
- Oil: Use extra virgin olive oil. Yes, this recipe does use up a decent amount of olive oil but think of all the ways you can use this garlic-infused oil.
- Herbs: I’m using a small sprig of rosemary for the garlic confit but feel free to use another woody herb like thyme, oregano, or sage. A sprinkling of freshly chopped chives gives the finished potatoes a nice mild oniony kick.
- Potatoes: I prefer to use a starchy potato when making mashed potatoes. Russet potatoes or baking potatoes work great. You can also use Yukon Gold potatoes.
- Dairy: I like using milk when making mashed potatoes. For a richer dish, you can use heavy cream.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Rich and delicious!
So tasty, the confit adds a nice sweetness along with the mellow garlicky flavor. Pretty easy recipe too
I made this to serve with the braised pomegranate short ribs. They complimented each other so well. I already had the garlic confit so it was easy to make.
Your recipes never fail, Luay!
Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Salwa!