Brown Butter Garlic Confit Mashed Potatoes
Garlic confit is the quiet upgrade that turns good mashed potatoes into the side people ask about. Instead of roasted cloves or a raw bite of minced garlic, you poach peeled cloves low and slow in olive oil until they go soft, sweet, and spreadable — the oil takes on the perfume too, and a spoonful of it folded in at the end is the difference between 'nice' and 'what did you do to these.' The potatoes stay disciplined on purpose: Yukon Golds riced while still steaming hot, then folded — never whipped — with warm cream and a full pan of browned butter that's been cooked just past golden until it smells like toasted hazelnuts. Fold, don't beat, and the mash stays silky instead of gluey. Like our Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, this one is built for the holiday — make it ahead, hold it warm in a slow cooker while the oven is occupied, and it only gets better as it sits. If you want the plain, no-fuss version, our Creamy Mashed Potatoes has you covered, and Classic Make-Ahead Herb Stuffing belongs on the same Thanksgiving plate.
Side · Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Make-Ahead, Thanksgiving • 1 hr 15 min
Nutrition (per serving)420Calories·32gFat·30gCarbs·4gProtein
Per serving. Values are approximate and calculated from USDA FoodData Central.
Ingredients
- For the garlic confit:
- 12 garlic cloves, peeled (from about 2 heads)
- ¾ cup olive oil (just enough to cover the cloves)
- 2 fresh thyme sprigs
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- For the potatoes:
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1½-inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, for the cooking water, plus more to taste
- 1 cup heavy cream, warmed
- For the brown butter:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 8 small fresh sage leaves (optional)
- For serving:
- 2 tablespoons reserved garlic-confit oil, for drizzling
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt, for finishing
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Steps
- Confit the garlic: Peel the garlic cloves and place them in a small saucepan. Add the olive oil (the cloves should be just barely covered), the thyme sprigs, and the salt. Set the pan over the lowest heat you can manage — you want a lazy, occasional bubble, never a real simmer — and cook until the cloves are pale golden and completely soft when pierced with the tip of a knife, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the garlic cool to room temperature in the oil.
- Cook the potatoes: While the garlic confits, place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by 2 inches. Stir in the 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well and let the potatoes sit in the colander for 2 minutes to steam off excess moisture.
- Brown the butter: Meanwhile, melt the butter in a light-colored skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan now and then, until the butter foams, then quiets, then turns deep golden with toasty brown specks and smells nutty, 5 to 7 minutes. If using the sage, drop the leaves into the hot butter during the last minute so they crisp. Immediately scrape the browned butter (and any sage) into a small bowl so it stops cooking.
- Rice the potatoes: Pass the hot potatoes through a ricer or food mill back into the still-warm pot. If you don't have one, mash by hand with a potato masher — but ricing gives the silkiest, fluffiest result.
- Mash and fold: Lift the cooled garlic cloves out of the confit oil with a fork and mash them into a smooth paste (reserve the oil). Add the garlic paste, warm cream, and browned butter to the potatoes. Fold everything together with a rubber spatula until smooth and glossy — fold, don't whip, or the potatoes will turn gluey. Season generously with black pepper and more salt to taste. If the mash feels thick, loosen it with a spoonful of the reserved confit oil or a splash more warm cream.
- Serve: Transfer to a warm serving bowl and swirl the top with the back of a spoon. Drizzle with a little of the reserved confit oil, scatter with the chives, and finish with flaky sea salt. Serve hot.
Tips & Variations
Make Ahead
This is built to be made ahead for the holiday. Make the mash up to 2 days ahead, then scrape it into a buttered 2-quart baking dish, cover, and refrigerate. To rewarm, cover with foil and heat in a 350°F oven for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring once halfway and loosening with a splash of warm cream or a spoonful of reserved confit oil if it looks dry. For the day-of shuffle, the mash holds beautifully in a slow cooker on the 'keep warm' setting for up to 3 hours — stir occasionally and add a little warm cream if the surface starts to dry. The garlic confit can be made up to 5 days ahead and stored in the fridge with the cloves submerged in their oil; bring it back to room temperature (or warm it gently) before folding in.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat with a splash of milk or cream, stirring often, until hot. Store any leftover garlic confit with the cloves fully submerged in its oil, refrigerated, for up to 5 days — garlic stored in oil is a low-acid food, so always keep it cold and use it within that window rather than leaving it out at room temperature. The mash itself freezes well: freeze in a sealed container for up to 2 months, thaw overnight in the fridge, and rewarm slowly, whisking in a little warm cream to bring back the silkiness.
Substitutions
Russets make a lighter, fluffier mash but drink up more cream and butter, so loosen generously as you fold. Short on time? Skip the confit and use our roasted-garlic shortcut instead — or simmer 6 peeled garlic cloves with the potatoes and mash them in for a sharper, less mellow note. Swap the cream for whole milk or half-and-half for a lighter mash, or use warm unsweetened oat milk and a good olive oil in place of the butter for a dairy-free version. Trade the thyme in the confit for a sprig of rosemary or a bay leaf, and finish with crispy fried sage instead of chives if you like. Fold in 1 tablespoon of minced fresh thyme or chives with the butter for an herb note.
Nutrition
Per serving: ⅛ of the recipe (about ¾ cup)
Reviews
Reviews coming soon! In the meantime, let us know what you think of this recipe.
