Today kicks off two weeks of non-stop brand new Thanksgiving recipes! I’m so excited to share all of these dishes with you. There are 10 new recipes, hosting ideas, turkey tips, and lots of tasty ideas coming out of the archives. I’m starting with what I think is the most important side dish of all: mashed potatoes. Forget the turkey, we’re all here for the buttery, creamy, fluffy potatoes. This version is an update on my classic mashed potato recipe, but made new with the flavorful addition of tons of soft cloves of roasted garlic and sweet caramelized shallots. Get the full recipe below. (And PS: If you’re looking for more Thanksgiving recipes, my cookbook New England Invite has a whole chapter dedicated to the holiday menu!)
- 2 Heads of Garlic
- Olive Oil
- 2 Pounds of Red Potatoes
- 5-6 Large Shallots, thinly sliced
- 11 Tablespoons of Butter, divided
- ⅓ Cup of Heavy Cream
- ¼ Cup of Sour Cream
- Salt and Pepper
- Prepare the roasted garlic. Pre-heat oven to 400°F. Using a sharp knife, slice about ¼” of the top of the garlic head off, and drizzle the exposed cloves with olive oil and sea salt. Repeat with the second head of garlic and plate on a large square of foil; fold the edges of the foil up around the garlic heads to create a sealed packet. Roast for 50-60 minutes, until the garlic cloves are softened and golden brown.
- Remove the foil from the garlic head and use a small fork to pull the softened cloves out their skin. Set them aside until ready to use (can be prepared the night before).
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop cleaned, skin-on potatoes into the boiling water. Cook the potatoes for about 20 minutes; remove a potato and test for doneness. A knife should glide easily through the potato when they’re cooked through. Large potatoes may need more time to cook, so test different sizes.
- While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the shallots. Add the thinly sliced shallots and 1 tbsp. of butter to a skillet; cook over medium-low heat until the shallots are softened and begin to caramelize to a golden brown tone. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Drain the cooked potatoes and transfer to a large bowl, add butter chopped into small cubes to the potatoes to melt while they’re still hot.
- Use a hand masher to begin to mash the potatoes and incorporate the melting butter. After butter is melted add in the heavy cream and sour cream.
- Mash until you reach your desired texture and then fold in the roasted garlic cloves and caramelized shallots, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with additional butter melted over the top.
Tip: Use either a potato ricer or a hand masher for the best potato texture — I prefer a few bites of non-mashed bits, so a hand masher has always been my preference. A potato ricer will give you a smoother textured mashed potato. Don’t use a blender or food processor; they’ll end up gluey!
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This is so so beautiful, I can’t get over it.
Can this be made the day before?
I wouldn’t make the potatoes the day before, but I do prep the shallots and the garlic the night before, so all that’s left to do is boil the potatoes and mash everything today!