Just before Thanksgiving in 2010, my husband told me that the reason he likes fancy restaurants is that they serve really good side dishes, like roasted garlic mashed potatoes. I realized then that I had never made him mashed potatoes. (We had been married less than six months.) So, although I didn’t plan on making mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving, I couldn’t turn down a challenge. I leave the skins on, as a quick survey showed that my guests were happy to eat them that way, but if you like a smoother texture, you can peel your potatoes first. The nutrition facts are for unpeeled potatoes.

Note that cooking whole garlic cloves in the manner called for in this recipe deactivates the enzyme, alliinase, which converts the thio-sulfinite antioxidant  phytochemicals, such as diallyl disulfide, diallyl trisulfide, allyl propyl disulfide, and alliin into allicin, a compound to which many of garlic’s health benefits are attributed. If you want to get all the health benefits of garlic, consider chopping or crushing just a few cloves of garlic, waiting 10 minutes, after chopping or crushing, and then adding it to the potatoes just before serving.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

1 head or 12-14 garlic cloves, unpeeled
4 pounds potatoes (preferably yukon golds), cut into cubes
2/3 cup soy milk
2 Tablespoons margarine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 Tablespoons snipped chives
1 Tablespoon paprika

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Wrap the entire head of garlic in aluminum foil.
3. Place the garlic in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the cloves are soft.
4. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
5. Meanwhile, in a large pot, place the cubed potatoes, cover them with water, and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes or until tender.
6. Drain the potatoes, saving the cooking liquid for use in the mashed potatoes. (The remaining cooking liquid can be used in soups or sauces.)
7. Transfer the drained potatoes to a mixing bowl (or return to the large pot if using a hand mixer or potato masher) and set aside for 5 minutes to dry.
8. Using your fingers, squeeze the cloves of garlic from their skins into the potatoes.
9. Add the soy milk, margarine, salt, and white pepper, and whip the potatoes until smooth.
10. Add a little of the reserved potato cooking liquid, if needed, to achieve a creamy consistency.
11. Taste and adjust seasonings, as needed.
12. Transfer the mashed potatoes to a large bowl, sprinkle with the snipped chives and a little paprika before serving.

Servings: 12

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/12 of a recipe (6 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.

Amount Per Serving