Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic
Buttery, creamy smashed potatoes infused with sweet roasted garlic, topped with crispy browned butter and sage for textural contrast. The potatoes are boiled until tender, then mashed with roasted garlic cloves, rich cream, and butter for a luxurious side dish that feels restaurant-quality yet simple to make at home.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Total
- 1 hr 5 min
- Makes
- 4 servings (about 1 cup each)
Steps
Before you start
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) for roasting garlic
- Cut potatoes into 2-inch (5 cm) chunks for even cooking
- Have butter and cream at cool room temperature, not cold
Roast the garlicOven 400°F / 205°C
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Slice off the top quarter of each garlic bulb to expose the cloves.
- Place cut-side up on a baking sheet, drizzle each bulb with 1 teaspoon olive oil, and wrap tightly with foil.
- Roast for 35–40 minutes until the cloves are very soft and golden, collapse slightly when pressed with a fork, and smell sweet and caramelized.
- The flesh should squeeze out of the skins easily.
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Ready when: Garlic cloves are very soft, golden, and collapse when pressed
Tip: Roast the garlic first so it finishes close to when the potatoes are ready.
Boil the potatoes
- While garlic roasts, place cut potato chunks in a large pot and cover with cold water by 2 inches (5 cm).
- Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium and simmer for 15–20 minutes until a fork easily pierces the largest chunk with no resistance.
- The potatoes should be fully tender but not falling apart.
- Drain in a colander and let steam dry for 1 minute.
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Ready when: A fork easily pierces the largest chunk with no resistance; potatoes are tender throughout
Tip: Don't skip draining and letting potatoes steam—this removes excess moisture for fluffier results.
Squeeze roasted garlic
- Once the roasted garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze each clove out of its skin into a small bowl.
- You should have roughly 20–24 cloves total.
- Discard the skins.
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Ready when: All cloves are squeezed from their skins into the bowl
Tip: If garlic is still hot, run the bulbs under cool water or let them rest a few minutes first.
Mash potatoes and garlic
- Transfer hot drained potatoes to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the squeezed roasted garlic cloves, 4 tablespoons (57 g) cold butter cut into cubes, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
- Using a potato ricer or masher, work until mostly smooth with minimal lumps.
- The mixture should be creamy but not overworked—stop once the texture is uniform.
- Add the cream and fold gently until combined.
- Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste.
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Ready when: Potatoes are smooth and creamy with the garlic evenly distributed; no large lumps remain
Tip: Resist over-mashing, which releases starches and makes potatoes gluey. A few small lumps are fine.
Brown the topping butter
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons (57 g) butter.
- Swirl the pan occasionally and watch for milk solids to brown at the bottom—this takes 5–7 minutes.
- You'll hear a gentle sizzle and notice a toasty aroma.
- Once the butter is golden brown with caramelized solids, remove from heat and let cool for 1 minute.
- If using fresh sage, add the leaves to the hot butter and let them crisp for 30 seconds.
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Ready when: Butter is golden brown with nutty aroma; milk solids are caramelized at the bottom; sage is crisp (if using)
Tip: Browned butter can quickly burn—watch carefully and pull from heat the moment it turns golden brown.
Serve with crispy topping
- Transfer mashed potatoes to a warm serving bowl or platter.
- Pour the browned butter (and sage if used) over the top, letting it pool slightly on the surface.
- The warm potatoes will soak up the savory, nutty butter.
- Serve immediately while the butter is still warm and the sage leaves are crisp.
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Ready when: Potatoes are plated and butter is drizzled generously on top
Tip: Serve right away so the browned butter stays warm and the sage leaves stay crisp.
Good to know
Tips
- Squeeze roasted garlic cloves from their skins while still slightly warm for easier removal and better texture.
- Use a potato ricer for the fluffiest results; it breaks potatoes into fine, even pieces without overworking them.
- Brown butter adds nuttiness and visual appeal—don't skip this step, even if serving plain mashed potatoes. It transforms the dish.
- Warm your serving bowl with hot water before transferring potatoes so they stay at peak temperature longer.
Make ahead
Potatoes can be boiled and drained up to 4 hours ahead and stored covered at room temperature. Reheat gently by returning to a pot with a splash of cream over low heat while stirring, then proceed with mashing. Garlic can be roasted up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated; squeeze out the cloves just before mashing.
Storage & reheating
Mashed potatoes keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a pot over medium-low heat with a splash of cream, stirring often, for 5–8 minutes until warmed through. Do not make browned butter ahead; prepare it fresh just before serving. Potatoes are not recommended for freezing due to their texture.
Substitutions
- heavy cream → whole milk or crème fraîche. Whole milk will yield slightly less creamy results; crème fraîche adds tang and richness. Use the same amount.
- fresh sage leaves → fresh thyme or crispy bacon bits. Thyme offers earthiness; bacon bits add smokiness and crunch. Use about 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 2 tablespoons crumbled bacon.
- russet potatoes → Yukon Gold potatoes. Yukon Gold are naturally buttery and waxy, requiring less added butter. Use the same weight; they cook 2–3 minutes faster.
- unsalted butter, divided → European butter (higher fat content). European butter has 86% fat versus standard 80%, yielding richer flavor. Use 5% less weight (7.5 tablespoons / 106 g total).
