Simple Garlic Mashed Potatoes Are The Perfect Fall Comfort Meal

As soon as the weather starts to change, with temperatures falling and leaves cascading down from the trees, there's nothing better than curling up inside with a cozy blanket and a comforting, hot meal. And what's more comforting than a bowl of mashed potatoes?

Thanks to Mashed recipe developer Catherine Brookes, we have an excellent garlic mashed potatoes recipe guaranteed to get you feeling all warm inside. In contrast to regular mashed potatoes that are packed with starchy goodness, this recipe balances the potatoes' starchiness with a generous helping of minced garlic. We're not saying that regular mashed potatoes can get a little boring, but, well, they're a simple, straightforward dish, and garlic adds a bit of pizzazz.

To be clear, a great dish doesn't have to be complex, but if you choose the right ingredients and treat them well, you can make something amazing. For instance, Brookes recommends using whole milk instead of low-fat milk, as it adds an extra richness to the mashed potatoes. She points out that, while a regular potato masher works just fine, "you can also use a potato ricer for a perfectly smooth potato."

While there's no single right way to make mashed potatoes, there are many ways to get your mashed potatoes near perfect. To address the garlic right off the bat, you'll want to mince it to extract the most flavor — make sure to mince it yourself rather than using pre-minced garlic from a jar.

Just as you would with any other mashed potato recipe, add your minced garlic and wet ingredients to your mashed potatoes after an initial round of mashing. Take care not to overwork your potatoes, however, as recipe developer Catherine Brookes warns that this can lead to sticky potatoes. Therefore, a potato ricer is always a good way to avoid gluey mashed potatoes because it's much gentler on the starchy vegetable than a standard masher.

Most importantly, don't forget to season your mashed potatoes with salt. Ideally, you should add salt to your potatoes as they boil so the salt has a chance to really soak in. That being said, you can still salt mashed potatoes after the fact, allowing the salt and garlic flavors to enhance one another.