November is my favorite month of the year! Not only is it my birthday month (my kids and husband always point out that my birthday celebration lasts the entire month!) but it is also my favorite holiday month. In our family, Thanksgiving is all about family, being grateful for what we have, and glorious food! Since November is dominated by this food holiday, most of my posts for the month will be dishes suitable for the upcoming feast.
Side dishes are my favorite food parts of the Thanksgiving meal. It’s a toss-up as to whether the stuffing or the mashed potatoes get the number one place from me. It’s so hard to choose between them but to start off this year’s month of Thanksgiving dishes, I’m going with the mashed potatoes. I’ve done fancy (Spanakopita Mashed Potatoes) versions in the past, but this one is more of a basic mashed potato. The secret ingredient to these fluffy & flavorful potatoes is the olive oil which gives them a smooth creaminess without all the fat that adding cream to the mashed potatoes would. The roasted garlic adds depth to the dish. The only down side is that when the potatoes taste this good, I have to share them!
Olive Oil & Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Olive Oil & Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes (adapted from betterrecipes.com) 
Serves 6 – 8, Prep Time: 15 minutes, Cook Time: 35 minutes, Total Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 full head of garlic
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 pounds potatoes, peeled & diced
- 1 cup leftover potato water
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400º F and cut the top of the head of garlic. Drizzle a teaspoon or two of olive oil over the exposed garlic cloves and wrap it tightly in aluminum foil. Bake the garlic head for 35 minutes and then let it cool. When the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the garlic out and mash the softened cloves with a fork in a bowl.
Mash the roasted garlic.
While the garlic cooks, boil the potatoes in a large pot of water with 2 teaspoons of salt for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
Boil the potatoes.
Save 1 cup of the cooking water and then drain the rest of the potatoes. Put the potatoes back in the pot on medium heat and cook them until they are dry.
Allow the potatoes to dry.
Take the potatoes off the heat and add the mashed garlic to the potatoes and mix and mash them together.
Add the garlic & oil to the potatoes.
Add the remaining olive oil to the mash in increments, mixing it all together well after each addition.
Add the olive oil to the mash in increments.
Pour in as much of the extra potato water as needed to get to the right consistency. Serve immediately.
Add some of the potato water to the mixture to reach the desired consistency.
Our Thanksgiving preparations have begun! ~Linda
Olive Oil & Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes (adapted from betterrecipes.com) Serves 6 – 8, Prep Time: 15 minutes, Cook Time: 35 minutes, Total Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 full head of garlic
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 pounds potatoes, peeled & diced
- 1 cup leftover potato water
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400º F and cut the top of the head of garlic. Drizzle a teaspoon or two of olive oil over the exposed garlic cloves and wrap it tightly in aluminum foil. Bake the garlic head for 35 minutes and then let it cool. When the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the garlic out and mash the softened cloves with a fork in a bowl.
While the garlic cooks, boil the potatoes in a large pot of water with 2 teaspoons of salt for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Save 1 cup of the cooking water and then drain the rest of the potatoes. Put the potatoes back in the pot on medium heat and cook them until they are dry. Take the potatoes off the hear and add the mashed garlic to the potatoes and mix and mash them together. Add the remaining olive oil to the mash in increments, mixing it all together well after each addition. Pour in as much of the extra potato water as needed to get to the right consistency. Serve immediately.