Rosemary Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Rosemary Garlic Mashed Potatoes are silky, aromatic, and absolutely irresistible! Made with infused cream, tender potatoes, and plenty of butter, this recipe turns a simple side dish into something extraordinary.

Love More Mashed Potatoes Recipes? Try My Chicken with Mashed Potatoes or this Hamburger Gravy Over Mashed Potatoes next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

These aren’t your average mashed potatoes! The secret is in the slow infusion—simmering cream with whole garlic cloves and fresh rosemary creates this incredible depth of flavor that gets whipped right into every fluffy spoonful. Plus, cooking the potatoes in chicken stock (instead of just water) adds another layer of savory goodness.

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Ingredient List

For the Infused Cream:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4-5 whole garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary

For the Mashed Potatoes:

• 3 lb potatoes (I use a mix of Russet + Yukon Gold, peeled)
• 4 cups chicken stock (or enough to cover potatoes)
• 10 tbsp salted butter, melted
• Salt & white (or black) pepper, to taste
• Fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

Substitution Notes:

• If you only have one type of potato just use that, I’ve done all Russets when my store was out of Yukons and they were still really good
• Chicken stock is in those boxes or you can use those bouillon cube things, whatever
• I always forget to buy unsalted butter so I just use salted and taste at the end to see if they need more salt
• White pepper is what my grandma swears by but I’ve literally never remembered to buy it so I just use the black pepper that lives on my counter

Why These Ingredients Work

Potato Mix (Russet + Yukon Gold): Okay so Russets are those big brown potatoes you use for baked potatoes. They’re super starchy which means they fall apart easy and get really airy and light when you mash them. Yukons are those smaller yellow ones and they’re waxier or something so they stay creamier plus they already taste kind of buttery on their own. My friend Rachel explained it to me like three times before I got it but basically—mix them and you get fluffy AND creamy at the same time and people think you’re magic.

Whole Garlic Cloves: Here’s what I learned the embarrassing way—don’t chop the garlic. Just throw whole cloves in that cream and let them bubble for forever. All that sharp garlic taste that makes your breath smell cooks out completely and what’s left is sweet and soft. My husband Steve hates garlic bread because of the aftertaste but he eats these potatoes like they’re going out of style. That’s how mellow the garlic gets.

Fresh Rosemary: This herb is NO JOKE strong. My first attempt at these I chopped up fresh rosemary and mixed it right into the finished potatoes because more herb = more flavor right? WRONG. They tasted like I’d stirred in Febreze or something. Everyone was too polite to say anything but I saw their faces. Simmering it in the cream is the only way—you get the piney aromatic thing without the medicine cabinet taste.

Chicken Stock: My mom cooked potatoes in plain water for 40 years and wondered why hers always tasted flat. The potatoes literally DRINK whatever liquid they’re sitting in while they cook. Water = bland potatoes. Stock = potatoes that taste good all the way to the middle. It’s the easiest upgrade in the world and makes such a massive difference.

Heavy Cream + Butter: Not gonna lie there’s a lot of dairy in here. These are not Weight Watchers potatoes. But you know what? You’re not eating them every Tuesday. You’re making them for holidays and special dinners and days when you need food to hug you from the inside. Use the good stuff and don’t feel guilty.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• Large pot for boiling potatoes
• Small saucepan for infusing cream
• Potato masher
• Hand mixer or stand mixer (I use my cheap hand mixer from Target, works perfect)
• Colander for draining
• Large bowl if you want to transfer them but I usually just keep them in the pot

How To Make Rosemary Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Step 1: Infuse Cream with Garlic & Rosemary

Throw your cream, whole garlic cloves (don’t peel them weird or anything just drop them in), and rosemary sprigs into a small pot. Turn the heat to medium until you see bubbles starting, then immediately turn it down to the lowest setting your stove has. Set a timer for one hour. I KNOW. An hour seems insane. But you’re literally doing nothing—I usually start this first then go do laundry or watch TV or meal prep other stuff.

Step 2: Cook the Potatoes

While that cream’s doing its magic, peel your potatoes. I hate peeling potatoes with a burning passion but it’s gotta be done. Cut them into chunks—I’m not measuring, just like… big enough that they’ll cook evenly but small enough that you’re not waiting forever. Maybe lemon-sized pieces? I don’t know, use your judgment. Toss them in your big pot.

Step 3: Drain & Mash

Dump the whole pot into a colander in your sink. Shake it around to get the water off. I usually scoop out like a cup of that cooking water first just in case but 9 times out of 10 I don’t use it. Put the drained potatoes back in the pot and stick it on low heat for maybe 30 seconds. This evaporates off any extra water clinging to them so they’re not all soggy.

Step 4: Finish with Mixer

THIS is where the magic happens and also where you can screw it up so pay attention. Get your hand mixer and turn it on medium. Start beating those potatoes. They’ll go from lumpy to smooth to actually FLUFFY and it’s so satisfying to watch. Here’s the thing though—you gotta STOP. I made them gluey exactly one time because I thought “oh more mixing must be better” and ended up with what looked like paste. Beat them for like a minute, maybe a tiny bit more until they look gorgeous and fluffy, then STOP RIGHT THERE.

Taste them now. Add salt. I add like way more than seems reasonable but potatoes need a lot of salt. Add pepper. Taste again. Keep going until they taste good. This is not the time to be scared of seasoning.

Step 5: Serve

Scoop them into whatever serving bowl you’re using. I like doing that thing where you make a well in the middle and drop a big pat of butter that melts down into it because it looks nice. Throw some chopped parsley on top if you remembered to buy parsley (I usually forget). Serve them right away while they’re hot because that’s when they’re best.

You Must Know

The Infusion is Non-Negotiable: I tried to skip the hour simmer once when I was running behind and just stirred regular cream in. They were FINE but they weren’t THESE. That long slow simmer is literally the whole point of this recipe. The garlic gets sweet. The rosemary flavors the cream without being overwhelming. It’s the secret. Do other stuff while it’s happening—fold laundry, answer emails, scroll Instagram, whatever. Just don’t skip it.

Don’t Overwork Your Potatoes: That one time I mixed them for too long still haunts me. They turned into this gummy sticky paste situation that was completely unfixable. Potatoes release starch when you work them and too much starch makes them gluey. Mix until fluffy and pretty then PUT THE MIXER DOWN. Maybe a minute total. That’s it.

Drain Them Well: Watery potatoes are sad and there’s no coming back from it. After you drain them shake that colander like you’re mad at it. Then put them back in the hot pot for a minute to steam off moisture. This step seems dumb but it matters.

Personal Secret: Before I dump in the cream I take my spoon and squish all those soft garlic cloves against the inside of the pot. Like really mash them up. This makes sure the garlic gets everywhere instead of some bites having garlic chunks and some having nothing. Rachel taught me this trick and it’s genius.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

• Everything needs to be hot when you mix it or the potatoes will seize up—hot potatoes, warm cream, melted butter, all of it
• If you have a potato ricer use it before the mixer step, my sister does this and hers are somehow even smoother than mine which makes me irrationally jealous
• Save a cup of that potato cooking liquid before you drain them because if your potatoes end up too thick you can thin them out with it
• DO NOT add extra rosemary when you’re done thinking you’re being helpful, I promise you’re not, the infusion gave you the right amount and more will taste like soap
• Make the cream mixture the day before and reheat it if you want to save time on the actual day you’re cooking

Flavor Variations / Suggestions

Truffle Mashed Potatoes: My sister Amanda drizzles truffle oil on top and grates parmesan over them and suddenly they’re $18 steakhouse side dish potatoes. Costs her maybe $3 extra and people lose their minds.

Loaded Mashed Potatoes: Crispy bacon, sharp cheddar, sour cream, chives—basically everything that goes on a loaded baked potato but in mash form. My teenagers request these for their birthdays instead of cake. Okay not really but they would if I let them.

Herb Garden Version: Toss thyme and sage in with the rosemary when you’re making the cream. Very fancy very Thanksgiving very “I know what I’m doing in the kitchen.”

Roasted Garlic Instead: Sometimes when I have time I’ll roast a whole head of garlic and squeeze out the cloves instead of simmering them. Takes longer but the flavor is even sweeter and more caramelized.

Make It Lighter: Cut the butter in half or do half cream half milk. They’re not as ridiculously rich but they’re still good if you’re trying to be somewhat reasonable.

Add Parmesan: Half cup of shredded parmesan stirred in at the end. So good. My dad who claims he doesn’t like mashed potatoes ate these three times.

Make-Ahead Options

Prep the Infused Cream: Make this whole cream situation up to two days early. Stick it in a container in the fridge. When you’re ready to use it just warm it up gently on the stove. Saves you an hour on the day you’re actually cooking and the flavors get even better sitting together.

Fully Made Ahead: I do the whole recipe the day before Thanksgiving sometimes because Thanksgiving is chaos. Make them completely, let them cool, put them in a container in the fridge. Next day reheat them in a pot on low with a splash of cream or milk. Stir constantly or they’ll stick and burn on the bottom (learned this the hard way, smelled burnt butter for two days).

Slow Cooker Reheating: Put the finished potatoes in your slow cooker on low and they’ll stay warm for hours. Check them every hour or so and stir in a little butter or cream if they’re looking dry.

Not Freezer-Friendly: Do not freeze these. I tried it once because I had a ton left over and when I thawed them they were grainy and separated and just sad. Not worth it. Just eat them within a few days or give leftovers to neighbors.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

• Russets are the big brown baking potatoes—tons of starch so they get light and airy. Yukons are those yellow ones with more moisture and less starch so they’re naturally creamy and buttery tasting. Together they’re better than either one alone.
• My aunt Diane uses white pepper because black specks offend her aesthetic sensibilities or whatever. I use black pepper because it’s what I have and it’s fine. Nobody’s ever complained.
• Watch your cream while it’s simmering—it should barely be bubbling. If it’s going crazy turn down the heat or you’ll have a boiled-over mess. Ask me how I know (I ruined a burner pan learning this).
• Leftover mashed potatoes turn into the BEST breakfast. Form them into patties, fry them in butter until they’re crispy on both sides. My kids call them potato cakes and demolish them.

Serving Suggestions

These go with literally everything. I’ve served them with turkey, ham, pot roast, pork chops, meatloaf, roast chicken, grilled chicken, rotisserie chicken from Costco, steak—you name it. I made them with salmon once and it was kind of weird but even that wasn’t terrible.

Garnish Ideas: More butter (obviously), parsley if you’re trying to look fancy, little rosemary sprigs for that restaurant vibe, fried shallots are amazing on top, or honestly just leave them naked they’re good enough without decoration.

Make It a Meal: Put a fried egg on top of leftovers with some crispy bacon and call it breakfast. Or lunch. Or dinner. Time is a construct.

Whatever gravy you’ve got, dump it on these. Turkey gravy, beef gravy, that packet stuff from the store, pan drippings from whatever you cooked—all of it works. I usually make gravy from whatever meat I’m serving and just pour it over.

How to Store Your Rosemary Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Refrigerator: Shove leftovers in any container that has a lid. They’ll keep maybe 4 days in the fridge.

Reheating: Microwave is fastest—30 seconds, stir, another 30 seconds, stir, keep doing that until they’re hot. Or put them in a pot on low heat and stir the whole time. Add a splash of milk or cream to loosen them back up because they get thicker in the fridge.

Freezer: Just don’t. I tried it and they came out grainy and weird and separated. Not worth the freezer space.

Keeping Warm: If you made them early and need to keep them hot, slow cooker on warm setting works great. Stir them every half hour and add butter if they’re drying out.

Allergy Information

Common Allergens:

• Tons of dairy (cream and butter everywhere)
• Garlic
• Check your chicken stock label because some brands have weird stuff in them

Substitutions:

• Dairy-Free: Use coconut cream or that cashew cream stuff instead of regular cream. Use vegan butter. Use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. I’ve done this for my friend with dairy issues and she said they were still really good.
• Garlic Allergy: Just do the rosemary infusion without the garlic, or throw in shallots instead for mild oniony flavor
• Gluten-Free: Already gluten-free unless your chicken stock has something weird, check the label
• Vegan: Do all the dairy-free swaps plus vegetable stock

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

My mashed potatoes turned out gluey. What happened?

You mixed them too much, that’s literally the only reason this happens. It happened to me my first try too so don’t feel bad. When you overmix potatoes they release a ton of starch and it makes them sticky and gummy like paste. Next time stop mixing the second they look fluffy. Like one minute with the mixer max. Less is more here.

Do I really need to simmer the cream for a full hour?

You could do less like 30 minutes if you’re really desperate but it won’t taste the same. That hour is the whole point—the garlic gets super sweet, the rosemary flavors everything perfectly, it all mellows out together. It’s passive time though, you’re not standing there stirring. Set a timer and go do literally anything else. Watch a show, do your nails, whatever.

Why do you cook the potatoes in chicken stock instead of water?

Because the potatoes absorb the liquid while they cook. They’re like sponges sitting there soaking stuff up. Water means they soak up nothing and taste bland. Stock means they soak up FLAVOR and taste good all the way through not just on the outside where you added butter. Try it once and you’ll get it. You’ll never use water again.

💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below! Tell me how they came out! Did something go wrong?