These quick cheesy garlic mashed potatoes are better than your typical mashed potatoes because of the stove top roasted garlic and added dollop of Greek yogurt. They're a great side dish for Thanksgiving, Easter, or any other night.
[This recipe was originally posted in January 2018. It has been updated with new photos, cooking instructions, expert tips, FAQ, related recipes, video and ways to repurpose/use up ingredients]
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How will these cheesy mashed potatoes make your life easier?
Have you been asked to bring a side dish to your holiday dinner? These cheesy garlic mashed potatoes are the perfect dish to impress everyone.
OR whip them up any day for a comforting side dish with a Sauteed Pork Chop with Apples, Grilled Lamb Steak, Pulled Pork, Sheet Pan Shrimp & Veggies, Sheet Pan Maple Mustard Salmon, or this parchment salmon.
OR swap the potatoes in these recipes: Pan Seared Breaded Pork Chop, or Cajun Tin Foil Shrimp.
What makes this mashed potatoes recipe so good?
- Russet potatoes
- Garlic
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Milk
- Cheddar cheese
- Chives
How to make garlic mashed potatoes?
Start making your cheesy garlic mashed potatoes by adding your potato and salt to a medium stock pot, cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are soft, about 15-20 minutes.
Remove water by pouring it out into a strainer. Return potatoes to stock pot.
Prepare garlic by removing garlic cloves from outer paper layers, cut ends off each clove, smash clove with the side of a large knife. This will separate the outer paper layers from the garlic.
Pour olive oil into a warm saucepan, then add garlic cloves. Cook over med-low heat, covered for 10-15 minutes.
Remove water by pouring it out into a strainer. Return potatoes to stock pot.
Add Greek yogurt, milk, cheddar cheese, garlic, and salt & pepper to potatoes. Mash with a fork or potato masher. Top your cheesy garlic mashed potatoes with fresh or dried chives. Serve immediately.
Expert Tips
- Cook potatoes in an Instant pot, but like all Instant Pot recipes, the pressure cooking time may be short, but it takes time to get up to pressure and to release the pressure. Plan on at least 30 minutes to cook these potatoes.
- Check doneness of potatoes by piercing one with a fork. If it slides in and out easily, your potatoes are done. If potatoes are not done, set timer to another 5 or so minutes, and continue until potatoes are soft.
- Use a fork or potato masher to mash the potatoes directly in the Instant Pot for your cheesy garlic mashed potatoes.
- I kept the skins on for extra texture, ease, and nutrients. You can peel them or leave them on, either way.
FAQ
Higher starch potatoes like russet or yukon gold potatoes are best, they make the creamy and fluffy cheesy garlic mashed potatoes and other mashed potato recipes.
Either you used potatoes that aren't as high in starch as russet or yukon gold (they require more mashing, which can make them gluey), or they got overcooked and lost some of that starch in the cooking water.
If your cheesy garlic mashed potatoes got too thinned out, you could add a little more Greek yogurt, or slowly add a bit of flour or cornstarch (remove some of the liquid to add the thickener to, and add it back in to the potatoes) to your potatoes.
How can I repurpose the best garlic cheesy mashed potatoes?
- Make Gnocchi with leftover cheesy garlic mashed potatoes. Gnocchi does take time, but it's super easy & fun to make.
- Top stewed vegetables to make a shepherds pie.
- Add leftover cheesy garlic mashed potatoes to a soup to make it even creamier.
What can I make with the leftover ingredients?
- Potatoes: rustic potato & brussels sprouts au gratin, no-mayo potato salad
- Cheese: veggie quesadilla, chicken burger, breakfast tacos, egg roll-up
- Greek yogurt: yogurt bowl, overnight oats, lentil stroganoff, pumpkin cake, broccoli salad with grapes
Did you make these cheesy garlic mashed potatoes? Leave me a comment & rating to share how they turned out!
Cheesy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Equipment
- Large stock pot (or Instant Pot
- cutting board
- knife
- Measuring Spoons
- Measuring Cups
- Hand mixer or fork
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 large Russet potato about 1 cups, cubed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon roasted garlic about 3 cloves
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ cup medium cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 tablespoon chives chopped
Instructions
- Add 1 cubed potato and ½ teaspoon salt to a medium stock pot, cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are soft, about 15-20 minutes.
- Remove water by pouring it out into a strainer. Return potatoes to stock pot.
- Prepare garlic by removing 3 garlic cloves from outer paper layers. Next cut ends off each clove, and smash clove with the side of a large knife. This will separate the outer paper layers from the garlic. Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil into a warm saucepan, then add garlic cloves. Cook over med-low heat, covered for 10-15 minutes.
- Add ½ c Greek yogurt, ½ c milk, 1 c cheddar cheese, cooked garlic cloves, and salt & pepper to potatoes. Mash with a fork or potato masher. Top with fresh or dried chives. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Cook potatoes in an Instant pot, but like all Instant Pot recipes, the pressure cooking time may be short, but it takes time to get up to pressure and to release the pressure. Plan on at least 30 minutes to cook these potatoes.
- Check doneness of potatoes by piercing one with a fork. If it slides in and out easily, your potatoes are done. If potatoes are not done, set timer to another 5 or so minutes, and continue until potatoes are soft.
- Use a fork or potato masher to mash the potatoes directly in the Instant Pot.
- I kept the skins on for extra texture, ease, and nutrients. You can peel them or leave them on, either way.
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Linda says
Loved these - a new dish for anew kind of thanksgiving. Thanks for helping to make our meal special.
Rebecca says
yay! this is one of my favorites!
Justine Howell says
Great way to jazz up the old traditional dish, kids loved it.
Rebecca says
totally! thanks
Whitney says
Mashed potatoes are my fave and I only eat them from scratch but it's time consuming, I will have to try this out in my instant pot!
Rebecca says
exactly! thanks
michele h peterson says
Thanks for the tips on how to avoid gooey potatoes. I've never been able to figure out why they are sometimes sticky and other times not. The Greek yogurt is a brilliant addition too!
Rebecca says
ahh, right?! it's so frustrating. thanks