Roasted Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes

I hope you all had a great Christmas. I had a houseful and I enjoyed every minute of it….preparing, eating, laughing and a bit of responsible debauchery too! Older daughter set a beautiful table with my newly acquired mismatched silver and equally mismatching goblets and chairs (which added an informal "chic" to our dinner) and a great centerpiece of winter greens I got at Home Depot two – yes two! – weeks ago for $9.99. I’ve had the polka dot runner for years, an acquisition from Pier 1, and the Spode knock-off plates are from Target. See, you don’t have to spend a fortune to look like you did!

As you’ve heard me say many times, there’s no such thing as too much garlic..for more than the flavor it adds to food. Garlic is rich in antioxidants and is known to prevent heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and boost the immune system. During WWII, soldiers were given garlic to help prevent gangrene. So you see, not only is this spicy little bulb good, it’s also good for you!

Garlic’s flavor mellows as it’s cooked and I decided to roast some and add a couple of tablespoons to our Christmas mashed potatoes. The original recipe the the mashed potatoes from allrecipes.com calls for boiling garlic cloves with the potatoes, but I thought that roasted garlic would add a more subtle flavor.

Preheat the oven to 400°.

Cut the tops off of a garlic bulb and brush with a bit of olive oil.

Place each garlic bulb in a cupcake tin and bake for 35 minutes.

When done, peel the skin from each clove, place in a small bowl and mash into a paste.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes
8 medium red potatoes, quartered with skins on
2 tablespoons of roasted garlic
½ stick of butter (I used a Kerrygold Herbed Butter)
½ cup to 1 cup of fat-free milk, warmed
Salt & Pepper to taste
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Place potatoes in a large pot; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until the potatoes are very tender. Drain well. Add the roasted garlic, butter, milk and salt and mash until potatoes are not whole; the mixture will be chunky this is not a smooth or creamy mashed potatoe! Stir in Parmesan cheese and serve.

These potatoes are so delicious. The herbed butter and the roasted garlic are just perfect together.

I am linking this post to Between Naps On The Porch Tablescape Thursday.