Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

I have tasted garlic mashed potatoes at quite a few places and often they are just too garlicy. Many people may think differently, but I don't really like when my side dish completely over-powers everything else on my plate. So this is my roasted garlic mashed potato recipe. Its much more mild on the garlic flavor...don't get me wrong you can still taste it, its just nothing going to leave that after-taste in your mouth til next Tuesday.

• 2 1/2 lbs. russet potatoes


• 2 small bulbs or 1 large bulb of garlic


• 3/4 cup milk


• 1/4 cup butter


• 1/4 cup cream cheese


• salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 425F. Cut the top quarter of the garlic bulbs so that the top of each clove is showing. Place into aluminum foil and drizzle with a little olive oil. Close up foil into a little pouch and place on a cookie sheet for about 45 minutes. Carefully remove each clove from the bulb and place into a clean bowl. Using a fork, mash garlic into a paste. Set aside.

Peel potatoes and cut into cubes (they cook much quicker this way). Place them into boiling water and cook until they are fork-tender - somewhere between 10 to 15 minutes depending on heat, size of the cube, etc. Drain from water. Mash potatoes using a potato masher (a fork usually works just as well). Add in milk, butter, cream cheese, salt, and pepper. Blend well until all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. If slightly too thick for your taste, add a little more milk until potatoes are just like to want them. Stir in roasted garlic. Serve immediately.

Note: The best way to remove cloves from the bulb after roasting is to take an oven mitt and either wrap with saran wrap or a plastic bag and then hold bulb in gloved hand and using a fork in the other pull cloves out. This way your hand does not get burned and the oven mitt stays clean.