Here’s a must-have recipe for mashed potatoes, classic but elevated enough to give them a fancy “wow” factor thanks to steeping the milk with onion, garlic, and herbs. These fancy mashed potatoes are a “mashup” of perfect flavors, but very simple to make.
Meet This Slightly Fancy Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Mashed potatoes, while beloved, can be a little one note. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially if the mashed potatoes serve as a blank canvas for rich Thanksgiving turkey gravy or braised beef short ribs. But what if you want something a little more special? This recipe for mashed potatoes infused with onion, garlic, and herbs elevates classic mashed potatoes in a subtle, but eminently delicious, way. And best of all, it’s is still easy to make. Just boil potatoes, steep the milk, add salt, mash, and serve.
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(Mashed potatoes go great with Herb-Roasted Roast Pork Tenderloin and Herby Roast Chicken. Want another great potato recipe? Try these Warm Dilly Scallion Potatoes. And this Radicchio Salad recipe offers a crisp, bright, and seasonal contrast to rich dishes like these mashed potatoes.)
How to Make These Mashed Potatoes
This is a classic mashed potato recipe, with the (brief) added step of steeping the milk in aromatics to add flavor. This can be done while the potatoes are boiling. Here’s the general rundown of how to make your slightly-fancier mashed potatoes:
- Step 1: Peel and boil the potatoes. Note: I recommend Russets or Yukon Gold potatoes. If you use Yukon Golds, you do not have to peel the potatoes unless you want to. The skin is thin and edible.
- Step 2: Steep the milk or half-and-half with the aromatics and butter. Do this while the potatoes boil. Then strain the liquid into the potatoes. Note: Milk will bubble over when boiled, so make sure to keep an eye on your liquid. Bring it just to the barest boil, then turn off the burner and let it sit.
- Step 3: Mash and stir. Taste for seasoning, and serve.
Be sure to check out this roundup of 18 Best Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes, and Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes for an equally tasty mash. For a fantastic, easy-to-prepare holiday side dish, make Crispy Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Maple Syrup Vinaigrette.
Why You Should Steep the Milk for Mashed Potatoes
This mashed potatoes recipe steeps the butter and milk with aromatics like onion, garlic, bay, thyme, nutmeg, and rosemary. The philosophy here is “basic is better,” while also adding something special — a subtle, sophisticated touch. Adding savory flavor and aroma to the milk gives the mashed potatoes a subtle flavor boost, just noticeable enough for people to wonder why they taste and smell so good.
The inspiration for this recipe is a classic béchamel. Béchamel is one of the classic French “mother sauces,” a simple white sauce consisting of a roux (butter and flour) and milk, often with a hint of nutmeg. But more advanced béchamel sauces infuse their liquid with aromatics. This recipe skips the flour, but uses the same idea to create a mashed potato recipe that is still 100% classic, but a little more elevated in flavor.
For another classic French recipe, check out these Three Classic Baguette Sandwiches and French Potato Salad With Fresh Herbs.
F.A.Q.s and Mashed Potato Recipe Notes
It depends on which type of potato you use. Russet potatoes have a thick skin, and must be peeled. You can, but do not have to, peel gold potatoes. Unlike their thick-skinned russet cousins, Yukon gold potatoes have soft skins that are easily eaten. Gold potatoes also have a creamy, less-starchy texture, but can be less fluffy than russets.
Why choose? My preferred liquid is half-and-half. This gives you the creamy richness of cream, but the necessary addition of liquid from milk. If you have to choose one, use whole milk (never skim or low-fat milk). The butter will still add the richness mashed potatoes need.
Never, but never, put your mashed potatoes in a food processor to mash them. It releases too much starch and will become a gross, elastic, gummy glue. Hand mashing or milling is the way to go here.
Did you make Mashed Potatoes Steeped With Garlic, Onion and Herbs? How were they? Share in the comments.
Slightly-Fancy Mashed Potatoes (Steeped with Garlic, Onion, and Herbs)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds Russet or Yukon gold potatoes, cleaned
- 1/2 cup half-and-half or whole milk
- 6 tablespoons butter, plus more to serve
- 1/4 yellow onion, peeled
- 1 generous sprig fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 generous sprig fresh rosemary
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
- pinch grated nutmeg
- Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal preferred)
- 12 turns fresh-ground black pepper
Instructions
- Clean the potatoes. Trim off any blemishes or eyes, and peel if desired. If using russets, cut the potatoes into thirds or quarters to speed boiling time. Note: You DO have to peel russet potatoes. Gold potatoes can be eaten peeled or with the skins.
- Boil the potatoes in a pot of well-salted water until fork tender. Drain the potatoes and return to the pot, letting the residual heat evaporate excess moisture.
- While the potatoes boil, bring the half-and-half or milk just to a boil in a small sauce pot with the butter, onion, thyme, bay leaf, rosemary, garlic, nutmeg, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt, stirring occasionally. (I use Diamond Crystal salt; use less if using Morton's or table salt.)As soon as the liquid begins to boil, immediately remove the pot from the heat and let the liquid steep. Make sure not to let the mixture boil over.
- Strain most of the butter and milk through a sieve into the potatoes, discarding the onion, garlic, and herbs. Add some fresh black pepper. Mash and stir until fluffy and well mixed. Add the rest of the butter and milk as necessary.PRO TIP: I like to mash that potatoes in the pot over low heat, to keep them hot.
- Taste for seasoning, adding more salt or another splash of milk if necessary. Serve hot, with a pat of butter on top, and maybe a sprig of thyme and a few twists of black pepper.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is provided for courtesy purposes only, and is an estimate not verified by medical or nutrition experts. Read the full nutrition disclaimer.
This was originally published in November 2021, and updated in November 2025 with new photos, details, and helpful F.A.Q.s
5 comments
Matty
Wow, what a difference. It’s subtle, but the added aroma is definitely THERE. Two people asked “what is in these?” Great chef trick.
Joy F.
These tasted very good, but I think the aromatics seemed subtle. The potatoes did taste great, though! I definitely got the garlic and rosemary.
TK76
great recipe.
Victoria
Delicious. Still tasted like classic mashed potatoes, but with a little more style and substance. Would. buttermilk work instead of cream?
Unpeeled
Hi! That’s a great question because I love buttermilk mashed potatoes, too. So the short answer? No. When heated, the acid in the buttermilk causes it to separate and curdle, so you can’t get the good steep of the aromatics. Maybe try steeping the cream, then adding a splash of buttermilk directly into the potatoes.