Thanksgiving is rolling around and to be honest, I don’t have any major plans. Growing up, my Dominican family never celebrated Thanksgiving. I think my mom made a turkey once when I was a kid, as a way of fitting in with what everyone else seemed to be doing. For the most part, we ate rice and beans like any other day and enjoyed the day off from school. Most of my family lives in the Dominican Republic, and so on Thanksgiving, I usually sleep in, bum out, and eat whatever I prepped for the week. Sometimes I’ll spend the evening with friends who host family gatherings, which is really special too!
This year, I’m keeping it low key and plan on catching up on all my shows. I do plan on whipping up a few comforting dishes in the spirit of the holidays, but also because it’s cold af. I realized that there’s probably a few of you who also don’t do huge gatherings for the holidays, either because you don’t celebrate it, or because your family is far away, or maybe you are deciding to spend the day with yourself or one other person.
I’m dedicating this Creamy Roasted Garlic Mashed Potato recipe to you! It serves 2, and is incredibly delicious (havarti cheese is my secret weapon). For those of you who are thinking, damn that looks good, how can I make it for my big family gathering? I got you! It’s super easy to size up, and you can simply double or quadruple the ingredients.
Let’s get started! Chop the peeled potatoes into large chunks and boil in a small pot with salted water for 25 minutes, or until tender. While that’s happening, roast your garlic. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain out most of the water from the pot, leaving behind 2 tablespoons of the boiling water in the pot. Add the roasted garlic, cheese, milk, and salt. Mash together with a masher or pestle until smooth and creamy. Top with butter, fresh thyme, and black pepper. Enjoy as a side to your next meal!
- 2 large or 4 small Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
- 1/2 head roasted garlic
- 2 ounces havarti cheese
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Butter fresh thyme and black pepper, to taste
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Chop the potatoes into large chunks and boil in a small pot with salted water for 25 minutes, or until tender
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While that's happening, roast your garlic** see below
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Once the potatoes are cooked, drain out most of the water from the pot, leaving behind 2 tablespoons of the boiling water in the pot. Add the roasted garlic, cheese, milk, and salt. Mash together with a masher or pestle until smooth and creamy. Top with butter, fresh thyme, and black pepper. Enjoy as a side to your next meal!
To roast the garlic, preheat the oven to 400F. Chop about 1/4″ from the top of the garlic head, exposing the cloves. Add this to a sheet of aluminum paper and drizzle 1 teaspoon of olive oil over the exposed head. Cover with the aluminum and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the garlic is tender. Allow to cool, & remove the garlic cloves from their skins
