Adam's Famous Thanksgiving Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Originally published on November 25, 2010

I'm very excited to BBQ my turkey this Thanksgiving, but it seems my guests are even more excited for my roast garlic mashed potato recipe to come out of the closet. They are very good. And this holiday season, that recipe is my gift to you, dear reader.

"What place do mashed potatoes have on the blog of a company that is a hybrid between an advertising agency and an innovation consultancy?" you ask. Well it is innovation that makes these taters so good. Enjoy!

Step 1. Roast your garlic.

Do this ahead of time so you don't have to handle hot garlic later on. Peel most of the papery skin off of a whole head of garlic (just enough so it doesn't fall apart). Put it in a small baking dish with a bit of water. Brush it with olive oil and sprinkle it with salt. Roast it in an oven at 375 degrees for about an hour. Baste it half way through. Put that garlicky yumminess aside.

Step 2. Peel em and Boil em.

Nothing special here. Standard smashed potato stuff. Buy Idaho Russets, none of these fancy white ones or red ones. Lets say a dozen. Add some salt to the water. Boil for about 20-25 minutes.

Step 3. Smash.

After you've boiled your potatoes to a point where you can easily stick a fork in them, throw them back in the pot with a stick of butter, a liberal splash of half-and-half (if you want to get really sinful, you can use sour cream instead of half-and-half), and salt liberally. Squeeze all that creamy garlic right on in there. Smash it up with a smasher. Taste it. Add some more salt if you need it.

Step 4. Make your crust.

"Crust?" you ask. Oh yeah. This is where the innovation comes in. Put the potatoes in a baking dish and cover them with parmesan cheese. A bunch of it. Then stick the dish back in the oven while you carve your turkey. Twenty-five minutes should do it.

Follow this recipe and I guarantee you will knock some socks off of the pilgrims at your table.