• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
A Grateful Meal
  • About
    • Press
    • Contact Me
  • Nutrition Coaching
  • Blog
  • Resources
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Valentine’s Day Recipes
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Shop
  • Contact Me
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Valentine’s Day Recipes
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Shop
    • Contact Me
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Thanksgiving

    Red Skin Mashed Potatoes

    Published: Nov 15, 2020 · Modified: Dec 7, 2021 by Melissa · This post contains links that pay me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Mashed potatoes with butter and the words "garlic mashed potatoes" in red and white.

    These red skin mashed potatoes are exactly what you want – creamy, but just the right amount of texture and flavor from the skins. They are a great option for any night of the week or your holiday meals at Thanksgiving or Christmas.

    Where I grew up, it was a “meat and potatoes” kind of place. Potatoes were usually in the form of mashed potatoes, so mashed potatoes are definitely a nostalgic comfort food for me. I typically like them silky smooth, but I like keeping the skins on when I use red skin potatoes. It gives a little extra texture and flavor to the potatoes.

    Over the years, I’ve tried to flavor my mashed potatoes with lots of different things, herbs, garlic, cheese, sour cream, you name it. Adding all of those things are great, but sometimes they can be a little too much. Don’t get me wrong, I love garlic-y mashed potatoes, but have you ever had mashed potatoes where they went a little overboard? Not pleasant. Instead, I like to infuse my mashed potatoes with herbs and garlic. Sounds fancy, but it’s so easy and doesn’t take up any additional time because the infusion happens while the potatoes are boiled. Read on for more and how to make these infused mashed potatoes.

    Whole red skin potatoes ready to be made into red skin mashed potatoes on a white surface with a blue and white tea towel

    How to Make Red Skin Mashed Potatoes (with Infused Herbs and Garlic)

    I’m not particularly eager to fuss with chopping up the potatoes before boiling, so I put in the potatoes in the water whole. Chopping them will cut down on boiling time, but you’re also spending more time chopping potatoes – so I’m not sure which is really faster. Anyway, while your potatoes are boiling, you’ll melt butter and milk on low heat and add a couple of smashed garlic cloves and herbs to the pot. You’ll let that mixture heat on low while the potatoes cook. When your potatoes are drained and ready to mash, you’ll simply strain the milk and butter mixture from the garlic and herbs. All the flavor is locked into milk and butter without being too overpowering. You’ll add some salt and pepper and then mash those potatoes!

    Close up of red skin mashed potatoes with a pat of melting butter and sprig of rosemary on top.

    Ingredients

    Red skin potatoes: You can use other types of potatoes, but if you’re not going to peel them, I would only recommend potatoes with thin skins like red skin potatoes.

    Butter: Butter is always best with mashed potatoes. If you’re vegan or plant-based, you could use a vegan butter spread instead.  

    Milk: Use whole or 2% for the best flavor. If you want to use plant-based milk, I would use one with a little bit of fat like coconut but make sure it’s plain or unflavored and not vanilla. I’m sure vanilla flavored mashed potatoes wouldn’t taste great.

    Garlic: You will be straining the garlic out, so just smash a couple of cloves, so they’re broken up a bit and throw them in large pieces or chunks, so they strain easily (plus that’s less chopping!)

    Herbs: My go-to herbs are fresh rosemary and sage. Don’t bother mincing them. I wouldn’t recommend dried herbs, but you could use fresh thyme as well.  

    Salt and pepper: I usually salt the water that the potatoes boil in, and then I season with salt and pepper when I go to mash the potatoes.  

    Overview of red skin mashed potatoes with a pat of melting butter, sprig of rosemary, and a serving spoon on top on a white surface with a gray towel.

    Make-Ahead Tips for Mashed Potatoes

    If you want to make these mashed potatoes in advance of a big dinner or holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas, you can make this recipe a day or two ahead, refrigerate, and reheat just before serving. To ensure that you don’t dry them out, you’ll put a non-plastic bowl (I use a stainless steel bowl) of the potatoes over a pot of simmering water (double boiler style) and stir them occasionally until they’re reheated. If they begin to look a little dry, add in more milk as needed until they’re silky smooth again.

    Overview of red skin mashed potatoes with a pat of melting butter and sprig of rosemary on top on a white surface.

    Red Skin Mashed Potatoes

    Melissa
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 35 mins
    Course Side Dish, vegetable
    Servings 6 -8 servings

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 ½ lbs. red skin potatoes washed and scrubbed
    • ½ stick butter (4 tbsp.)
    • ½ cup milk ideally whole milk
    • 2 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
    • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
    • 5-10 leaves fresh sage
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • Additional butter and herbs for garnish and topping optional

    Instructions
     

    • Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by at least 1″. Add salt to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender about 25-30 minutes.
    • Meanwhile, heat butter, milk, garlic, and herbs in a small pot over low-medium heat. Once butter melted, turn the heat down to the lowest setting, and allow the mixture to sit while potatoes cook.
    • Drain and mash potatoes while still hot. Strain the garlic and herbs out of the hot milk mixture. Add mixture to the potatoes, whipping with an electric mixer, or using hand masher until potatoes smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
    • Serve immediately, or make ahead (see notes)

    Notes

    Reheating instructions:
    To make ahead, then reheat, place potatoes in a heat-proof bowl and refrigerate for up to 3 days. When ready to reheat, place the bowl over a pot of simmering water on the stovetop, stirring occasionally. If potatoes look dry, add more milk (about ½ cup or more) as needed until silky and warm.
    CLICK TO DISPLAY NUTRITION INFO

    Nutrition

    Calories: 251kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 5gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 330mgPotassium: 935mgFiber: 6gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 36588IUVitamin C: 37mgCalcium: 101mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Thanksgiving Recipes

    • Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board (Easy Guide)
    • Baked Brie with Fig Jam and Honey
    • Negroni Sbagliato (with Prosecco – Negroni Spritz)
    • Sparkling Pear Vodka Cocktail with Prosecco

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Photo of Melissa sitting on porch with coffee cup leaning forward with pumpkins and plants on the porch.

    Hi, and welcome! 👋🏻 I’m Melissa, a RD with a Food Science degree living in Charleston, SC. I love sharing all my favorite food and cocktail recipes right here.

    More about me →

    Valentine's Day Favorites

    • Chambord Sour Cocktail
    • Cherry Whiskey Sour (with Bourbon and Amaretto)
    • Empress Gin Martini Cocktail Recipe
    • Wild Berry Chambord Spritz Cocktail
    • Empress Gin French 75
    • Shimmering Cotton Candy Spritz Cocktail with Prosecco

    Popular Recipes

    • Hibachi Shrimp Rice Bowls
    • French 95 (French 75 with Bourbon)
    • Hazelnut Frangelico Sour Cocktail Recipe
    • Turkey Taco Bowl

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About + Policies

    • Privacy Policy
    • HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices
    • Content and Recipe Sharing Policy

    About + Contact

    • About
    • Contact

    We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

    Disclaimer: Information on this website is meant for general use only and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent any disease or condition. Readers should consult their healthcare providers prior to making any changes to their lifestyle. The information contained in this site is intended to serve as general information and should be used in conjunction with advice from your healthcare team. It is not a substitute for medical treatment or therapy of any kind. All information contained in this site is subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without permission from the site owner.

    Copyright © 2023 Grateful Meal Nutrition

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT