Roasted garlic and smoked Gruyere mashed potatoes

Creamy mashed potatoes gets even better with smoky cheese and sweet garlic

Photo by Bordecia34 on Flickr.
Photo by Bordecia34 on Flickr.

Mmm... Mashed potatoes. Everyone says they make the best, with his/her own additions from peas to bacon. Here, garlic is roasted to soften the edges and the smoked gruyere is added to give the potatoes more depth.

1 bulb garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
2 lb russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup shredded smoked Gruyere cheese
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Slice off the very top of the garlic bulb, about 1/4" from the top to expose the cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap in foil. Place on a sheet tray and bake until tender, approximately 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Squeeze the bulb to remove individual cloves.

In a large pot over high heat, cover potatoes with cold water, add salt and bring to a boil. Cook until fork tender and drain, about 20 mins. Mash the potatoes until smooth. Add butter, cream and sour cream, and stir to combine. Add the roasted garlic and mash all together. Fold cheese into the potato mixture. Taste and season with salt and pepper.