Rosemary Mashed Potatoes

These buttery rosemary mashed potatoes are creamy, light, and subtlety infused with rosemary, garlic, and thyme.

Inspired by Tina’s mashed potatoes from The Bear, this version has quickly become one of my favorite sides to make. The potatoes turn out super creamy, the rosemary adds just the right herby flavor, and it all comes together in a way that feels simple but special. It’s the kind of dish that fits perfectly on a Thanksgiving table, but honestly, I make it anytime I want something comforting that doesn’t require much fuss.

Need other Thanksgiving ideas? I’ve got you covered:

• Baked Mac & Cheese
• Cranberry & Prosciutto Whipped Ricotta Crostini
• Apple Butter Coffee Cake
• Soft Dinner Rolls
• Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates
• Cranberry Sauce with Pineapple

Rosemary Mashed Potato Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need for this perfect mashed potatoes:

Russet potatoes: Cleaned, peeled, and cut into chunks

Milk: To make this ultra-creamy

Garlic cloves: Lightly crushed

Herbs: Rosemary and thyme

Salted butter: TWO sticks

Cream cheese: Softened

Salt & pepper: For seasoning

How to Make Rosemary Mashed Potatoes

Here’s how to make this dish.

Step 1: Cut, rinse, and soak your potatoes

To ensure we aren’t getting any gluey, gross potatoes, we’re going to do our best to rinse off as much starch as possible.

Note: The OLDER your potatoes, the starcher they get.

To accomplish this, rinse your potatoes thoroughly and then peel and cut them into chunks. Add them to a bowl of cold water and, much like when rinsing rice, pour out the water and repeat until the water runs clear.

Then, soak the potatoes in fresh water for about an hour.

Step 2: Boil your potatoes

Next, drain the potatoes from their soaking water and add them to a pot. Cover with cold water to about 1 inch above the potatoes. Add a generous couple of pinches of kosher salt and bring to a boil.

Once they’ve reached a boil, lower to a simmer and let cook until they’re fork tender (about 20 minutes, depending on how small your cut your potatoes).

Step 3: Dry out your potatoes

Once the potatoes are fork tender, drain them into a colander and rinse with cold water.

Then, add them BACK to their pot and set them over medium-low heat. Stir around in order to help dry them out, about 3-5 minutes. Once done, turn off the heat and let them sit in the pot while you go to the next step.

Step 4: Melt the butter

Melt the two sticks of butter and set aside.

Step 5: Make the infused milk

Add the milk, garlic, rosemary, and thyme to a pot. Set over medium heat until it comes to a gentle boil, then lower to a simmer and let cook for a few minutes. Make sure to stir so that the milk doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.

Once you’ve tasted the milk and it’s infused to your liking, run it through a strainer and set the infused milk aside.

Step 6: Rice the potatoes.

Using a ricer, pass the potatoes through to a clean bowl.

If you don’t have a ricer, you can use a hand masher for this step.

Step 7: Add the melted butter.

Add the melted butter to the potatoes and stir to combine.

Step 8: Add the infused milk and cream cheese

Add the milk to the potatoes, a little at a time, making sure that the liquid is fully incorporated before adding a bit more. Keep going until you’re at a consistency you like. (Note: You may not use all of the milk.)

Then, add a dollop of softened cream cheese and stir.

Step 9: Season the potatoes

Add freshly cracked black pepper and stir. Taste to see if you need more salt, and adjust as necessary.