Great mashed potatoes are an absolute Thanksgiving requirement for me, and my favorite way to take them over-the-top is with a whole head of roasted garlic and a big handful of salty parmesan! Roasted garlic is right up there with browned butter as one of the very best ways to give any dish an extra oomph, so I just had to include both to make these extra-delicious for the holidays.

This week is all about Friendsgiving, the perfect way to start your end-of-year holiday partying! No stress, no drama, no gifts, just getting together with friends to enjoy lots of good food & wine. I’m sharing a Friendsgiving recipe every day – everything from the bird to the pie – and then on Friday I’ll have the complete party guide for you, including your grocery list & stress-free cooking instructions. Mid-November is the perfect time to have everyone over, partly to celebrate the holidays with friends, partly because you get two Thanksgiving dinners!

Truthfully, most years I don’t bother to roast a bird – we’re a pretty laid-back group, so we just build our Friendsgiving menu around everyone’s requested favorites. Gravy always makes the list because it’s good on everything! That meant I needed to come up with a rich, creamy gravy that doesn’t rely on delicious drippings. This onion-based gravy goes with everything and it’s even vegetarian as a bonus. Just cook the onions with rosemary & thyme, add some flour to thicken, and pour in some wine just because. You can blend it for smooth gravy, but I actually prefer the light texture without.

As more of our friends adopt restrictive diets – whether for health reasons, allergens, or environmental consciousness – it’s always nice to offer as many vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free options as possible. Yes, if I know our group isn’t too limited I’ll happily add butter to everything, but sometimes it’s just as easy not to. All the recipes this week are vegetarian (other than the bird, obviously) and I’ll include substitution suggestions where I can to make these dishes friendly for everyone at your table!

I really love this garlic base, both for vegetarian cooking as well as anything I want to have an extra punch of roasted garlic. Unfortunately it runs out of stock pretty often on Amazon, but our local grocery usually has it on the shelf. You can find lots of bouillon base flavors in the same aisle as boxed broth.

Tomorrow I’m sharing a complete rainbow of jewel-toned roasted veggies to brighten your table! While mashed potatoes might be everyone’s classic favorite, it’s so good to have another veggie option on the table too. Are you all about roasted veggies, or are loaded salads more your Thanksgiving style? Let me know how your menu comes together!

Friendsgiving Recipes


Perfectly Roasted Chicken	Maple Balsamic Roasted Veggies	Bourbon Pumpkin Pie	Friendsgiving Party Guide

My favorite way to take mashed potatoes over-the-top: a whole head of roasted garlic & a big handful of parmesan! Plus simple, no-drippings-needed gravy.

Print Recipe

Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes & Vegetarian Gravy

My favorite way to take mashed potatoes over-the-top: a whole head of roasted garlic & a big handful of parmesan! Plus simple, no-drippings-needed gravy.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Side Dishes

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8

Calories: 424kcal

Author: Mountain Cravings

Ingredients

Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

4 lb. russet potatoes diced
1 head garlic
1/2 cup butter browned
1 cup heavy cream
5 oz. parmesan grated
salt & pepper to taste

Vegetarian Gravy

4 T. butter
1 large onion diced
1 T. fresh rosemary minced
1 T. fresh thyme minced
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups garlic or vegetable broth

Instructions

Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cut off the top of the garlic head to expose the cloves. Drizzle generously with olive oil and set on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Roast at 350° until completely soft and browned, about 45 minutes.
While garlic is roasting, add diced potatoes to a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until tender, about 20 minutes.
When potatoes are done, drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Use a potato masher or stand mixer paddle to mash potatoes.
When garlic is done, squeeze cloves out of the husk and mash well. Add to potatoes.
Add browned butter, cream, and parmesan to potatoes and whip until smooth and creamy. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Vegetarian Gravy

Melt butter over medium heat in a medium pot. Saute onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add rosemary & thyme and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Reduce heat to low and whisk in flour. Cook until light brown, then whisk in wine, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot.
Slowly whisk in broth a little at a time, stirring constantly to keep the gravy smooth.
Bring to a simmer and let thicken to your desired consistency.
(Optional) For completely smooth gravy, blend with an immersion blender.