Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

I had a hankering for garlic mashed potatoes one day, so onto the interweb I went and found this recipe. Based on personal preferences and other user's reviews, I made three modifications to the recipe: 1) I left the skin on the potatoes because I like it that way; 2) I used a large head of garlic rather than medium, just for a little extra garlicky kick; and 3) I used sour cream and cream cheese instead of milk to make it creamier and to add flavor. It turned out great! For a spicy twist, try adding crushed red peppers.

ROASTED GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large head garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 pounds russet potatoes (about 3 medium-large potatoes)
• 4 tablespoons butter, softened
• ½ cup sour cream
• 4 oz cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• crushed red peppers to taste (optional)
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Drizzle garlic with olive oil, then wrap in aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour.
3. Peel potatoes if desired. (Otherwise, clean potatoes thoroughly with a vegetable brush.) Chop potatoes. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain. Stir in butter, milk, salt, pepper, crushed red peppers (optional), sour cream, and cream cheese.
   
4. Remove the garlic from the oven, and cut in half. Squeeze the softened cloves into the potatoes. Blend potatoes with an electric mixer until desired consistency is achieved.

Links:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Roasted-Garlic-Mashed-Potatoes-2/Detail.aspx (original recipe)