A couple weeks ago I was trying to decide what to make for our weekly Sunday dinner with my sister and brother-in-law. I had some leeks that needed to be used and a bag of potatoes that were beginning to sprout, and so these caramelized onion & leek garlic mashed potatoes were born. And this recipe is definitely a keeper.

I served these caramelized onion & leek garlic mashed potatoes with a beef roast and carrots, so yummy! The turned out to be a big crowd pleaser, and surprisingly easy.

These mashed potatoes are ah-mazing alone, as a side dish and/or as a base for your favorite roast or gravy-laden dish. They pair particularly well with this meatloaf.

Ingredients

• 5 lb bag of potatoes (I used russet)
• 2 leeks
• 1 large yellow onion
• 1 stick + 1 Tbsp butter, softened
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 cup milk
• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• parsley for garnish

Directions

1. Chop onion and leeks and set aside (see picture above for which part of the leek to use).
2. Clean, dry and peel potatoes.
3. Cut potatoes into 1-2 inch pieces.
4. Boil potato pieces in a large pot until soft, and fork slides through the center easily.
5. While the potatoes are boiling, heat olive oil and 1 Tbsp of butter in a medium skillet.
6. To the skillet add chopped onion, chopped leeks and garlic to the skillet and sauté on medium heat until fragrant and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes.
7. Once the potatoes are done boiling, drain and return to the large pot.
8. Add to the potatoes the stick of butter, sautéed onion/leek mixture, milk, salt, and pepper. Use an immersion blender to “mash” the potatoes.
9. Garnish with fresh parsley.
10. Enjoy!

Tips & Tricks

• use more or less salt depending on your preference (we like our potatoes a little salty!).
• You might need to rinse the leeks after you chop them, sometimes dirt can get caught in the tight layers (if you’ve never cooked with leeks, this will totally make sense once you do!).
• If this is your first time cooking with leeks, watch this helpful video explaining how to clean and cut them.
• If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a hand mixer instead.

I said it earlier but it’s worth repeating, these caramelized onion & leek garlic mashed potatoes pair beautifully with this meatloaf.