Classic mashed potatoes get an upgrade with lots of plain Greek yogurt, roasted garlic, and cream cheese. These fluffy Greek yogurt mashed potatoes are perfectly creamy and so flavorful! Perfect for Thanksgiving yet easy enough for any weeknight meal! {Gluten-free & vegetarian}
Table of Contents
Healthy Greek Yogurt Mashed Potato Recipe
Mashed potatoes are a must-have side dish, especially during the holiday season, but most recipes are usually doused with butter and heavy cream.
Fortunately, these healthy mashed potatoes are made with Greek yogurt and cream cheese, which give them a tangy, creamy, fluffy texture without a ton of extra saturated fat and calories.
The roasted garlic takes them over the top, especially when topped with this Healthy Turkey Gravy Recipe!
For more healthy sides, be sure to try my Coconut Milk Sweet Potatoes and Green Beans with Cranberries and Almonds.
Ingredient Notes
- Potatoes: I recommend using Yukon Gold potatoes for this recipe. They have a naturally buttery flavor that really stands out. Russet potatoes work well, too.
- Nonfat Greek yogurt: I typically use 0% plain Greek yogurt since it adds a nice creamy consistency and dose of protein. You can also sub in regular yogurt or Greek yogurt with a higher fat percentage, if desired.
- Garlic: Roasted garlic adds an amazing flavor to the mash. You can roast it at the same time as the potatoes are cooking so there’s no added effort or time required!
- Cream cheese: A bit of cream cheese adds some extra creaminess. Use a lower fat cream cheese for fewer calories and less saturated fat.
- Unsalted butter: You need a little butter to get that classic mashed potato taste, but you’ll use much less than your traditional mashed potatoes.
Instructions for Healthier Mashed Potatoes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place garlic head in a 6 oz custard cup or small baking dish and drizzle with oil. Bake, uncovered, until garlic is soft and fragrant, about 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place the diced potatoes into a large saucepan. Add cold water to the pan until the potatoes are covered by at least an inch of water. Add some salt to the water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain potatoes.
- Add Greek yogurt, cream cheese, butter, salt and pepper to cooked potatoes. Squeeze roasted garlic from cloves into potato mixture.
- Mash potatoes using a potato masher until smooth and creamy, and thoroughly combined. You can also whip the potatoes briefly with a hand beater for a creamier consistency. Garnish with a sprinkle of parsley and additional black pepper if desired.
Scroll to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
How Many Potatoes To Make Per Person?
A typical serving of mashed potatoes is about 1 cup per person or the equivalent of about 1/2 pound of potatoes. You can use the following guidelines to determine how many potatoes you’ll need to use when serving your mashed potatoes.
A lot of people like to pile on the potatoes so it’s always better to have extra just in case!
- 1 person = 0.5 pounds of potatoes = 1 medium sized potato
- 4 people = 2 pounds of potatoes = 4 medium sized potatoes
- 6 people = 3 pounds of potatoes = 6 medium sized potatoes
- 10 people = 5 pounds of potatoes = 10 medium sized potatoes
Tips for the Best Mashed Potatoes
- Roasting garlic: To roast the garlic, keep the peel on and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. The garlic is done when it’s tender and fragrant. You can also do this step ahead of time to save on preparation time.
- Rinse the potatoes before cooking: Rinsing the potatoes before boiling helps remove excess starch, thus making them more creamy and less gluey.
- Make them uniform: Cut the potatoes in cubes that are uniform in size so that they finish cooking at the same time. The potatoes are ready to be mashed when they can be easily pierced with a fork.
- Potato skin: You can peel the skin off or leave the skin on the potatoes if you prefer. If you choose to leave it on, the peel adds some additional dietary fiber!
- If the potatoes seem too dry: Add a bit more Greek yogurt. You can also add some broth, milk or buttermilk to achieve desired consistency.
- Do not over mash or whip the potatoes as this can lead to a glue-like consistency. If you choose to whip the potatoes with a handheld electric mixer, be sure to do it for only a few seconds on low speed to prevent over mixing.
- Use broth: Feel free to cook the potatoes in vegetable or chicken broth for even more flavor.
How to Store Leftover Mashed Potatoes
To refrigerate: To store, allow the mashed potatoes to cool to room temperature and then place in an airtight container in the fridge. They will keep well for up to four days.
To freeze: Pack the cooked and cooled mashed potatoes in a freezer safe bag or container and freeze for up to one month. Allow them to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
How to Reheat Mashed Potatoes
To reheat, place any leftovers in a casserole dish, covered with foil, and bake at 300 degrees F for an hour.
You can also warm them up over medium low heat on the stovetop. You may need to add a couple of tablespoons of milk to loosen them up. Stir frequently so that they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
What to Eat With Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are right at home alongside any holiday dinner, Sunday roast, or special meal. Try them out with this Slow Cooker Turkey Roast, Christmas Beef Roast or Cranberry Chicken Meatballs!
What to Do With Leftover Mashed Potatoes
There are lots of ways to put leftover mashed potatoes to good use!
Try using them for:
- Potato pancakes
- Shepherd’s pie
- Pile them into a sandwich with other Thanksgiving leftovers
- Make loaded mashed potatoes with cheese, bacon and green onions
- Make a mashed potato bake
- Make potato soup (or toss some into this Creamy Cauliflower Soup)
More Healthy Potato Recipes
- Dill Potato Salad
- Healthy Roasted Potatoes
- Healthy Slow Cooker Potato Soup
- Sweet Potato Casserole without Marshmallows
- Healthy Chicken Potato Soup
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Greek Yogurt Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 whole head of garlic, top third sliced off and discarded
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2.5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup 0% plain Greek yogurt, or more to taste
- 2 ounces cream cheese (1/4 cup)
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, or more to taste
- Finely chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place garlic head in a 6 oz custard cup or small baking dish and drizzle with oil. Bake, uncovered, until garlic is soft and fragrant, about 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place the diced potatoes into a large saucepan. Add cold water to the pan until the potatoes are covered by at least an inch of water. Add some salt to the water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain potatoes.
- Add Greek yogurt, cream cheese, butter, salt and pepper to potatoes. Squeeze roasted garlic from cloves into potato mixture.
- Mash potatoes using a potato masher until smooth and creamy, and thoroughly combined. You can also whip the potatoes briefly with a hand beater for a creamier consistency. Garnish with a sprinkle of parsley.
- Taste and adjust flavors accordingly, adding more Greek yogurt or a bit of milk if you want the potatoes creamier, additional butter if you like them more buttery, or more salt, pepper or parsley to incorporate additional flavor.
Notes
- Roasting garlic: To roast the garlic, keep the peel on and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. The garlic is done when it’s tender and fragrant. You can also do this step ahead of time to save on preparation time.
- Rinse the potatoes before cooking: rinsing the potatoes before boiling helps remove excess starch, thus making them more creamy and less gluey.
- Make them uniform: Cut the potatoes in cubes that are uniform in size so they finish cooking at the same time. The potatoes are ready to be mashed when they can be easily pierced with a fork.
- Potato skin: You can peel the skin off or leave the skin on the potatoes if you prefer. If you choose to leave it on, the peel adds some dietary fiber!
- If the potatoes seem too dry: add a bit more Greek yogurt. You can also add some broth, milk or buttermilk to achieve desired consistency.
- Do not over mash or whip the potatoes as this can lead to a glue-like consistency. If you choose to whip the potatoes with a handheld electric mixer, be sure to do it for only a few seconds on low speed to prevent over mixing.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted October 2020 and was updated in November 2024 to include more helpful tips.
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