These Mashed Potatoes Get A Healthy, Flavorful Boost From 2 Key Additions

Mashed potatoes are a great source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and they're regularly used to create soft, filling, and satisfying meals – but tucking into a heap of them doesn't always feel like the healthiest choice. Even if it's just the thought that nothing so delicious could be good for you, you might want to add a healthy twist to this classic side using just spinach and garlic. Miriam Hahn's roasted garlic spinach mashed potatoes recipe amps up both the taste and the nutritional profile by doing just that. 

You might think of spinach as being high in iron, but it's also a great source of calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid, fiber, and vitamin K — which is essential for blood clotting and wound healing. The spinach alone in this recipe will give you 80% of your recommended daily vitamin K in each serving. Garlic has been traditionally used to fight illness — and it's more than an old wives' tale. The compounds found in garlic can reduce the severity of colds, as well as blood pressure and cholesterol. Plus, it makes just about anything you add it to taste really good. 

Hanh's mashed potato recipe uses an entire head of oven-roasted garlic – cutting a ½ inch off of the pointed head, adding oil and salt, and wrapping it in foil. Baked in the oven while the potatoes simmer, this process transforms the garlic's sharp raw taste into mellow, caramelized flavors. Meanwhile, the sautéd and blended spinach brings mild earthy notes to help balance the fattiness of the butter and sour cream, as well as adding flecks of vibrant green for a visual upgrade.

There are countless ways to upgrade a side of mashed potatoes. Even if you want to stick close to Miriam Hahn's recipe, there are easy swaps you can make to suit your taste or the contents of your refrigerator. For instance, spinach is included because it's quick to cook and readily available — but any leafy green would be suitable. Kale might need a little extra time to cook, but it will reward you with extra fiber and vitamin C. Collard greens are also packed full of fiber and give your mashed potatoes a Southern twist. Even leftover salad will find new life in your mashed potatoes.

When it comes to swapping out the garlic, anything from the allium family will work well — it just depends what kinds of flavors you want to highlight. Caramelized onion will offer a similar sweet and mellow taste, while also adding more textural interest to the mash. Sautéed leeks also have a mellow, buttery taste, and they can help add bulk to the recipe. A quicker option is to add chopped chives or shallots — which conveniently don't require any cooking. They also bring a fresher, stronger flavor along with more of that eye-appealing green color to the dish.