
Eric loves mashed potatoes.
I mean, he really loves mashed potatoes.
He has been hinting on a daily basis that mashed potatoes would be a great way to ‘use up’ our stock pile of red potatoes courtesy of our Plan B CSA.
I said, ‘Sounds good, when ya making them?’ ;)
I have successfully evaded his hints for the past few weeks as I dreamed about making another batch of Homemade Salt & Vinegar Chips. Who needs mashed potatoes when you can make chips?
It’s not that I don’t like mashed potatoes. Really I do. I just love them when they are creamy, garlicky, smooth ‘n chunky, skins and all. Buttery, salty, piled with salsa or ketchup. It is fun to dress them up.
They are total comfort food.
However, my issue is that by the time I remember to add them as a side dish, it is already too late and I don’t have enough time to cook them. I tell myself, ‘I will make them tomorrow’ and then they get buried under veggies, forgotten about for weeks. Then I start to see snake-like sprouts trying to escape from the crisper and I run in the opposite direction like a little baby.
I also never think to use potatoes as a main dish because they lack protein and staying power.
I vowed to change that by amping up the protein.
Watch out Eric, you better be careful of what you wish for. ;)

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High Protein Garlic Mashed Potatoes
These mashed potatoes have a delicious buttery and garlicky flavour and lots of texture from the potato skins. The boast a whopping 11 grams of protein and 11 grams of fibre per serving. Use them as a main dish by adding some cooked veggies and toppings like ketchup, salsa, BBQ sauce, or buttery spread.
Ingredients:
- 10-12 large organic red potatoes
- 3-3.5 cups cooked navy beans (two 15-oz cans)*
- 1/4 cup soy-free Earth Balance buttery spread
- 2 tbsp unsweet. almond milk
- 4-5 large cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp ground paprika
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- other herbs and seasoning, to taste
Directions:
1. Wash potatoes with a potato scrubber, chop into large chunks, and toss into a large pot. I prefer to leave the skin on, but you can peel if desired.
2. Fill pot with water until potatoes are covered. Cook on medium-high heat for about 30-35 minutes until fork tender. Drain potatoes and place in a large bowl.
3. Drop in garlic cloves into a food processor (running) and process until finely chopped. Add drained and rinsed beans, salt, paprika, and process until mostly smooth.
3. After cooling potatoes for a few minutes, take a potato masher and mash until desired consistency is achieved. Now add your milk and Earth Balance and keep mashing.
4. Add processed bean mixture to potato mixture and mash until smooth. Sprinkle with black pepper, other herbs, and additional sea salt.
5. Serve with Earth Balance, salsa, ketchup, or BBQ sauce, and a serving of cooked veggies to round out the meal.
Note: You can also swap the beans for 1 cup of red lentils. Simply stir in cooked lentils as you mash the potatoes.
Nutritional Info: (Serves 8). Per serving, approx: 336kcal, 7 gram fat, 11 grams fibre, 11 grams protein, 2 grams sugar.
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Add some elbow grease and work out those arms! ;)

Add almond milk…

and Earth Balance (or what you have on hand!)…

We are huge fans of leaving the skins in the mashed potatoes. It adds a great texture and more nutrients (although I wouldn’t suggest leaving the skin on if you use non-organic as potatoes are part of the dirty dozen and are high in pesticides).
Drain beans.

Process 2 cans of navy beans (3-3.5 cups), garlic, salt, and paprika in food processor until almost smooth…

The bean mixture will taste amazing. Spoon some into mouth.
Yum.
Add bean mixture to potato mixture and mash ‘em up!

Wheeeee.

Sprinkle with remaining paprika, black pepper, and more salt.

I left them a bit chunky because Eric likes them that way. It’s a texture thing when they are too smooth, I guess. ;)

Adding navy beans to mashed potatoes is a great way to make them protein rich and sneak in some nutrition without anyone being the wiser.
They are now high in protein and delicious.

Eric and I used these potatoes as the main dish for our meal. I added some cooked veggies and stirred them in. It was delicious and very filling! Eric thought they were awesome and he had no idea they contained beans! Success.

I will see you tomorrow morning. :) I will be talking about what activities I did post-10k race to expedite the recovery process! Enjoy your evening.
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{ 120 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m seeing red leaves — it’s totally time to bring potatoes front and centre at dinner time.
This recipe looks tasty with the beans. I’m going to try this with some krispy kale mixed in…it will make delicious colcannon!
Adding beans to mashed potato – that is such a good idea! I’d never have thought of that :)
genius! I love it!
What a great way to include more protein!!
oooh and I just saw your breakfast pizza – holy YUM!
Those mashed potatoes look fantastic! I really love mashed potatoes with the skins on too. It’s so good!
YUM! I can’t wait to recreate these sometime soon! I’ve never used navy beans… hmmm!
Oh, I absolutely love this idea! I never would have thought to put beans in mashed potatoes. I’ve got to try this soon!
YUM! I can’t wait to recreate these sometime soon! I’ve never tried Navy Beans… hmmmm!
This is a great idea! Navy beans are the same thing as cannellini beans, correct?
I use them in my pasta sauces to make bean bologneses! It’s delicious–much better than meat :)
Hmm I’m not sure, I was under the impression that they are both two different types of white beans…
Navy beans are more of a black bean size and cannellini beans are more of a kidney bean size. Also, cannellini beans are sometimes called “Great Northern” beans.
Navy beans, cannellini beans, and Great Northern beans are 3 distinct beans with Great Northerns requiring the longest cooking time if you start with soaked dried beans. Here’s a brief description of each variety: http://www.cookthink.com/reference/988/Cannellini_beans_vs_Great_Northern_beans_vs_Navy_beans
Cannellini beans are the creamiest; they’re also known as white Italian kidney beans. Navy bean have the greatest proportion of skin to bean. Great Northerns are favored by many cooks for baked beans. There are some slight nutritional differences, e.g. cannellini beans are the highest of the 3 in protein and navy beans are the highest in fiber http://www.slowcarbfoodie.com/2011/07/23/what-kind-of-beans-should-i-eat-the-great-slow-carb-bean-index/
What a great, creative recipe! You are so innovative!
Definitely gotta make these for the husband!
Great idea adding the beans. I just checked out the dirty dozen and saved it for a quick reference. Yikes. :)
Genius! I am having visions of a healthy Thanksgiving, starting with this recipe.
Wow that’s such a smart idea!!!
This is such a healthy recipe!
I emailed it to my friend who loves potatos and I know she will love a different style of her favourite food.
Great idea! Sneaky you with those beans, so clever, hehe. Husbands all around will be happy today!
I LOVE the idea of adding beans to mashed potatoes! Brillz! I’ll be copying!
PS – I like to roast my garlic before adding it to my mashed potatoes! Yummmmm! Sometimes, I add a little wasabi to them too. ;)
What a great idea! I had no clue at first glance beans were involved. I was wondering where the protein was coming from.
And I always do the same thing with wanting to make something as a side but forgetting until its too late. So annoying.
Yum! this is going on the rotation for next week!
WOW this is SO funny, I made a note in my blog book that I want to have mashed potatoes this weekend!! :) This is a great idea so I may incorporate your genius :)
SOLD! except i’ll have to make them behind the hubby’s back since he SWEARS he hates beans :)
wow, i love the suggestion of adding beans. I’ll be trying this out!
What a lovely recipe Angela!
I love the idea of adding mashed beans to the mix. I’m still thinking of making your pbj pie for breakfast tomorrow…
Mashed potatoes are one of my favorite foods too! What a great way to make them more of a main dish! I’ll be making these soon and surely for Thanksgiving, too!
I love this idea. My husband is also crazy about mashed potatoes. He’d eat it every day–even for breakfast–if I let him. I’m sure he’d think this is so good.
I love mashed potatoes! When my mom made them, she could be sure that there wouldn’t be any left ;).
Adding beans is such a great idea! I have to try it!
Between this and the breakfast pizza I am in heaven. Yum!
Sounds delicious! This would be great for picky kiddos, Im not sure I have met a kid who doesn’t like mashed potatoes.
Great idea! I love my veggies but my man… not so much. Now I can sneak some in and he won’t know! Thanks!
As an Irish girl, I love my mashed potatoes!
I think the addition of the beans is genius!
It’s always good to pump up the volume so to speak if you can add to the fiber or protein content of things. You’ll be a great mom one day b/c you already know how to put veggies in smoothies, protein into taters, and it’s all about being creative with kids (or husbands) to help them get a few extra goodies in :)
I dont sneak too much into my daughter’s food, but she’s a high raw 3 yr old vegetarian who eats raw broccoli all on her own so thankfully I dont have to get too creative. haha!
:)
another MUST try! thanks
Growing up, I lived on mashed potatoes. They are my comfort food. I’ll have to give your high protein mashed potatoes a try. They look so good. It would be great with a side of brocolli and carrots topped with salsa. Thank you . :)
Amazing idea!!
That’s awesome!! You never think of mashed potatoes as high protein so this is great!
Oh…I love mashed potatos and I love beans, what a great combo…I’m actually drooling and can’t wait to make this for dinner tomorrow night!
yummm! these look so good! one of my fave post long run meals is a mix of mashed sweet potatoes, mashed red potatoes and hummus!!! SO GOOD!
You are the queen of sneaking in an extra veggie. First green monsters, now this? Amazing! Thank you so much! i can’t wait to try them!
These look fantastic!
Mashed potatoes are my comfort food of choice. All warm and happy…mmmmmmmm. I know what I’m making tomorrow. =D
I never thought of adding beans to mashed potatoes! Brilliant idea!! I wonder if my significant other would notice… haha. ;)
Omg. I am totally craving mashed taters now!
This looks amazing, and such a simple idea! You’re awesome! Except you’ve got me totally craving mashed potatoes with no means to make them :)
What a great idea using white beans to beef up the protein! I am in a house of potato lovers so I will have to try this!
I’ve tried some of your recipes and I think you’re amazing! My hubby & I love this show & I think you should apply to be on the next season: http://masterchefcasting.com/apply
I’m totally with you on mashed potatoes as a too-late afterthought. But this recipe might make me plan a little ahead in order to make them. They look delicious and I’m amazed at the protein!
Awesome idea, really love the use of white beans in there!!
I find potatoes as a main dish are usually a no no for the exact same reason as you – “no staying power” (love this phrase!). But now things will change, I will try this mashed potato idea for sure!
And I also love the skins on my mashed potatoes, it is my favorite part of the mash!
Ana
I have never thought to add beans to my potatoes!!! That is a great idea. Now, the real question is… do you tell your husband what is in it after he eats it? :)
Those look delicious and your photography is gorgeous!
My sister absolutely loves potato anything. I’m not too crazy about them on the other hand lol.
You… are a genius.
Great idea to add beans to mashed potatoes! My husband would love that too… how sneaky ;-)
Paprika is so pretty, isn’t it? I have almost 3 KILOS of the stuff- we were given a ton of homemade (smoked and dried) paprika when we were in Hungary in June. I will probably never have to buy paprika again.
Wow, you’ve already used 904 kg?! Hahaha, jk jk, 3 kilos IS a ton!
Kitchen GENIUS. That is you :) xo
I’ve never thought to put beans in mashed potatoes – what a great way to stretch ’em and make them way more nutritious! Stellar idea…as usual :)
These sound delicious! I usually save mashed potatoes for the holidays, but Mmm sounds so good right now!
Ohh my gosh that sounds amazing! I love potatoes in every way – baked, roasted, mashed, in soup, whatever!
This really is such a clever idea! I saw the title on my Twitter feed earlier today and was trying to guess what ingredient you could have used to make the dish protein-rich. Smart thinking!
What a great idea!! I love that you puree the beans to add to the potatoes – I bet they taste great!!!! I am bookmarking this one for sure!
ohh clever idea i bet Eric was delighted to finally get his mash!!
They say Mashed potatoes that your man will love, but my MOM actually is a hardcore mashed potato fanatic.
She loves mashed potatoes more than anything else in the world. I should make these for her.
I bet I’d be her favorite daughter ever if I did that :)
Leftovers……..potato pancakes with salsa on top. Yum!!
Great idea. I wouldn’t have even thought to mash beans into the potatoes… I will have to try this! Thanks for another great idea/recipe.
What a great idea! I am going to try these.
That is a terrific idea! A great way to sneak in nutrition for the ones who scoff at veggies! I’m going to try this for my boyfriend.
I love you for this recipe!!! I love mashed potatoes!! It was chilly out this morning, and I feel autumn creeping in… bring on the comfort food!
Lovely idea! Never thought of adding beans to mashed potatoes… Love it!
This looks great! I also love to cook up leftover mashed potatoes on a skillet for a great mashed potato cake!
Wow what a great idea, thanks!
what a brilliant idea!!!! i looove beans I can’t believe ive never thought of doing this!
We made a white-bean dip this weekend that was so whipped from the food processor that I declared we should add the puree to mashed potatoes sometime. What a funny coincidence! I will have to try it for sure now.
Wow! I’ve heard of sneaking cauliflower into mashed potatoes, but never beans! I just might have to try that sometime!
Oh ironic! We had garlic mashed potatos last night :-) but I added wayyyy too much garlic so the were SPICY!
That’s brilliant! I have totally added white beans to potato SOUP before to bump up the protein, but never thought of adding them to MASHED potatoes. I wonder if you added both cauliflower and beans to the potatoes to add protein and veggies if it would still taste and feel right or if that would just be going too damn far?
GREAT idea about soup!!!!
Angela you are a genius for adding beans to the mashed potatoes!!! I love the idea and can’t wait to try them out!!!
Those sound so good! I was actually wondering the other day how I should make mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving/Christmastime. Thank you for the recipe, haha. And oh, we always leave the skins on. Always. It’s so much better that way.
Smart idea adding navy beans to the potatoes. Have you ever tried mashed cauliflower? I did once and it was a sad, mushy, mess. I think adding beans to cauliflower would help it hold up some.
OH MY GOSH! This is a recipe from heaven!!!!! Thank you so much for sharing :-)
Wow!!! It never occurred to me to mash some beans in with mashed potatoes! MY oldest son HATES (and “hate” is a very strong word in our home and is off limits unless you really mean it) beans. I try to sneak them in here and there, mainly in soups but he swears everytime he can taste them. I also think he has a texture thing like Eric and beans are just mushy to him. Which is funny because I think that is one of the reasons why I LOVE beans so much, their mushiness. Ha ha
Looks amazing! I love them super smooth, as it is a texture thing for me too!
I never know what to have them on the side of since I don’t eat meat, but as a main course? Sounds awesome!
I am absolutely entranced/intrigued with this recipe. . . and my brain has jumped to using the leftover’s as some kind of basis for a creamy soup. Talk about comfort food. My husband and I are huge potato enthusiasts, and I have a feeling we’ll be giving this recipe a whirl as the days turn nippy.
Mashed potatoes is something I rarely make also, but Chris looooves them. He calls the smushed taters, haha, he’s a little kid at heart. I will have to try this recipe out, it looks great and will hopefully please his need for “smushed taters” and my need for a nutritious meal.
I started reading your blog about a month ago….although I don’t post it on my blog…I find our pasts are pretty similar…I have spent so much time and energy wasted on distorted thoughts about my body and food…as I get older it does get better…I am realizing life is too short and there is soooo much more in life worth my focus….you have given me inspiration every day though….thank you!!!
What a great idea to add beans! I would never have thought of that ! I can’t wait to try this!
LOOOOOOOOOVE this idea :D The only thing that would make it better is a head of roasted garlic ;) mmmmmmmmmmm
I made these tonight, so good! I wouldn’t have known there were beans in them. Definitely making these from now on!
Hi!
This sounds amazing ! I was wondering If I could substitute anything for the earth balance ? I’m experimenting with a dairy- free diet due to dairy sensitivity, but I also don’t have any earth balance on hand and I don’t want to buy one for one recipe. Would coconut oil work? or maybe olive oil? but the texture would be off right?..let me know :) Thank you !
Im not sure, the EB definitely gives it a very buttery flavour that I love! I would try a bit of extra virgin olive oil, however the flavour might be pronounced.
I love making limas and potatoes. Might try this idea with them.
I had JUST cooked up a new batch of navy beans today and came on to search a recipe to make them for dinner, and I’d actually planned on making mashed potatoes too – I LOVE me some mashed potatoes, could eat them every day! – and I came up on this post. I had to cut the recipe down, cause it’s just me and my lil man (he’s 4) but they are SO. FREAKING. GOOD! Thank you so much for having shared this. :)
(Even after cutting it down I’ll have leftovers for at least 3-4 days, so get to enjoy them again and again!)
Can this be frozen for latter?
Im not sure, I haven’t put mashed potatoes in the freezer before. Does anyone know?
Great idea for mashed potatoes! Definitely trying it this year! Thanks!
Was thinking to skip white potato for Thanksgiving this year,but after this brilliant idea I can’t wait to try. Thank you so much for sharing.
Please help me adapt this recipe. You gave me advice for the squash and kale dish and it was great. i can’t use the Earth Balance because of medical reasons, what else do you think might work? Thanks
Hi Kally, You can use any butter sub of your liking. Becel also makes a vegan butter spread. Earth Balance has a soy free one as well which is what I use.
can’t use any of those spreads, so I am going to go ahead and try it with a bit more oil. Thanks for your reply.
Ive seen some mashed potato recipes with oil so you should be fine! Enjoy :) you could also try cashew cream
I just made these last night. They came out amazing and my non vegan boyfriend loved them! Im trying to find vegan recipes that my non vegan BF will like. The only veggies he eats are broccoli, carrots, corn, green beans, potatoes, peas and iceberg lettuce. His diet basically consists of cereal and store bought chocolate chip cookies and lots of milk. Im not trying to pressure him into becoming vegetarian or vegan, i just wish he ate a more well rounded diet. Any suggestions?
Just was looking up some confirmation to what I thought was an original thought — white beans+kale+mashed potatoes= good times. Thanks! Trying to figure out cheaper protein meals for my gluten allergic husband and I. Saw on the news that, as I guessed while watching my garden suffer the 2012 drought here in northern Indiana, the price of meat is only going to go up this year. Thanks again:-)
Been loving your blog for a couple of years now, (I’m dairy free because my gut told me i had to be) but just finally trying to go vegan. I think this mashed potato recipe just might change my life :)
You didn’t mention how many carbs are in this recipe?
I just had my wisdom teeth out and I feel like I can’t satiate my hunger with blended soups and broth, so I’m making these tonight! Thanks so much for the recipe!
I know I’m late to this posting, but thumbs up on the navy bean mixture! That could be a meal in and of itself. #garliclover
I already add parsnips to my vegan garlic mashed potatoes to make them healthier, and now I cannot wait to try them with Navy Beans! I think I will try both and see how it turns out.
What “other herbs” do you use and how much? That’s a bit too vague for me….
I made these for Thanksgiving, not telling the table of guests that they were anything but normal mashed potatoes and they were a hit! Later, I told people they had no milk or butter and it had a whole can of beans and they couldn’t believe me! I am now affectionately calling these “pink potatoes” because the paprika in them, but this is my new go to potato recipe. Thank you for creating and sharing. YUM! I actually made these the day before and reheated in the over in time for the meal, and they were great!
I just recently found your website and I love it! This recipe is a really great idea. If I need a mashed potato filler, I usually go for some cauliflower, but this is even better because it’ll fill you up faster. I’m going to add white beans to my loaded mashed potatoes next time.
I just made these and while I like them they are VERY beany. I would likely make them again but reduce the amount of beans to 1.5 cups of cooked navy beans. Great recipe!
These were seriously good. I did end up adding about 1/2 teaspoon more salt as well as some garlic powder. But wow! I would recommend to anyone who doesn’t own a Vitamix or another high end blender to just mash the beans in a bowl and minces the garlic by hand. My blender was not up to the task, so I had to transfer the beans to a mini food processor which also had a tough time blending the beans. I ended up adding almost 1/2 cup of water to the mixture to get it going but it still took too long! The water didn’t affect the end result. Mashed potatoes were smooth and tasty. :D
Do you think these mashed potatoes would work well in your Shepherd’s pie recipe? I wonder if baking them will dry them out? I love the idea of adding protein into the potatoes.
I guess if you were in a blazing hurry and had leftover hummus in the fridge this would be the best way to use it up! :-D
These look delicious and I am making them for Thanksgiving – is it possible to make them in advance without compromising the flavor? If so, how would I reheat them? Is a crock pot an option? Love your book – my husband is not vegan but eats what I make. He likes everything from your book that I have made so far – I have made the majority of the recipes!
Hi Angela! First of all, I LOVE this recipe; I’ve made it for the past 3 Thanksgivings, and it’s always a huge hit! Tonight I’m splitting my time between two Thanksgivings and was going to try to make this in the afternoon to save time. How would you suggest reheating this if it’s made in advance? (Note: I have no access to a crockpot, just lots of large pots). Hope you have a wonderful holiday!
Is this correct?
1/4 cup soy-free Earth Balance buttery spread
2 tbsp unsweet. almond milk
I feel like the quantity might need to be swapped.
I despise washing dishes, especially my food processor so I thought I would try using my immersion blender for the beans. Worked fantastic!!! I knew it woudln’t do the garlic so I just added a few cloves to my potatoes instead, and it mashed up wonderfully, it turned out great. This recipe has been a staple for a while, glad I could make it easier and quicker. Thanks for this and all your other great recipes. Now if you could just create a protein packed gravy… ?