Look, some days you just need a win. A guaranteed, soul-hugging, delicious win. For me, that’s this Creamy Garlic Shrimp Over Mashed Potatoes. I’m not even kidding, the first time I really nailed this recipe, I think I did a little dance by myself in the kitchen. It’s nothing wild or complicated. It’s just a knockout garlic sauce that—get this—has zero heavy cream, and my now-foolproof method for mashed potatoes that won’t turn into wallpaper paste. It’s the meal that makes a boring Wednesday feel like a Saturday night.

The Lineup

Here’s all the stuff you’ll need. Think of it less as a strict list and more as a guideline. You feel like adding more garlic? You should probably add more garlic.

For the Mashed Potatoes:

2 lbs Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 cup whole milk, warmed (don’t use cold milk!)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
A good amount of salt and black pepper

A sprinkle of fresh chives

For the Creamy Garlic Shrimp:

1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 to 8 cloves of garlic, minced (and let’s be honest, measure this with your heart)

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk from a can. Shake it well; it gets separated.
1 teaspoon cornstarch whisked with 2 teaspoons of water

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more if you like to live dangerously
A small handful of fresh parsley, chopped

A real squeeze of fresh lemon juice, not the stuff from a bottle

How to Make It Happen

Step 1: The Potatoes (The Foundation)

Okay, potatoes. Get ’em peeled, chopped, and into a pot. Cover them with cold water, salt it well, and boil them until they’re completely soft and offer zero resistance to a fork. Now, listen up, because this is the most important part of the whole potato operation: DRAIN THEM. Drain them well. Then chuck them back in the hot, dry pot on the stove for a minute. Let all that extra steam just vanish. Trust me on this. It’s the secret. Then you can go nuts with the warm milk and butter, and mash them until they’re as smooth as you want them. Salt and pepper, cover, and set aside.

Step 2: The Shrimp (Don’t Overcook ‘Em!)

While the potatoes are boiling, you can deal with the shrimp. Pat them dry with paper towels. No, seriously. Drier than you think is necessary. This is the difference between getting that great psssshhhhh sound in the pan and just boiling them in their own juices. A little salt and pepper, and they’re ready. Heat up a tablespoon of butter and the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Lay the shrimp in, give them space. A minute or two a side is all they need. The second they turn pink and curl up, get them out of the pan and onto a plate. They’ll finish cooking in the sauce later.

Step3: The Sauce (Where the Magic Is)

Don’t you dare wash that pan. Turn the heat down to medium, melt the last tablespoon of butter, and toss in the garlic. Now, stare at it. Don’t check your phone, don’t wander off. Garlic goes from “wow that smells amazing” to “what is that burnt, tragic smell” in about five seconds flat. Once it’s fragrant, pour in the broth to stop the cooking process and use a wooden spoon to scrape all those crusty, brown, delicious bits off the bottom of the pan.

Step4: Putting It All Together (The Best Part)

Stir the coconut milk and paprika into the pan. Let it come to a happy little bubble. Drizzle in the cornstarch-water mixture while stirring, and you’ll feel it thicken up into a proper sauce. Now, toss the shrimp and any juices from their plate back into the pan. Stir to coat everything. Kill the heat. The final move is to stir in the fresh parsley and give it a big squeeze of lemon juice. It just cuts through the richness and makes the whole thing taste alive.

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Seriously, Make This.

So yeah. That’s the recipe. It’s the one I make when people I like come over for dinner and I want them to think I have my life together. It’s rich, the shrimp are plump, the potatoes are fluffy… it just plain works. If you make this Creamy Garlic Shrimp Over Mashed Potatoes, for the love of all that is good, drop a comment below. I genuinely want to know if it made your day better, too.

4 yield

Creamy Garlic Shrimp Over Mashed Potatoes

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

A ridiculously good recipe for plump shrimp in a rich knockout garlic sauce served over fluffy mashed potatoes. Pure comfort food made easy.

Ingredients

2 lbs potatoes like Yukon Gold or Russet
1/2 cup whole milk warmed up

4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
Salt and black pepper
A sprinkle of fresh chives

1 lb large shrimp peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil

6 to 8 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk from a can

1 teaspoon cornstarch whisked with 2 teaspoons water
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

A handful of fresh parsley chopped
A good squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Step 1

Get your potatoes peeled and chopped put them in a pot with cold salted water boil them until theyre super soft. drain them really well then put them back in the hot pot for a minute to steam dry this is the secret. then just mash everything up with the warm milk and butter.

Step 2

Pat the shrimp totally dry with paper towels season with salt and pepper. get a skillet hot with some butter and oil then cook the shrimp for a minute or two on each side. just until they turn pink. take them out and set them on a plate.

Step 3

In that same pan lower the heat melt more butter and toss in the garlic. stir it for like 30 seconds dont let it burn. pour in the broth and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

Step 4

Stir in the coconut milk and paprika. once it bubbles gently stir in the cornstarch mix to make it thicker. add the shrimp back to the pan turn off the heat and finish with the fresh parsley and a good squeeze of lemon. serve over the mashed potatoes right away.

Notes

make sure potatoes are totally dry after boiling for fluffy mash
dont overcook the shrimp they get tough fast
watch the garlic so it doesnt burn it happens in seconds

use the full-fat canned coconut milk not the stuff in a carton
the lemon juice at the end wakes everything up dont skip it

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 475Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 304mgSodium: 1464mgCarbohydrates: 69gFiber: 8gSugar: 7gProtein: 39g

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