Being a lifelong Utahn I have an appreciation for the eccentricities and specialties of Utah cuisine, so I was intrigued when I noticed that a fair number of people find About.com's Salt Lake City site by searching for the term "funeral potatoes." Funeral potatoes are cheesy au gratin potatoes that LDS Relief Societies frequently serve as part of a dinner prepared for the grieving family to eat after a loved one's funeral. The funeral potatoes are generally served with ham, rolls, salad, cake, and of course, Jell-O. I'm not sure how the tradition evolved, but funeral potatoes are definitely "comfort food."
In my family, we don't eat funeral potatoes just at funerals. We also eat them at parties, especially on Christmas Eve. There are as many versions of funeral potatoes as there are cooks, but of course the best funeral potatoes are the ones my mother makes. Here's her recipe:
Marsha's Mom's Funeral Potatoes
- 6 c. diced potatoes
- 1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 1 c. sour cream
- 2 c. cheddar cheese, grated, divided
- 1/4 c. grated onion (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Ingredient notes: For the potatoes, it's best to bake russet potatoes wrapped in foil, then peel and dice them. If you want, you can substitute plain frozen diced (not shredded) potatoes. Let the potatoes thaw before using them in the recipe.
If you want to make lower-fat funeral potatoes, replace the melted butter with 1/2 soup can milk. You could also use reduced-fat sour cream and cheese.
- Combine soup, butter, sour cream, 1 c. cheese, onion, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add the potatoes and stir gently until combined.
- Place potato mixture in a 2-3 quart casserole dish or 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Top with the remaining 1 c. cheese.
- Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
A lot of people put crushed corn flakes on top of the funeral potatoes. My mom doesn't do this, but I've eaten them that way and it does add a nice crunch. If you want to use the corn flake topping, mix 3 tablespoons butter with 3/4 cup crushed corn flakes and sprinkle over the potato mixture before baking. If you're planning to use a crumb topping, mix all the cheese in with the sauce and don't reserve any to sprinkle on top.
