Just as their name suggests, this dish is a traditional potato casserole, made popular by The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints. They get their moniker, “funeral potatoes” from the fact that the Relief Societies would make the dish for luncheons and dinners following funerals. Their simple ingredients made them easy to make in large quantities and leftovers could be frozen. Funeral potatoes have become so popular in the Midwest and south that they even made an appearance at the 2002 Winter Olympics! Hosted in Salt Lake City, one of the souvenir trading pins featured funeral potatoes. Though the basic recipe is always the same, over time people have enjoyed adding their own twist to the dish. No matter if you’re a funeral potato purist or if you add your own special ingredients, this dish is sure to be a hit, funeral or not!
THE BEST FUNERAL POTATOES
A cheesy potato casserole full of melted cheese, sour cream, onions, and garlic with a crunchy top. This is full of amazing flavor and will be the star of the dinner table!
INGREDIENTS
· 6 Tablespoons butter divided
· 3/4 cup onion diced
· 2 cloves garlic minced
· 1 30 ounce bag of frozen, shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed -or- 12 small potatoes parboiled and shredded
· 1 10.5 ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
· 1 cup sour cream or plain greek yogurt
· 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
· 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded and firmly packed, divided
· 1 1/2 cup crushed cornflake cereal or panko bread crumbs
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sized skillet, add 2 Tablespoons butter and sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the cooked onions, garlic, hash browns, condensed soup, sour cream, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese.
3. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking pan. Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.
4. Melt the remaining 4 Tablespoons of butter and mix with the crushed cornflake crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the casserole.
5. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until cooked throughout and bubbly.
Sources:
https://therecipecritic.com/funeral-potatoes/