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Funeral Potatoes are a fantastic, comforting side dish with a hilarious name. No one knows the identity of the soul who first blessed us with this cheesy, starchy goodness, but we do know funeral potatoes were spread far and wide as the Relief Society cared, and still care, for families in their communities. The Relief Society is a women’s organization in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints that was founded in 1842.
Why Are They Called “Funeral Potatoes?”
Funeral Potatoes are, in fact, served at funerals. Rather, it’s traditional in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for the members of the congregation to serve a luncheon for the family of the deceased after the funeral. I live in Utah, and to this day, when someone passes, we sign up and show up with funeral potatoes, usually some sort of meat, salads and desserts. This cheesy side dish is so iconic, it was featured in a commemorative pin for the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympic Games.
Funeral Potatoes are also very commonly served at the holidays and for special dinners. In fact, I most associate them with Christmas, because we almost always had them at Christmas dinner growing up.
Ingredients
- One bag frozen shredded hash browns. Diced hash browns work too, but shredded is more traditional.
- Melted, unsalted butter
- Sour cream
- Shredded medium cheddar
- Shredded sharp cheddar
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- Salt and pepper
Equipment
- 1 9″x13″ baking pan- glass, metal, or ceramic.
- 1 large mixing bowl.
- 1 rubber spatula.
Techniques
This is one of the easiest recipes you will ever make. The only important “technique” is that you just need to make sure your hash browns are completely thawed. You can do this is one of two ways.
- Let the hash brown thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Spread the frozen hash browns in an even layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, or until completely thawed.
Then all you do is mix all of the ingredients in a bowl, top with a little cheese, and bake!
I hope you make Funeral Potatoes for your next potluck or family dinner. You’re going to love this classic. When you make this recipe, will you please tag me on Instagram at @gracious.cooking? I can’t wait to see what you make! Also, if you love potatoes, you may also enjoy this recipe for Austrian Parsley Potatoes. Until next week!
Happy cooking!
Classic Funeral Potatoes
Equipment
- 1 9"x13" baking dish
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 Rubber spatula
Ingredients
- 1 30oz bag of shredded frozen hash browns thawed completely
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 10.5 oz can of cream of chicken soup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 and 1/4 cup medium cheddar cheese shredded and divided
- 1 and 1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded and divided
Instructions
Thaw the Hash Browns
- There are two ways to thaw the hash browns. The best way is to let them thaw in the fridge overnight. If, like me, you often forget to do this, then line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Spread the hash browns on the baking sheet in an even layer, and bake in a 200 degree Fahrenheit oven for 20 minutes, or until completely thawed.
Assembly
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 9"x13" baking dish with baking Pam.
- Set aside 1/4 cup of the medium cheddar and 1/4 cup of the sharp cheddar for the topping.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
- Add the rest of the medium and sharp cheddar to the mixing bowl, and combine.
- Add the thawed hash browns to the mixing bowl and mix well.
- Pour hash brown mixture into prepared baking dish. Top with the cheese that you set aside.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 50 to 60 minutes, or until bubbly with a few brown spots on top.
- Enjoy!
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