Updated Funeral Potatoes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Are funeral potatoes a Mormon thing? ›

Commonly served after LDS funerals, this cheesy potato casserole is the ultimate comfort food. If you've ever encountered Mormon funeral potatoes, you can attest that the salty, crispy, cheesy casserole is one of the most oddly satisfying creations that exists in America — nay, the world.

Funeral potatoes (also great potatoes, cheesy potatoes, hash brown casserole, cheesy hash browns, those potatoes, or party potatoes) is a traditional potato hotdish or casserole that is popular in the American Intermountain West and Midwest.

Why are they called funeral potatoes? Funeral potatoes get their unique name from being a crowd-pleasing casserole served as a side dish at after-funeral luncheons (particularly in the culture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints).

What state is known for funeral potatoes? The Beehive State is known for funeral potatoes. Like green jell-o and ambrosia salad, funeral potatoes are a beloved food among Utahns. There was even a pin illustrating funeral potatoes that circulated when Salt Lake City hosted the Olympic Games in 2002.

That said, the Mormon faith does not prohibit cremation, it simply discourages it, and cremation is not seen as a hindrance to the ultimate resurrection of the body. Mormons who have been cremated can still receive a Mormon funeral service as well.

In many cases, Mormon funerals are open to everyone, regardless of their faith, since they usually aren't held in temples. With that said, it's always best to consult with those arranging the funeral to ensure it's not a private event.

While no one is sure where exactly funeral potatoes originated, most sources attribute their spread to the Relief Society, a women's organization within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. One responsibility of society members was attending to the needs of the bereaved, including meals.

This variety is not very sensitive to diseases, as well as discharges and deworming. Annabelle potatoes have a firm, yellow skin and a very fine grain that gives this particular creaminess. Characteristics. Tubercle: elongated shape, yellow skin, dark and soft texture. Buds: red, conical, medium to strong hairiness.

Daisy [gipsy x culpa] is a PBR certified, commercial seed potato variety, suitable for the fresh market. The high-yield, mid-season variety produces oblong shaped, cream to light yellow skinned potatoes with yellow flesh with good general culinary qualities.

Aside from using them as a cheap item to sell and eat, buyers would stuff them into the pockets of their jackets to keep them warm in the colder months. We're not saying that's why they're called jacket potatoes, but it's more fun to think that than the reality that the skin of the potato is the jacket.

What to eat with funeral potatoes? ›

The best side dishes to serve with funeral potatoes are blooming onion, bacon-wrapped asparagus, chicken parmesan, pork ribs, feta pasta, sausage rolls, butter lettuce salad, coconut shrimp, salmon burger, steamed broccoli, glazed carrots, cheesy garlic bread, grilled corn on the cob, pasta salad, apple slaw, and beef ...

Full of tender potatoes, gooey cheese, sour cream and topped with crispy Kellogg's corn flake cereal this savory casserole cannot be beat. Funeral potato with real potatoes is easy, cheesy, and delicious. It is the perfect side dish for any meal and simple to make.

The precise origins of this dish remain obscure. Some have pointed out that the American South has a similar dish. Others have readily accepted the idea that Latter-day Saint women originated the dish with their thrifty and productive skills. Or these potatoes might be a budget mix of the French potatoes au gratin.

Idaho. Whether you prefer russet, red, fingerling or gold, potatoes are an American staple that the Gem State has rightly claimed as its official food. Idaho is the top potato producer in the U.S.

Funeral Potatoes vs Scalloped potatoes

While they're both creamy and cheesy, these two dishes are different. In my Funeral Potatoes recipe, I like to use hash browns instead of thinly sliced (or scalloped) potatoes. Plus, most scalloped potato recipes I've seen don't call for potato chips!

Where did funeral potatoes come from? If conventional wisdom holds true and the Relief Society invented funeral potatoes, this dish was invented in Utah. It's also possible that funeral potatoes were invented in the Midwest. Until March 2023, funeral potatoes are part of a museum exhibit in Iowa per the Deseret News.

The long-lasting ingredients of funeral potatoes are almost always inside a Mormon's pantry—a holdover from the Church's post-Depression push for maintaining a three-month food supply at all times. So they're ready to be cooked into a dish at a moment's notice upon hearing of a community member's passing.

There is usually a community visitation or viewing, followed by a private prayer with just close friends and family. Funeral ceremonies feature hymns, readings, and eulogies, and are never held on a Sunday. In many Mormon communities a burial is followed by a meal prepared by the women's Relief Society.

Mormon funerals include many traditional hymns, prayers, and readings. You and your family shouldn't have to worry too much about picking out the hymns, prayers, readings, etc. that will be used during your loved one's Mormon funeral service.