Funeral Potatoes – Utah

Jayne:  Utah sits in the middle of the western U.S. and is famous for awe-inspiring nature, great skiing and Mormons.  The State has mountains, deserts and high plateaus, and it has the Great Salt Lake in the northwestern corner.  People all over the world have seen this spectacular scenery in movies and the State is home to the Sundance Film Festival, which celebrates independent movies. 

It’s also famous for green Jello (it’s true), Fry Sauce (ketchup/mayo blend), deep fried “scones” … and Funeral Potatoes.  I had heard of Funeral Potatoes, but never made them.  I sure wish I had — they’re yummy.

Funeral Potatoes are like loaded mashed potatoes baked with a sweet/salty, crunchy topping.  Total comfort food – hence, the name.  This dish is the ultimate potluck dish, often brought to homes after a funeral.  You don’t need a funeral to make them – they literally disappeared with our Sunday dinner. 

Ingredients:

• 1 (30-ounce) package frozen, shredded hash-brown potatoes
• 9 Tbs butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cups cornflakes, lightly crushed
• 2 cups sour cream
• 1 (10 1/2-ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
• Chopped parsley and chopped chives (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg. F.  Set out hash browns until thawed slightly.
2. In a small skillet over medium heat, melt 1 Tbs. butter.  Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside. 
3. In a glass bowl or measuring cup, melt 4 Tbs. butter in the microwave.  In a medium bowl, combine melted butter with cornflakes. Add some chopped parsley, if using.
4. In a large bowl, combine sour cream, remaining butter and cream of chicken soup.  Add salt, onions, grated cheese and hash browns and stir to combine.  Add some chopped chives, if using.  Transfer mixture to a buttered 9×13-inch baking dish.
5. Top casserole with cornflake mixture.  Bake until crisp on top, about 45 – 55 minutes. 

*Special thank you to Keri Venuti’s (Boulder, Utah) Funeral Potatoes recipe as printed in The Wall Street Journal.