Cheesy Potatoes, AKA “Funeral Potatoes”
If you aren’t from Utah or aren’t apart of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, chances are you are wondering why this recipe is called “Funeral Potatoes”. It doesn’t mean you will die if you eat them or that they are sad or anything like that. This type of potatoes got its name because often times these potatoes are brought to the meal after a funeral to help feed the family of the person who the funeral was for.
Traditionally I ate these potatoes, a canned soup version though instead of a homemade sauce, during Easter dinner, but I’ve also eaten them at a few thanksgivings and they ultimately just remind me of a nice family meal. Ever since Halloween, a holiday not celebrated in Finland, I’ve been a bit homesick because Halloween kind of marks the beginning of the holiday season in America. Here in Finland there’s no Halloween and there’s no Thanksgiving so it kind of just remind me of some of the things I miss from good ol’ America. This is a comfort food for me.
PrintCheesy Potatoes, AKA Funeral Potatoes
An easy to make creamy and cheesy sauce and canned soup free!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 70 minutes
- Yield: 5-6 servings 1x
Ingredients
1 ½ –1 ¾ pounds of russet potatoes, cooked, peeled, and diced small. *see note
2 Tablespoons butter
1 small onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour
¾ cup chicken broth
½ cup milk
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp rosemary
¼ tsp thyme
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
Topping-
10 ritz crackers, crushed into crumbs
1 1/4 cup corn flakes, crushed
1 ½ tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly spray a 9×9 or 10×10 baking dish and set aside.
Melt the butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat and add the onions. Saute the onions till soft, about 6 minutes and then add the garlic and cook another minute of two. Sprinkle the flour in and cook, stirring constantly, for 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low and add the broth, milk and seasonings and continue stirring till starting to simmer. Simmer till sauce thickens a bit, about 5-6 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in cheese till melted and then add in the sour cream.
In a large bowl add the cooked and diced potatoes. Pour the cream sauce over the potatoes and gently stir till combined. Spread evenly into the prepared baking dish.
Topping-
In a small bowl combine the cracker crumbs and the corn flakes. Pour the melted butter and stir till butter is evenly distributed. Sprinkle over potatoes in baking dish.
Bake covered for about 30 minutes and then remove foil and bake another 15 minutes till topping is starting to golden and potatoes are bubbly.
Notes
I bake my potatoes in the oven until about 5 minutes before they would be perfectly cooked. If you bake them all the way they will not hold their shape in the finished product and you may end up with a somewhat mashed potato type situation. After the potatoes are baked and have cooled for a bit, I put them in the fridge to get cold. Then I peel them (just the tear off the skin) and then dice them small. You can also shred them on the large side of a box grater.
This dish can be made several days ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator. If making ahead, put topping on right before placing in oven and add about 10-15 minutes to the baking time.
This recipe can easily be doubled and made in a 9×13 casserole dish. For my little family of 4, the smaller casserole dish works the best without heaps of leftovers.
Keywords: Funeral Potatoes, Cheesy Potatoes
