In Defense: Funeral Potatoes

June 20, 2012

Funeral potatoes: This is the most famous and maligned Utah recipe besides Jell-O salad, but it’s a cherished part of many Mormon family menus. Tammy Hanchett, third-generation Ogden mother/stepmother of five, remembers eating her grandmother’s version when she was a child, and it is her family’s favorite dish when she has everyone over for Sunday night supper. “My grandmother used to make her own white sauce, and she never had an exact recipe,” recalls Hanchett. “She’d add a dollop of this and a dollop of that. I’ll never taste potatoes like that again.” But after trying several recipes and variations (cubed vs. shredded potatoes, butter vs. margarine), Hanchett has come up with a recipe that comes close.

Tammy Hanchett

“Grandma always cooked it until the top was really brown. Some might think it was overcooked, but I love that toasty taste,” Hanchett says.

1/2 cup melted butter, plus 3 Tbsp.
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
1 pint of sour cream
1/2 to 1 cup milk
2 cups of grated cheddar or jack cheese
1 large bag of frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
1 cup crushed cornflakes

Mix the 1/2 cup butter, the soup and the sour cream in a large bowl. Stir in the milk, then the cheese and frozen potatoes and mix well. Plop into a 9×13 pan. Put the cornflakes in a Ziploc baggie and add the 3 Tbsp. melted butter. Mash until they are crumbs. Sprinkle on top of potatoes. Cook at 350 degrees for about 1/2 hour or until top is browned.

Utah’s Own Best Funeral Potatoes Contest

Jessica Yescas

Contestants gathered at the Downtown Farmers Market in Salt Lake City to enter their funeral potato recipe in a contest sponsored by Utah’s Own. Here’s the winner from Jessica Yescas.

1 32 oz. package freshly shredded hash browns
2 cups cream of chicken soup
2 cups of shredded Monterey and cheddar cheese
2 cups Meadow Gold sour cream
1/2 cup of diced onion
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 cup of Meadow Gold unsalted butter, divided
1 cup Panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sauté the onion in 1/2 cup butter until translucent. Remove from heat. Add hash browns, sour cream, cheese, salt and pepper and combine. Spread the mixture into a 9×13 dish. Mix the Panko with 1/2 cup melted butter and top the mixture. Bake for 40 minutes covered with foil. Uncover and bake for an additional 5–7 minutes or until golden brown.