Funeral Potatoes

Red plastic on the tables in a school gym, my baby cousin in a pink tutu and cowgirl boots running around with the other kids. Photos in the hallway in frames sat on lace cloths. Ceramic blue jays. People whispering in corners. Clinking in the kitchen off to the side.

My uncle is dead, but there are a hundred people here who need to eat.

Did you know it’s freezing cold in Wyoming in April? There's still snow on the ground and the wind grips you with winter's frigid fingers.

I remember that day in flashes; people taking the podium to say what my maternal uncle – my mom’s baby brother, Jay – meant to them.

My eldest uncle had to sit back down, he couldn’t speak. So many flowers scattered around the church. So many people that there was only standing room at one point. A pine casket; closed. Who put all this together? My uncle was alive 48 hours ago. He was going to stay that way for at least 40 more years. How did this come together so fast? The day is a swirling nightmare in my memory.

But I remember being given a plate of funeral potatoes. Scalloped, layered with cheese and sour cream, baked until bubbling. I don’t recall eating anything else at all on the entire trip. I don't think I'd eaten anything substantial on the 14 hour drive there either. Perhaps that's why I remember it so well. Someone saw me, and chose to bring me some much needed food. I don't know who she was. She was thoughtful, whoever she was.

My uncle was baptized in the Church of Latter Day Saints, and so that was the kind of funeral he got. The church people put it on. I learned that day about certain foods you could expect Mormons to make on the day of a funeral, and that naturally included the aptly named "funeral potatoes". They've even got their own Wikipedia page. The description there says the potatoes are cubed, and I've had it with cubed potatoes recently, but I remember scalloped. Whatever. It's potatoes and cheese; what does the shape truly matter? It's real purpose is ease of eating and comfort.

I've yet to make this myself, and have only been served it twice. The first time, of course, at my uncle's funeral. The second time was about a month ago, when I went to Wyoming for my grandmother's headstone placement. We laid her to rest in April of this year, right beside my uncle. It was exactly where she wanted to be. Her headstone took months to craft, and it was finally ready in September. The night after we completed her gravesite, my aunt made funeral potatoes. It seemed appropriate, and I was audibly excited when my aunt said that was what she would make for dinner. Because I've yet to make it myself, I'll paste in the recipe of someone who has below and in a link here.

Recipe from Lauren Allen at Tastes Better From Scratch:

Ingredients (makes 12 servings as a side)

▢ 30 ounces frozen hash browns , diced or shredded will work, THAWED*

▢ 2 cups sour cream

▢ 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup (or homemade)

▢ 10 Tablespoons butter , divided, melted

▢ 1 teaspoon salt

▢ 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

▢ 1 teaspoon dried minced onion

▢ 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

▢ 2 cups corn flakes cereal

Instructions:

1. Allow potatoes to thaw in your fridge overnight, or spread them on a baking sheet and warm them in the oven at 200 degrees for about 20 minutes, until thawed.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

3. Combine sour cream, cream of chicken soup, 6 Tablespoons of melted butter, salt, pepper and dried onion in a bowl. Mix well.

4. Add potatoes and shredded cheese and stir to combine. Spoon mixture into a single layer in a 9x13'' pan.

5. Add cornflakes to a large Ziplock bag and crush gently with your hands or a rolling pin. (I'd like to add here that cornflakes are optional, base don what I've had. You can just add cheese on top instead if you don't want cornflakes.)

6. Add remaining 4 tablespoons of melted butter to the crushed cornflakes and combine well. Sprinkle mixture over potatoes.

7. Bake uncovered at 350 F for 40-50 minutes.

Notes

*Or substitute 10 small potatoes, parboiled and diced

To Freeze:

To freeze funeral potatoes, make as directed, but do not add the cornflake topping. Cover and store in freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw in the fridge overnight. Add cornflake topping before baking.

And that's funeral potatoes. May this recipe bring you warmth and nourishment, and an evening of peace. Take a moment to remember someone you have loved and cherished that has crossed over.