Funeral Potatoes: A Utah Classic

We know it's cliche, and even a little bit ridiculous.  But especially in this cold weather, those creamy, cheesy, fatty funeral potatoes are just SO GOOD!  So we borrowed a link and a recipe from about.com.  Make these, and your family will love you forever!  

http://saltlakecity.about.com/od/diningnightlife/r/Funeral-Potatoes-Best-Recipe.htm

Funeral potatoes are cheesy au gratin potatoes that LDS Relief Societies frequently serve as part of a dinner prepared for the grieving family to eat after a loved one's funeral. The funeral potatoes are generally served with ham, rolls, salad, cake, and of course, Jell-O. I'm not sure how the tradition evolved, but funeral potatoes are definitely "comfort food."

In my family, we don't eat funeral potatoes just at funerals. We also eat them at parties, especially on Christmas Eve. There are as many versions of funeral potatoes as there are cooks, but of course the best funeral potatoes are the ones my mother makes. Here's her recipe:

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Advance prep: bake/thaw potatoes: 1 hour

Total Time: 2 hours

Yield: About 8 cups

Ingredients:

• 6 c. diced potatoes
• 1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 c. sour cream
• 2 c. cheddar cheese, grated, divided
• 1/4 c. grated onion (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3/4 c. crushed cornflakes (optional for crumb topping)
• Additional 3 T. butter (optional for crumb topping)

Preparation:

1. Prepare the potatoes: Scrub 6-8 medium russet potatoes and wrap in foil. Bake the potatoes in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until they are easily pierced with a fork but not too tender. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and dice them. If you want, you can substitute plain frozen diced (not shredded) potatoes. Let the potatoes thaw before using them in the recipe.
2. Combine soup, butter, sour cream, cheese, onion, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Add the diced potatoes and stir gently until combined.
3. Place potato mixture in a 2-3 quart casserole dish or 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
4. Optional: Mix 3 tablespoons butter with crushed corn flakes and sprinkle over the potato mixture.
5. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Note: To make reduced fat funeral potatoes, replace the melted butter with 1/2 soup can milk. Use reduced fat sour cream, or replace the sour cream with nonfat, plain Greek yogurt. Reduced fat cheddar cheese also works well.