Funeral Potatoes Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

Why are they called funeral potatoes? ›

These ooey-gooey potatoes may be named after funerals, because members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints shared them at funerals.

"Even if you're not from that faith, in Utah they're still called 'Mormon Funeral Potatoes' and have only positive connotation. They are perfect for any get-together, as they're customizable and feed many people easily." Others believe the dish was also served in earlier times to people who were close to death.

Conventional wisdom holds that nobody really knows who created this dish. The Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is given credit for serving funeral potatoes at luncheons, and the dish turned into a phenomenon.

Funeral potatoes (also great potatoes, cheesy potatoes, hash brown casserole, cheesy hash browns, those potatoes, or party potatoes) is a traditional potato hotdish or casserole that is popular in the American Intermountain West and Midwest.

Funeral Potatoes, aka holiday potatoes, cheesy potatoes, or hash brown casserole, just to name a few of the things I have heard them called. But whatever you want to call them, they are most definitely to die for!

There's never a bad time to try your hand at whipping up this dish. You can put together this comforting cheesy potatoes recipe to serve as the perfect introduction to funeral potatoes. Essentially they're the same as a hash brown casserole or a dressed-up version of au gratin potatoes.

While no one is sure where exactly funeral potatoes originated, most sources attribute their spread to the Relief Society, a women's organization within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. One responsibility of society members was attending to the needs of the bereaved, including meals.

Why are they called funeral potatoes? Funeral potatoes get their unique name from being a crowd-pleasing casserole served as a side dish at after-funeral luncheons (particularly in the culture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints).

Widely associated with funerals, funeral potatoes are a potato-based dish in casserole form—the ultimate comfort food—that is usually served hot at potlucks. It's a widespread tradition to serve them at gatherings held after funerals, hence the name.

Additionally, it provides a sense of community and comfort for those grieving. The term "repast" has Latin roots, it means "to eat" and originally referred to any mealtime. However, it has become synonymous with a meal eaten after a funeral over the years.

Why did the Irish eat so many potatoes? ›

Why were potatoes so important to Ireland? The potato plant was hardy, nutritious, calorie-dense, and easy to grow in Irish soil. By the time of the famine, nearly half of Ireland's population relied almost exclusively on potatoes for their diet, and the other half ate potatoes frequently.