Funeral potatoes are a potato casserole traditionally served at post-burial meals among Mormons. The dish consists of hash brown-style potatoes mixed with butter, sour cream, cream soup, cheddar cheese, and onions, topped with buttered cornflake crumbs or Parmesan. The dish can be high in fat and calories, but substitutions can be made to reduce the calorie and fat content. The dish is also eaten at church dinners, Christmas meals, and other social gatherings among Mormons. The term funeral potatoes is primarily used among Mormons in Utah, but similar potato casseroles are eaten by non-Mormons in the US.
Burial potatoes are the nickname given to a potato casserole, which is traditionally served as a side dish in post-burial meals among those in the Mormon religion. Mormon funeral potatoes, however, are not only a burial staple but are also served at church dinners, Christmas meals, and other social gatherings among Mormons. Recipe-wise, funeral potatoes are similar to potato au gratin, as both casseroles are simple to make and consist of a creamy potato dish topped with a baked crust.
Potatoes are the main ingredient in any funeral potato dish. These potatoes can be made in different preparations, such as sliced or diced. Usually, however, the potatoes are hash brown style, meaning they have been diced. Shredded hash browns are usually not used to prevent the dish from becoming too mushy once cooked. You can use prepackaged or freshly made hash browns. If frozen hash browns are used, however, they may thaw before being used.
The exact ingredients for the funeral potatoes will differ slightly based on the recipe. In general, however, potatoes are combined with butter, sour cream and cream soup. Cream of chicken soup is most commonly used, but cream of celery or cream of potato soup is considered an acceptable substitute. Shredded cheddar cheese and onions are also usually mixed into the dish before the funeral potatoes are scraped into a roasting pan. The dish is then topped with buttered cornflake crumbs or Parmesan to form a golden topping.
Healthy funeral potatoes can be high in fat and calories. To reduce calories and fat, you can make ingredient substitutions. For example, you can use half-and-half or milk instead of butter. In place of cream of chicken soup, you can use a low-sodium chicken broth. To thicken the broth, it can be cooked over a fire for a few minutes with a few tablespoons of flour and butter added. Low-fat cheese and sour cream can help further reduce the total amount of fat and calories included in each casserole serving.
The term funeral potatoes appears to be used primarily among Mormons living in the state of Utah. The hot pot seems to go by a number of other names among Mormons living in other parts of the United States, including party potatoes and church potatoes. Furthermore, the dish is not isolated to Mormons, as very similar potato casseroles, including scalloped potatoes, are eaten by non-Mormons in the United States.
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