Funeral Potatoes - The Midnight Baker (2024)

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Despite the weird name, funeral potatoes is one of the tastiest potato side dishes ever.

Funeral Potatoes–Only The Name Is Odd

I’ve heard this potato casserole talked about for ages. Never even thought of making it though–until recently.

A friend who is a Texas native was discussing this recipe a few months ago. Since I’ve known her (online) for years and know that she not only is a great cook but a lover of good uncomplicated food, I decided to make this casserole.

I always give my friends on Facebook a heads-up to what I made on a particular day along with the name of the dish. Friends in the northeast said they never heard of these. Yes, the name is rather odd. Maybe a little off-putting for some too. The name is probably a Texas or even a southern thing. I haven’t really dug very deeply into why they are named as such. However, after making them, I’ve discovered how totally delicious they are despite the odd name.

Actually, they remind me of those cheesy hashbrowns that Cracker Barrel has on their menu. You won’t go wrong with these!

Keeping It Authentic

You know one of the best things about this recipe? That it can be made so many different ways with just a little bit of imagination.

I stuck pretty much with the standard recipe except I threw in some chives because the flavor goes so well with sour cream and potatoes. That’s about it with my additions, but there’s so much more you can do so you can really go wild.

How about different cheeses? That’s where I’d start. I used mild cheddar to keep it pretty much untouched and the flavor is great. However, a smoked gouda would be fantastic here too. Whatever you like, try it. It’ll be fabulous with whatever you do.

Potatoes

Shredded hashbrowns are pretty much the standard. You could buy them frozen like I did or you can shred your own if you’re ambitious (I’m not but that’s a story for another day).

You could also used the diced variety of hashbrowns if nothing else is available. They will need to bake longer though. But if you are overrun with regular potatoes, you could dice your own–and I would too since it’s easier than shredding.

I defrosted that bag of frozen potatoes overnight, however it may not be necessary although it does cut the cooking time a bit.

The Recipe