Potato Casserole for any Occasion.

A funeral is a time of sorrow; the passing of a family member, friend, neighbor that grips the mind and heart with deep sadness.  Usually the reasoning is that this person is missed; no longer can he/she be involved in the lives of the yet living.  However, while the funeral is the saying goodbye, the wake afterwards is the true celebration of, not the death, but the life.  Singing, dancing, tales of delighted remembrance are all part of the celebration, along with food and drink.

One such dish for this occasion is “Funeral Potatoes”; supposedly developed throughout the Intermountain states of Idaho, Nevada and Utah.  Searching through culinary resources, this “cheesy, creamy potato casserole” shows up in Mid-western and Southern cookbooks as well.  For Utah, it was typical for Relief Societies to make this potato dish for grieving families; giving comfort, not just to the heart, but the body as well.    A Blanding, Utah friend, Heidi Murphy, gave me her family recipe; I’ve enjoyed it as directed, but even played with different cheeses included such as Swiss, Goat and Gruyere.  It is definitely a potato lover’s delight and accompanies any cooked meat or poultry deliciously; however, it takes two days to prepare and spontaneity is not a friend of this recipe.

I can hear the huge sighs now and the question, “Oh dear, what has she done with this tried and true recipe now?”  You know me so well, don’t you?  As much as I, and my husband, love the taste and texture of Funeral Potatoes, when we want a potato casserole now, we want it now!  While my recipe is more in line with an “au gratin” casserole, the comfort can be achieved in two hours, instead of two days.  I still use real butter.  Margarine?  Seriously, who, in their right mind, would use something one molecule away from becoming plastic!  Instead of a canned soup, a lightly seasoned mixture of fresh eggs and real cream seals the deal.  Thinly sliced potatoes, sharp Cheddar cheese enveloped in a rich, creamy sauce; now that’s what I call comfort!  To be fair, I am including Heidi’s recipe along with mine; make both and have a cook-off.

Cheddar Cheesy Potatoes

Ingredients:

6 medium potatoes (white, red skinned, or mixture)

1 small red onion, diced
14 Tbsp. butter or butter with canola oil
1 (16 oz.) bag shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Ground black pepper
Salt
2 large eggs
2 cups half n ’half

Preparation:

Slice potatoes 1/8 inch thin (leave skin on) and immerse in cold water for 15 minutes; drain and rinse.  While potatoes are soaking, melt 2 tablespoons butter in 10 inch skillet and sauté until edges just begin to brown; remove from heat.  Preheat oven to 375F; smear bottom and sides of 4 quart baking dish with 2 tablespoons butter.

 

Begin layering 1/3 of potatoes on bottom of dish; sprinkle 1/3 of onions over potatoes; 1/3 of cheese spread over all; 5 tablespoons butter; ¼ teaspoon each of ground black pepper and salt.  Repeat except for final layer, only spread the remaining cheese; no additional butter, black pepper and salt.

 

In a medium bowl, lightly beat together eggs, half n’ half, ¼ teaspoon each ground black pepper and salt; evenly pour over top layer of baking dish.  The mixture will work its way down into the layers and bottom.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Uncover, bake for additional 20 minutes and let settle for 5 minutes before serving.

 

Makes 8 servings.

Fried Chicken Cutlets, Corn Relish, Cheddar Cheesy Potatoes

Fried Chicken Cutlet, Corn Relish, Potatoes

London Broil, Potatoes

 
Funeral Potatoes

(Recipe Source: Heidi Murphy of Blanding, Utah)

Ingredients:

7 medium potatoes (Yukon Gold or Russet)
½ cup butter, plus 8 additional ½ Tbsp. pieces
1 can Cream of Chicken soup, family size
½ can milk
1/3 cup onion, minced
1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, grated
1 pint sour cream
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
Corn flakes

*optional: real bacon bits

 

Preparation:

Boil potatoes, skin on, till fork tender (slightly firm); let cook, peel off skin and grate.

In a large saucepan, combine cup of butter, soup and milk, on medium heat, till hot; do not bring to boil.  Whish in onion, cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper till smooth.

In a 9 x 13 baking dish (spray with non-stick spray), layer potatoes then sauce (there will be 3 layers of each).  Top with an even layer of corn flakes; dot with the 8-1/2 Tbsp. of butter.  Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight.

Next day, preheat oven to 350F.  Bake, covered with foil, for 45 minutes; uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes.  Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Mary Cokenour

An Irish Wake for a Side Dish.

One of my earliest posts was about a Utah style side dish called Funeral Potatoes; named because it was a staple at after funeral get-togethers. While this dish tastes much better using freshly shredded potatoes, and when is fresh not best, but, depending on circumstances, a bag of frozen will just have to do. With the Thanksgiving holiday coming, making room in the freezer for the turkeys, yes turkeys as I have to roast more than one, I found bags of frozen potatoes and was going to make the Funeral Potatoes. "Was" was the operative word at the time.

Taking time to actually read the bags, I found they were O'Brien potatoes; diced potatoes mixed with diced onions and bell peppers. They're a very good mixture, but not exactly what I was hoping to use; until the light bulb went off and the cooking mad scientist came forth. By the way, I found I didn't have any sour cream in the refrigerator, so again I had to compensate in some way. There was heavy cream left over from the ganache I had made for the chocolate cheesecake. Oh yes, my mind was whirling with possibilities now. No regular cheddar cheese, but a block of extra sharp Vermont white cheddar; this was going to be good!

I didn't use the corn flake topping either; hubby and I have found that we simply don't care for it.  It tends to become soggy, and doesn't reheat very well either.  As you compare the recipe for funeral potatoes to the wake potatoes, you'll notice the differences I've incorporated.  Oh, the name Wake Potatoes; simply O'Brien is a good Irish name, and to keep with the idea of serving at an after funeral get-together, and the Irish do have some wonderful wakes; well there you have it, "Wake Potatoes".   You can also add some type of cooked meat or poultry to the recipe to make a complete meal instead of just a side dish.

Do you have to use frozen pototoes?  Of course not!  Just use the equivalent (6 1/2 cups), of parboiled diced potatoes; adding a half cup each of diced onion, green bell pepper and red bell pepper.

So let me introduce you to "Wake Potatoes".

 

Wake Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 (14.75) oz cans Cream of Chicken soup
½ cup butter
½ cup milk
1 (8 oz) bar extra sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup heavy cream
½ tsp ground black pepper
2 (26 oz) bags O’Brien potatoes; defrosted and drained

Preparation:

Spray a 9” x 13” baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large saucepan, medium-high heat, bring the soup, butter and milk to a low boil; whisk in the cheese, cream and black pepper until cheese is thoroughly melted and incorporated. Remove from heat.

Spread one bag of potatoes into the dish and evenly spread half the cheese sauce over them; repeat with second bag and remaining sauce. Cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

A half hour before needing to bake set the dish on the counter to bring to room temperature. Preheat oven to 350F; remove plastic wrap and cover dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes before removing foil; bake an additional 15 minutes. Let casserole rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

*Option: mix 1 cup crumbled bacon, crumbled sausage, ground beef, diced ham or diced chicken to each layer of potatoes for a complete meal casserole. All proteins have been precooked before addition to potatoes.

Mary Cokenour

Briskets and Gravy.

As much as I love to grill and smoke meats, I am not one of those extreme die hards who are out there in any type of weather manning the grill and/or smoker.  What a quandry though when you are craving a good brisket, but don't want to deal with the cold weather outside.  That's where the crock pot comes in and becomes a best friend; always willing to help out and never complaininng.

After defrosting a four pound beef brisket and trimming excess fat off; I gave it a good massage with my All Purpose Rub. Sealing it inside an airtight container and popping it into the refrigerator, the preparations for Funeral Potatoes was begun. I didn't have any corn flakes on hand though, so a nice layer of shredded sharp cheddar cheese became my topping. Covered with plastic wrap, into the refrigerator that went to keep the brisket company overnight.

Next morning I got the crock pot out; the brisket went inside with all the other ingredients needed. I knew that the onions, tomatoes, chilies and garlic would not just help enhance the flavor of the brisket, but tenderize and moisturize. The rub on the brisket would help season those ingredients also, so the resulting gravy would be awe inspiring.

That evening I knew when Roy would be coming home from work, so I put the Funeral Potatoes in the oven, so they would be ready at the same time as the brisket and gravy. Result? Between the "Hmmm's" and "Oh my's", Roy was able to tell me that this was one of the best meals he'd ever enjoyed. The gravy was stupendous and the threat to eat a bowl of just that was made; he absolutely could not believe how deliciously awesome it was. He kept telling me that the brisket just melted in his mouth, and I have to agree that it was the tenderest brisket I've ever eaten. The Funeral Potatoes were a perfect accompaniment; the flavors melding so well with the beef and gravy.

Ain't that a kicker though, a crock pot giving a grill a run for it's money.

Crock Pot Beef Brisket and Gravy

Ingredients:
4-5 lb beef brisket, trimmed of fat
½ cup all purpose rub
1 (10.5 oz) can French onion soup plus ½ can water
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies – mild
1 ½ Tbsp minced garlic
4 Tbsp flour

Preparation:
Thoroughly coat, and massage in, all sides of brisket with rub; place in airtight plastic container or bag and refrigerate overnight.

Set 6 qt crock pot on low; spray inside with nonstick cooking spray. Place soup, water, tomatoes and garlic in crock pot; whisk in flour until incorporated well. Immerse brisket into liquid, cover and cook for 8 hours.

Remove brisket to rest before slicing. Set crock pot to high; using an immersion blender in the crock pot, or placing liquid into stand blender, puree tomatoes and onions. Let pureed liquid cook for 15 minutes to thicken. Serve over sliced brisket; also good for a gravy over mashed potatoes and/or biscuits.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Play with it and it will taste better.

Way back on January 20, 2011 I posted the recipe for a traditional Utah recipe, Funeral Potatoes. Not having the orange variety of Cheddar cheese, cornflakes or fresh potatoes available, and being too lazy to go to the store, I decided to try a few other ingredients and see what I could come up with. I must say, it was a very tasty experiment.

Now, at the same time the potatoes were cooking, I also had in the oven a tray of chicken legs and thighs baking in my Homemade Barbeque Sauce. I removed the skin from the chicken before coating it in the sauce, so the chicken meat itself absorbed the flavor of the sauce, and the baking process actually put a little char on it. Basically, once the chicken is in the oven, just leave it alone and let it do its own thing. I baked up 20 chicken legs and 12 thighs, so they started in the oven while the potatoes were warming up on the counter, and finished while the potatoes were resting. Perfect timing!

Saucy Shredded Potatoes

Ingredients:
6 Tbsp butter
6 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
2 Tbsp sour cream
½ cup heavy cream
2 (14.5 oz) cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
1 cup each shredded white Cheddar cheese and Swiss cheese
1 (28 oz) bag frozen shredded potatoes

Preparation:
In a large saucepan, medium-high heat, melt butter and whisk in flour, salt, black pepper and onion powder. Stir in sour cream, heavy cream, soup, milk and cheeses; bring to a low boil; reduce heat to low and let cook for 5 minutes.

Put the potatoes into a large bowl, pour the cheese mixture in and mix thoroughly. Pour this mixture into a 2 qt baking dish (sprayed with nonstick cooking spray); cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Next day, remove from refrigerator and let it sit on counter for a half hour. Preheat oven to 350F; remove plastic wrap, sprinkle plain dried bread crumbs over top, cover with aluminum foil and bake for one hour. Remove foil, bake additional 15 minutes; let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour

I'm a mom, but you wouldn't know it.

Yes, I'm the mom of an adopted son from El Salvador.  He was two years old when this tiny little person came off a plane, and into our arms.  Adorable was the word to describe him, sweet was another.  I, the woman who never wanted to have children, was now a mother...a mom...and I didn't have an instruction manual, so I winged it.  Every day, I let William know how much I wanted and loved him; gave up working outside the home for eight years to be a stay-at-home-mom.  I only went back to work when he started going to school full-time, and being at home was no longer beneficial to anyone.

We weren't rich, but did better than most of our friends.  We provided him the best we could afford, and refused to buy those expensive trendy clothes and toys.  The most important thing is that we taught him values, manners and morals; not something a lot of parents do anymore.  So many times I was stopped by a person and told, "He is such a well mannered boy; you don't see that much nowadays".

My first husband wasn't in the picture much; he loved having the title of "father", but that's where it ended.  He was mentally, emotionally, and many times, physically abusive to us both.  I filed for divorce the day after he tried to strangle William with his bare hands.  Instead of growing up and older with his son, he felt he had been replaced as the center of attention, and that was too much for this man to handle.

William had many goals as he grew older, but his main ones were to be an architect and an artist; when it came to artwork, he was very good.  So enters Roy, a graphic artist, and he was able to help William with his artwork.  Unfortunately, a young girl with severe personal problems came into William's life also.  Drinking, drugs and sex were her lifestyle, and endorsed by her own mother...like mother, like daughter.

But she wasn't the only cause of William's downfall; he had established many a friendship with boys who lived on "The Hill".

Living in half million dollar homes, parents making six figure salaries, country club memberships, housekeepers and cooks...how were we middle class parents to compete?

And so, all the values, morals and manners taught to William went out the window, and were replaced with lying, stealing, staying out all the time, and making sure he couldn't be reached.  His goal to go to college was replaced with, "you have to finance an apartment for me, buy me a $30,000 car, and give me free access to your money."  He wanted to party all the time, and be bankrolled by us.  Surprise!!!, ain't gonna happen little boy.

I haven't really had much contact with William since I've moved to Utah.  We asked him to move with us, start a new life out West, but he stayed in Pennsylvania to be near his friends and girlfriend.  The girlfriend?  She moved to Michigan, got herself a new boyfriend, of course, after cleaning out William's bank account.  His friends?  They all went to college, didn't have much to do with William, except if he had booze and pot to share. 

Now William works two food industry jobs, shares a house with three other young men, and is basically learning how tough it is in the real world.  He'll be 21 on February 9th, and be considered an adult in every way, shape and form.  Now the question is, will he really become an adult, take responsibility for his own actions, and stop blaming his family for "all his problems and losses"?  Good question, wonder if I'll ever find out the answer?

I still love my son, am sad for him, but am sadder still that what was allowed to take place was the death of a close and loving mother-son relationship.

Which brings me to today's recipe, "Funeral Potatoes"; "say what?!?", you might ask. I received the recipe from a friend and coworker named Heidi, who explained that it's a dish that usually shows up at any meal related to a funeral, hence the name.  It's a Utah thing.

Funeral Potatoes – It’s a Utah thing

Ingredients:

7 medium potatoes (Yukon Gold or Russet)

½ cup butter, plus 8 additional ½ Tbsp pieces

1 can Cream of Chicken soup, family size

½ can milk

1/3 cup onion, minced

1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, grated

1 pint sour cream

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

Corn flakes

*optional: real bacon bits

Preparation:

Boil potatoes, skin on, till fork tender (slightly firm); let cook, peel off skin and grate.

In a large saucepan, combine cup of butter, soup and milk, on medium heat, till hot; do not bring to boil.  Whish in onion, cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper till smooth.

In a 9 x 13 baking dish (spray with non-stick spray), layer potatoes then sauce (there will be 3 layers of each).  Top with an even layer of corn flakes; dot with the 8-1/2 Tbsp of butter.  Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight.

Next day, preheat oven to 350F.  Bake, covered with foil, for 45 minutes; uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes.  Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 8-10 servings.