Monday, January 12, 2015

Funeral Potatoes {with real potatoes and no creamed soup}

Half of you reading this will nod your head and know exactly what I'm talking about, while the other half will be wondering what in the heck is so appetizing about any dish with "funeral" in the title. This dish is like a Utah legacy, although unlike it's jello with shredded carrots counterpart, these actually taste amazing! I believe they get their name because they were most likely to be found on the table during a funeral luncheon, and the dish would most likely be found empty when it's over. These have been a guilty pleasure of mine for years, I always skip the main dish and fill up my plate with these potatoes and savor every last bite. I previously wrote about my hasbrown woes, and since the original recipe calls for frozen hashbrowns I thought my love affair with this dish would be put on hold. I tried making them using my homemade hashbrown recipe and subbed out the cream of chicken soup with a homemade version and holy hannah! We're back in the game people.


7-8 Russet potatoes
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup light sour cream
 Topping:
3 cups cornflakes, lightly crushed
4 tablespoons butter, melted

*For a main dish, just added chopped cooked ham

The night before, peel and boil whole potatoes for about 25-30 minutes, or until tender all the way through (don't over cook them so that they fall apart). Refrigerate overnight. When ready to use them, shred potatoes using a cheese grater then set aside. Preheat oven to 350. Melt 3 Tbs butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about a minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and broth. Add the salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Take the pot off the heat and stir in 2 cups shredded cheese and sour cream until smooth. Gently mix in the shredded potatoes, lifting and folding the mixture until well combined. In a medium bowl, toss the lightly crushed cornflakes with the butter until evenly combined. Spoot the potato mixture into a 9X13-inch baking dish and top with 1 cup shredded cheese then the buttered cornflakes. Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes, until hot and bubbly around the edges.

 

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