Funeral Potatoes
By Sarah GabrielPublished on October 12, 2011
Time
1¾ hours
Yield
Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 onions, chopped fine ¼ cup all-purpose flour 1½ cups chicken broth 1 cup half-and-half 1¾ teaspoons table salt ½ teaspoon dried thyme ¼ teaspoon pepper 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese 8 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes ½ cup sour cream 4 cups sour cream and onion potato chips, crushed
Before You Begin
You’ll need one 30-ounce bag of frozen shredded (not cubed) hash brown potatoes.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 2 finely chopped onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add ¼ cup all-purpose flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in 1½ cups chicken broth, 1 cup half-and-half, 1¾ teaspoons table salt, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese until smooth.
- Stir 8 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes into sauce, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, over low heat until thawed, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in ½ cup sour cream until combined.
- Scrape mixture into 13 by 9-inch baking dish and top with 4 cups sour-cream-and-onion potato chips, crushed. Bake until golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes. Serve.
- Potato mixture can be refrigerated in baking dish, covered with aluminum foil, for 2 days. To finish, bake potatoes 20 minutes. Remove dish from oven and uncover. Top with potato chips and bake until golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes.
make ahead
Time
1¾ hoursYield
Serves 8 to 10Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 onions, chopped fine
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1½ cups chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
1¾ teaspoons table salt
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
½ cup sour cream
4 cups sour cream and onion potato chips, crushed
Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 onions, chopped fine
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1½ cups chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
1¾ teaspoons table salt
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
½ cup sour cream
4 cups sour cream and onion potato chips, crushed
Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 onions, chopped fine
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1½ cups chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
1¾ teaspoons table salt
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
½ cup sour cream
4 cups sour cream and onion potato chips, crushed
Why This Recipe Works
We pitted frozen hash browns against fresh potatoes and determined that the former made for less starchy, gloppy Funeral Potatoes. Frozen hash browns were also much easier to prepare. To speed up the cooking time, we thawed the frozen shredded potatoes right in our cheese sauce. Switching from milk to half-and-half prevented the cheese from curdling, while replacing some of the half-and-half with chicken broth obviated the need for the cream of chicken soup that we found in many recipes we tasted. Finally, instead of using cornflakes for our crunchy topping, we enlisted sour cream and onion potato chips.
Want more? Read the whole storyBefore You Begin
You’ll need one 30-ounce bag of frozen shredded (not cubed) hash brown potatoes.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 2 finely chopped onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add ¼ cup all-purpose flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in 1½ cups chicken broth, 1 cup half-and-half, 1¾ teaspoons table salt, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese until smooth.
- Stir 8 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes into sauce, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, over low heat until thawed, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in ½ cup sour cream until combined.
- Scrape mixture into 13 by 9-inch baking dish and top with 4 cups sour-cream-and-onion potato chips, crushed. Bake until golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes. Serve.
- Potato mixture can be refrigerated in baking dish, covered with aluminum foil, for 2 days. To finish, bake potatoes 20 minutes. Remove dish from oven and uncover. Top with potato chips and bake until golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes.
make ahead
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