Grandma's "OLD SCHOOL" Scalloped Potato Casserole - 52 Church PotLuck "Old School" Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Why are scalloped potatoes called funeral potatoes? ›

It is called "funeral" potatoes because it is commonly served as a side dish during traditional after-funeral dinners, but it is also served at potlucks, and other social gatherings, sometimes with different names.

Starchy side dishes and casseroles: a 9 X 13 pan makes about 12 one cup servings. A 2 quart casserole will make 6 to 8 cups. A typical serving size for potatoes, stuffing, and yams is 1 cup. However, if you are having more than four sides most people will only eat 1/2 cup.

To make this dish, layer scalloped potatoes, canned tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese in a baking dish. If you're after a lasagne-like flavor, add in other ingredients, like ricotta cheese, fresh spinach, and olives. Flavoring the mix is a cinch if you start with canned tomatoes that already come with Italian seasoning.

The dish is prominent in the predominantly Mormon-populated areas of Utah and Idaho, and may have originated in that region of the United States. Funeral potatoes may be known by other names, such as potato casserole, and is served at other potluck dinners, such as family and church gatherings.

The original idea derived from French country cooks who kept the house warm, traditionally baking their potatoes in an oval pottery dish, called a gratin.

I make about 8 oz of potatoes per guest. At least. That guarantees leftovers. 10 lbs for 20, 100 lbs for 200.

As a side dish, you should plan on ½ pound of potatoes per person. That means if you are planning on 10 people, use 5 pounds of potatoes. 4 people use 2 pounds of potatoes.

Scalloped potatoes are rich and filling. Lean proteins and other veggies pair nicely, try grilled ham, pan-seared fish, roast chicken, broiled lobster, or even a filet of beef tenderloin. If no animal proteins are desired a lovely side salad with a sharp vinaigrette works great.

Flour: All-purpose flour helps thicken the sauce as the scalloped potatoes bake. You'll sprinkle flour over each layer of potatoes so the sauce thickens evenly. Butter: A generous amount of butter distributed on each layer of potatoes adds richness.

Watery scalloped potatoes are not good, and is often caused by using the wrong type of potato. This recipe requires starchy potatoes, such as russets or Yukon golds, not waxy potatoes. Another cause is washing or holding the sliced potatoes in water (as outlined in the question above).

How to keep potatoes from turning brown when making scalloped potatoes? ›

Do I have to blanch my potatoes, to make scalloped potatoes ahead of time? A: The short answer I recommend is yes, almost always. If sliced and then placed into a pot of cold water, bring to a boil for 1-2 minutes till the slices have a rubbery consistency, this blanching will help stop the oxidation process.

But it can be frustrating when the creamy sauce and cheese separate or look curdled. The good news is that the dish tastes just fine, even when it looks a little strange. The curdling is caused by high heat, which is hard to avoid in an oven. So to keep the sauce together, tackle it before the dish goes in the oven.

The Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is given credit for serving funeral potatoes at luncheons, and the dish turned into a phenomenon. Early Relief Society cookbooks include funeral potatoes recipes, leading people to conclude that the Relief Society might have created the dish.

"Try it before you diet," chef Tyson Peterson, originally from Salt Lake City, says of the dish that's most commonly served after LDS funerals or at family events. "Even if you're not from that faith, in Utah they're still called 'Mormon Funeral Potatoes' and have only positive connotation.

Is There Another Name For Funeral Potatoes? Yes! This casserole dish is also known as cheesy potatoes, hash brown casserole, cheesy hash browns, party potatoes, or great potatoes.

Potatoes gratiné

Sliced raw potatoes may also be baked in a liquid or sauce that steams them and forms a golden crust on top. In the US, the dish is referred to variously as funeral potatoes, potatoes au gratin, scalloped potatoes, or au gratin potatoes.