Utah-Mormon-Style Funeral Potatoes

Mormon women cook.
Alot.
I cannot think of a Church activity where a menu is not part of the planning.


Who hasn't heard of green jello and carrots?
Orange jello and grapefruit?
scones and honeybutter?
how about 
"Funeral Potatoes"?


I'd heard of none of these until I became a member of the LDS Church
when I was 16 years old.


That was a whole heckuvalotta years ago
and I still hadn't made any of those recipes
until
this past week.
A lovely sweet sister lost her good fight with ovarian cancer.
Her funeral was Friday,
and as I volunteered to help wherever I was needed,
my Relief Society President asked if I could bring
some 
"funeral potatoes".
I said I would, but needed a recipe
as I've never made them before.


She sent one via email:

Funeral Potatoes

1 lg. pkg. frozen hash-browns
-1 can cream corn
-1/3 cup chopped onions
-1/4 cup butter
-1 pint sour cream
-1 1/2 cup shredded cheese
put hash-browns in greased 9 X 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Mix all remaining ingredients and add to hash-browns. Bake for 30 minutes. you can add crushed crackers or breadcrumbs with melted butter during the last 10 minutes if you want a crispy topping.

I looked at the recipe again--

creamed corn?

really?

I'd never noticed creamed corn in the many styles of 

funeral potatoes I've had over the years.

I called my friend, Nan, and asked her.

She's also a convert to the LDS faith and said,

"Maybe they're Utah-Mormon funeral potatoes?"

Yeah.

Those kind.

They're tricky, I laugh.

Okay then, creamed corn it is.

I made the recipe as it was written,

dropped off the pan in the kitchen of the church

and joined my friends in the Chapel 

for the lovely funeral services of our dear sweet sister, Joanna.

She had a quick sense of humor,

loved a Goodwill bargain so much, 

that Goodwill employees were in attendance,

loved Carlsbad, California,

her family and the Gospel.

It was an emotional, loving service.

At the end,

I was standing in the foyer of the Church 

when my Relief Society President, Lynnel, stopped to visit.

You should've seen her face 

when I asked about the creamed corn!

"What? No, no, no. It's cream of chicken soup!"

"Well, I just thought it was a Utah-Mormon recipe." I answered.

Oh no! 

Lynnel bolted for the kitchen to warn the sisters

to not serve that dish!

She tasted it and said it really wasn't that bad,

in fact, she couldn't taste the corn at all,

but definitely missed the salty flavor of the soup.

"With a little salt, it would be okay."

Lynnel isn't from Utah,

she's an Idahoan.

So there's a lesson for ya.

No creamed corn in funeral potatoes.

Joanna woulda loved this.