As a former politician, I have attended a lot of church suppers. A LOT of church suppers. They are a great way to meet voters, but, quite frankly, I just love church suppers.
AND, unfortunately, I've attended a lot of post-funeral dinners - often prepared by the "church ladies." After the grief of the service, it seems that sharing memories and laughs over a casserole is a healthy way of recovering.
That said, how come I've never heard of "funeral potatoes?" Am I the only one?
The "controversy" apparently started with Walmart ads.
Walmart ads on Facebook have recently been featuring Salt Lake-based Augason Farms’ dehydrated funeral potatoes and the name is apparently disturbing to out-of-staters.
Apparently residents of Idaho and Utah, as well as Mormons, as familiar with the dish - served regularly during meals and...er...after funerals.
...funeral potatoes are often served at post-funeral gatherings in Utah. The quick and cheaply-made casserole can feed a lot of people with just a few ingredients and is easy to freeze. No one has tracked down the exact origin, but recipes for “Funeral Potatoes” first surfaced in LDS Relief Society cookbooks in the early 1900s, the Wall Street Journal reported.
What attracted me to this story is that Iowa is often confused with Idaho. Have you ever been in another state, introduced yourself as a resident of Iowa, and had someone respond with, "oh...the potato state!"
So...are any IOWANS familar with funeral potatoes?