Kudos to Potatoes!

Don't you just LOVE potatoes? The American Indians first discovered the potato, also known as a tuber. Did you know one potato plant can produce up to 32 potatoes? Good thing, because America's cooks have found hundreds of uses for them.

And find me the family that isn't ga-ga over potatoes--or the man that doesn't love his mashed potatoes and gravy. My husband, Rich, told me recently that potatoes and gravy are one of the vital anchors of life (he wasn't kidding and our kids are getting him a T-shirt made with this piece of wisdom written on it).

Anyway, I was thinking about this humble vegetable and thought I'd share one of the most popular, and EASY potato recipes out there: FUNERAL POTATOES. Probably every neighbor you have has a version of this delicious recipe (maybe under a different name). We know it as Funeral Potatoes because it's always served at the after-funeral dinners our church prepares--people love it and are truly disappointed if it's not on the menu. Here's my recipe--see how it compares to yours:

FUNERAL POTATOES (serves 10)

1 lg pkg ( 2 lbs) frozen hash browns (partly thawed)
1 pint sour cream
1 can undiluted cream of chicken soup
2 C shredded Cheddar cheese
1 onion, chopped
1/4 C melted butter
2 Tbsp dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1 C shredded cheese
2 C cornflakes
1/2 C butter, melted

In huge mixing bowl, mix together the hashbrowns, sour cream, soup, 2 C shredded cheese, chopped onion, 1/4 C melted butter, parsley and salt and pepper. Pour mixture into a 9x13 (you might need two pans--this expands a bit when baking). Sprinkle 1 C shredded cheese atop mixture. Stir together cornflakes and melted butter and spread atop shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes. Watch closely so it doesn't burn.

You can also add lightly steamed broccoli and cauliflower pieces and/or diced ham to this and you'll have a complete entree.

OK, I know this isn't heart-healthy. In fact, when I serve it, we make sure we have the local paramedics on speed dial! But sometimes, who cares? Every great cook has a killer, 100% crowd-pleasing recipe up her sleeve, and this is mine. Now, do YOU have any killer recipes you could share? We're all in this together, remember, so let's share the good stuff. And until next time, here's boatloads of kudos to those terrific potatoes, and of course, happy cook'n!