The Funeral Pro

     I know that there used to be "professional mourners"...people that would be hired by the family to grieve and wail and moan...the louder and longer the better!...to show how much the deceased was loved and will be missed.
     Now in no way, shape or form am I one of those!...but seeing that between our family and our ward, we've "done" 5 funerals in the past 6 weeks (the most recent one being today)...yes, I'd say...I'm getting good at this!
     This meaning the Family Luncheon. You know, the meal that almost everyone, everywhere in the world has after someone has passed on. The meal that somehow, subconsciously or not, tells us that WE are alive! We haven't joined our beloved in the tomb!
    There seems to be a semi-set-in-stone menu for these things...ham, salads (both green and Jello!), rolls, cake and funeral potatoes. In our Church, everything is voluntary...there is no "funeral committee". The Relief Society generally takes charge and makes food assignments, and seeing that I am a counselor and substitute-president in the Relief Society (the Real president happened to be one of these funerals!), I consider myself a "veteran" of funeral luncheons. Now, I'd just like to make a little commentary on funeral potatoes. Everyone has the basic recipe...it's pretty much universal...but somehow or other they all turn out differently! Some have crunchies on top, some have cheese. Some are mashed potatoey and some are cubey. And as a "Funeral Pro" it's interesting to see which ones get eaten first...HINT: if it's golden or cheesy it's good to go!
   Just in case you may be asked, someday, to bring potatoes to a luncheon...OR you happen to live in our ward where it seems that everyone is being taken up to heaven!...here's the recipe I've got. Try it and see how yours turn out!

FUNERAL POTATOES
1 28-32 oz. bag of shredded hash browns, thawed if you like
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
2 cups of sour cream...yes, that's right 2! This thing is NOT low fat!
1cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup onions, chopped (you can leave this out if you like)
Mix this all together and put on a 13x9 pan. No need to grease it because you've got plenty of fat already!
Top it with 2 cups of cornflakes, crushed mixed with, yes...more fat!...4 Tbsp. of melted butter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or 45-50 minutes if the potatoes are frozen...which they generally are because...please, I'm busy with funerals...I've got no time to plan ahead and defrost 'em!