If you’ve ever been to a funeral, you’ve probably had them. Those cheesy, creamy potatoes served in a casserole dish with a crunchy coating on top.
In parts of the West and Midwest, they are known as “funeral potatoes” — since they are commonly served after gatherings following a funeral. But, they are also served at church gatherings, holidays, graduation parties, and other occasions. They are said to have started in Utah.
Back in 2016, Augason Farms introduced a prepackaged kit with all the ingredients. But some recent ads for them on Facebook have people taking to social media to express their surprise at the name of the dish.
“Someone explain this to me, did I miss something,” Nikki Brewer posted on Facebook.
“Has anyone had funeral potatoes before? Just had this advertisement come up on my FB feed,” Anna Durling asked on Facebook.
Dustin Griffin tweeted about them using the hashtag “starch of death.”
Seriously??
That’s some strange marketing.#funeral #potatoes #starchofdeath https://t.co/JcgYmlSkym pic.twitter.com/Jw1czGZZKf— Dustin Griffin (@brneyeddut) March 29, 2018
Rob Eads pointed out the marketing copy on the back of the bag that says “Potatoes to die for.”
Wait… Funeral Potatoes? Is this really a thing you can buy at the grocery store?
I'm equally intrigued by the marketing copy on the back of the bag: "potatoes to die for"
— Rob Eads (@NonchalantS) March 28, 2018
Read some other reactions to the Facebook ad:
I mean, why not call them Pot Luck Potatoes? or Church Buffet Potatoes? But Funeral Potatoes? Really?
— Momm A. Rentz (@RentzMomm) March 28, 2018
i just logged onto facebook and briefly saw a flash of an image that said "Funeral Potatoes" before the algorithm refreshed my timeline and i have so many questions
— ⚇ (@plorf_) March 28, 2018
That moment when you're bee-bopping along on FB, and you come across Funeral Potatoes. What exactly are Funeral Potatoes? Is that a thing? I mean, I guess it is, cause Walmart's selling them. Am I crazy or is this weird? pic.twitter.com/g01h0KB4NA
— Bree Livingston (@BreeLivWrites) March 28, 2018
And now for something completely different: Funeral Potatoes
Recommended by @Facebook ads. Again I need to ask, what does #Facebook know that I don't? pic.twitter.com/1vHKl5N7xD— Jeff Brown (@WJeffreyBrown) March 28, 2018
I make them on Good Friday as Funeral Potatoes and serve them on Easter as Resurrection Potatoes.
— Clare (@agent_it) March 28, 2018