“Funeral” Latkes Combine Two Traditions in One Comforting Holiday Dish

My mother always hoped I’d marry a nice Jewish doctor. But I only briefly dated one, knowing full well that I’d eventually end up with a Nordic-descended creative. When I met a blue-eyed sound engineer, I was hooked. 

Tyson grew up in Utah. I know what you’re thinking, and you’re half right. Though his parents had both left the Mormon church by the time he was born, he attended services as a kid, hoping it would help him fit in. This was far more exposure to his religion of birth than I ever had to mine—I think I’ve been inside of a synagogue five times, and three of those were for food.

New Traditions for a Mixed Household

When we got married, we had to create our own traditions. Tyson embraced being part of “a Jewish household.” But for me, that mostly meant an anxiety disorder mixed with celebrating a few key holidays with dishes that reminded me of time spent with my great-grandparents, the last generation of my family to practice a religion.

We never keep kosher or skip leavened baked goods for Passover, but we eat exceptionally well when the occasion calls for it. For Hanukkah, I always braise a brisket (or, in a pinch, a more readily available cut of beef), make my grandmother’s savory noodle kugel, craft a colorful salad, and fry up some latkes.

Jewish Latkes Meet Mormon Funeral Potatoes

But I wanted to add some of Tyson’s heritage to the occasion. Inspired by Mormon funeral potatoes, I started adding a hefty helping of cheese to my latkes. My open secret is that I use a bag of Simply Potatoes hash browns as the base of my latkes, much as one would for funeral potatoes. 

The addition of sharp cheddar results in a gooey, tangy center and a crispier-than-usual exterior that’s brown from pockets of seared cheese. For the cheddar, I prefer to shred a long-aged Cabot brick myself. It’s the most difficult part of the whole simple dinner. 

I serve my “funeral” latkes with sour cream and applesauce, as one typically does with latkes. But I’m hoping my recipe is easy enough to inspire cooks beyond Jewish and Mormon traditions. Don’t let the morbid name fool you—this crispy side dish is primed for your happiest days.