If you’re wondering what funeral potatoes are, you’re not alone.
The hashtag #funeralpotatoes mysteriously started trending on Twitter Thursday after Facebook users noticed Walmart advertisements for the starchy staple popping up on their pages. Now the internet can’t stop talking about it.
Funeral potatoes are what they sound like — the dish originally comes from the Mormon tradition of bringing the well-liked comfort food to people at gatherings after a funeral. And that makes sense, because what’s more comforting than a casserole jam packed with potatoes, multiple kinds of cheese and some other crunchy ingredients like potatoes or corn flakes to give it some crispiness?
okay but what are funeral potatoes and how can i get some
— lauren badillo milici (@motelsiren) April 5, 2018
https://twitter.com/BreeLivWrites/status/979115583508811776
After looking at the nutritional label, I now know why the call them #funeralpotatoes
— Chad Kampbell (@ChadKampbell) April 5, 2018
The dish is popular in the South and the Midwest, according to Today.com, and a recipe for funeral potatoes can be found in the Mormon Relief Society Cookbooks dating back to the 20th century. The Wall Street Journal even published multiple funeral potato recipes last year.
Augason Farms, the company that manufactures the funeral potatoes, seems to have a good sense of humor about its now-trending product: The back of its funeral potatoes pouch reads “potatoes to die for.” If you or a friend needs some comfort food, you can get your own pouch of cheesy-potato goodness for just $10 at Walmart.