I know you may hear the name “funeral potato” and not instantly think of a delicious cheesy potato dish, but this one is. Funeral potatoes are a famous Idaho and Utah dish that is traditional for families to bring to an after-funeral luncheon. A very simple, yet tasty dish always here to warm people’s stomachs and indulge in something so creamy. There are usually so many leftovers that I can’t help, but think of something fun to repurpose them into. Why not empanadas? Using a store-bought pie crust, we’re going to cut out empanada wrappers and stuff this pastry to the gills with cheesy potatoes, fry them up, and enjoy them the next day. You can just as easily bake them, but why not indulge in something even better? Serve them up with a delicious creamy dipping sauce.
If you’re making these from scratch, you are going to need some time to first bake your cheesy potatoes, then let them cool. Best to do this overnight because the more firm the potatoes are, the easier to stuff the empanadas. While your potatoes are baked, take the time to cut your pie dough into the perfect size empanada wrapper. Wrap these in plastic wrap and store them in the fridge for an easy project the next day.
When stuffing, use a fork to seal the edges on both sides to give that classic empanada fan. Don’t worry if some of the cheesy potatoes are squeezing out as long as the seal on the fan is tight. Freeze or refrigerate your appetizers until ready for cooking. Make a lot of these and just save for a rainy day or unexpected visitors. They make such a tasty treat to air fry, bake, or fry. This is by far one of my favorite ways to use up and store leftover potatoes.
After these are baked, they will stay crispy for hours. The buttery flakey pie crust will protect these from drying out and are great for a picnic or summer outdoor barbecue. Transfer these crispy empanadas to a foil tray covered with perforated foil to ensure the crust stays crisp.
I love the taste of these cheesy potatoes wrapped in pie crust. This is a quick method to take leftovers and repurpose them into something even better. If you have the time to make your dough or you can find store-bought empanada wrappers, try it out. It will get infinitely better.
Funeral Potato Empanadas
Yield(s): Makes 20
20m prep time
55m cook time
1h inactive
you’re making mealtime meaningful.
Ingredients
- 1 package store-bought pie dough
- 4 cups frozen hash browns
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 (10oz.) Cans Campbells cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup sour cream
- 5 – 6 cups vegetable oil at 350° F
Preparation
- Preheat your oven to 350 °F and spray a 9×13 tray.
- Mix the hash browns, cheddar cheese, cream of chicken and sour cream in a large mixing bowl until combined. Use a spatula to spread into the prepared 9×13 pan.
- Bake for 40 – 45 minutes or until golden. Remove and scoop out half of the potatoes in a bowl and cool in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Use a biscuit cutter to cut rounds into your prepared pie dough to make empanadas in the meantime, rolling extra dough out to create more empanada wraps.
- Preheat oil or oven to 350 °F and start to fill your empanadas using a small ice cream scoop with chilled funeral potatoes. Fold over each filled empanada and use a fork to crimp the edges.
- Fry for 2 – 3 minutes or bake in the oven for 20 – 22 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack and enjoy!