Funeral Food
When I was a kid I remember a running joke about an unofficial southern cookbook for what we called “funeral food.” Instead of organizing its chapters by dish or meal, we speculated that it would be arranged by types of friendship, illness, and situation, with a final chapter on etiquette regarding the return of Tupperware and even what to say when delivering the food.
My memories on this are hazy, but I remember casseroles, lasagna, or chicken pie being suggested for a surviving spouse, while sandwich trays of cold cuts were an option for the houses that we knew would have a revolving door of visitors stopping by. Cookies were brought for kids, always chocolate chip and never oatmeal raisin, although brownies might also work. If you were bringing something by a work friend’s house or someone you didn’t know quite well, you might bring a side dish like deviled eggs or a nice mac-n-cheese. Others might bring a signature cake or pie, always saying “Don’t worry about the container . . . don’t need it back.”
Then there were those in the breakfast bereavement camp who preferred to bring muffins or biscuits with a side of sliced country ham and fruit, because mornings are especially hard after the passing of a loved one. I even remember a dish called Funeral Potatoes that is reminiscent of Cracker Barrel’s hashbrown casserole.
