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Family-favorite funeral potatoes are creamy, cheesy, and crispy on top. It’s perfect for dinners and holidays!
If you like cheesy potatoes, you’ll love Crock Pot Scalloped Potatoes or Baked Mashed Potatoes.
A Holiday Must-Have!
There are certain side dishes that have to be made on Thanksgiving for our family. Some of those include my aunt’s famous Ham, my mom’s famous rolls, and several side dishes, including funeral potatoes (also known as cheesy potato casserole).
We also make Classic Mashed Potatoes as well, but we always have at least two pans of funeral potatoes. It’s a favorite because:
- They are sinfully delicious!! So flavorful and filled with ingredients we all love – it’s the ultimate comfort food!
- So many variations! Add onions, leave them out, or add ham or change up the toppings based on preference.
- Can be made ahead of time. Funeral potatoes are the perfect side dish for large gatherings, parties, and holidays (like Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas).
Why are they called funeral potatoes? At some point, someone noticed that this dish had become a staple at funeral luncheons and the nickname has stuck. They’re an easy dish to feed a crowd which means they are great to have for holiday dinners, potlucks, and family gatherings all year long.
Ingredients
- frozen diced hash browns – Use shredded hash browns instead of cubed potatoes – we have a similar recipe using them for Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole.
- sour cream – we recommend full fat sour cream but reduced fat works as well as plain greek yogurt for a tangier taste.
- cream of chicken soup – You can use other flavors of soup such as cream of mushroom soup, cream of celery soup, or even cream of chicken soup.
- unsalted butter
- sharp cheddar cheese (shredded) – You can also use medium or mild cheddar cheese or can use another favorite like monterey jack cheese.
- seasonings – salt, black pepper (if desired) and onion powder (or 1/4 cup chopped onions)
- corn flakes – We think unfrosted cornflake cereal works the best, but you can also use Panko, bread crumbs, Lays Potato Chips, or even crushed Ritz crackers. Most kinds of crackers will do, but Ritz works best.
- unsalted butter
You can also use fresh potatoes. Just peel about 6-7 medium russet potatoes and cut into small cubes. Add the cubes to a large pot and cover with cold water. Add a dash of salt and bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, cook for 1-2 minutes. Drain potatoes and allow to cool to room temp before adding the cubes to the cream mixture
Just Mix and Bake!
- PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- POTATOES. Place hash browns in a colander and let sit until fully thawed and drained.
- SAUCE. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine sour cream, soup, and ½ cup butter and mix well. Add cheese, salt, and onion powder and mix until well combined.
- COMBINE. Add potatoes to the cheese mixture and stir until combined. Place in a lightly greased 9-x-13-inch baking dish.
- TOPPING. Combine cornflakes and the remaining ¼ cup melted butter in a large resealable plastic bag and crush corn flakes.
- BAKE. Sprinkle buttered cornflakes over potatoes. Bake for 42–46 minutes. Serve warm.
To Make for a Large Crowd
To make this recipe for 50 or more people – just triple the recipe or more. This recipe serves about 16 people. Make sure you have a few 9×13 pans lying around to bake all the potatoes in! Or better yet – buy large disposable pans to bake them in.
Recipe TIPS
- Flavor. Add flavor using extra salt, pepper, garlic salt, or even some paprika, chili powder, or red pepper flakes. Toss on some cooked crumbled bacon or ham (similar to our Ham and Potato Casserole).
- Crock pot. We like this version in the oven, but we do have a Slow Cooker Cheesy Potatoes recipe we love!
- What to serve with Funeral Potatoes? Here are some of our favorite main dishes:
Storing Info
Make ahead of time. Make them as the recipe says, but don’t add the cornflake topping or butter. When you’re ready to bake, thaw in the fridge overnight. Add the butter and cornflake topping and bake as directed!
STORE. Place the leftover cheesy potatoes with cornflakes in an airtight container and leave it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat, just place on a plate and reheat in the microwave until heated through.
FREEZE. Make these potatoes to the point where you pour the potatoes into the dish (use a disposable pan if freezing). Do not add the cornflakes, instead cover with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
For more potato recipes:
COLLECTIONS: Thanksgiving Sides
Funeral Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 32-ounce package frozen diced hash browns, (or shredded potatoes)
- 2 cups sour cream
- 1 10.5-ounce can cream of chicken soup
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder optional
- 2-3 cups corn flakes crushed
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place hash browns in a colander and let sit until fully thawed and drained.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine sour cream, soup, and ½ cup butter and mix well.
- Add cheese, salt, and onion powder and mix until well combined.
- Add potatoes to cheese mixture and stir until combined. Place in a lightly greased 9-x-13-inch baking dish.
- Combine cornflakes and the remaining ¼ cup melted butter in a large resealable plastic bag and shake until cereal is coated.
- Sprinkle buttered cornflakes over potatoes.
- Bake for 42–46 minutes. Serve warm.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thanks for this recipe! I’m making these for Thanksgiving next week and had a quick question. We’re vegetarians–do you think cream of mushroom soup would work in place of the cream of chicken?
Yes 🙂 I haven’t tried, but it should! Hope you like it!
How Would this turn out with the potatoes cooked from scratch? And best method? Otherwise, what about store bought grated frozen potatoes, like for hash browns?
Edit, I read how some people used the shredded. I don’t know which to attempt.
I haven’t tried potatoes from scratch, but you definitely could use them. I personally like the cubes, but I have had it with shredded potatoes & it’s still good 🙂 It’s just a personal preference.
What cheese do yOu reccomend using? ShaRp or miLd?
I like to use mild, but really it could be either 🙂 Enjoy!
I’ve seen many variations of this recipe, some call for two cans of cream of chicken and some only call for one? Have you tried with 2 cans bEfore? Im trIpling This recipe for this Tuesday and dont want to mess it up!
I have only when I double it, so if you are tripling it, you will want to add 3 cans. They’ll be a hit!
I meant per seRviNg. ive seen people use one can, but also some people use two cans. I was wondering if you tried It with 2 canS of Soup before (per one Listed serving)? If you have, do you feel it ends up being too ruNny/soupy? (literally) lol.
I have this mixed and ready to pop in the oven. Just letting all the seasonings blend real good. Smells delicious while I wait .
I sure hope you like them, as much as we do!
The recipe calls for onion powder but the video shows chopped onion. Also recipe calls for 1/2 cup of melted butter. Does a portion of that go into the corn flakes also?
I prefer the onion powder, since I don’t like onions, but you can totally add some 🙂 Also, it’s 1/2 cup butter, twice…in the potatoes & with the crushed cornflakes. Hope that all makes sense. Thanks!
Love your recipes.
Awe, thank you so much!!
I have been making these for years but i use the frozen potatoes o’brian
Those would be great!!
I have to commend you for replying to comments and questions on this recipe for 3 years! That is dedication!
In my family we call these Cheesy Potatoes and top them with bbq chips. My Grandma made them for every holiday but she passed that job to me when it got to hard for her to mix it all up.
Awe, you are so sweet!! Thank you so much for sharing that! BBQ chips would be great!!
Awesome! I added a little garlic powder per our taste and I had to use club crackers instead of cornflakes cause that’s what i had. my family raved about them!!
That is why I love cooking..you can add or leave out whatever you like 🙂 Thank you so much for letting me know!
That is what I love about cooking..you can add or leave out what you like or dislike 🙂 I am glad your family liked it. Thank you for letting me know!