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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.

Close up of Funeral Potatoes in a baking dish.

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.

Hash browns thawed in a yellow colander.

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!

  1. PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. POTATOES. Place hash browns in a colander and let sit until fully thawed and drained.
  3. 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.
  4. COMBINE. Add potatoes to the cheese mixture and stir until combined. Place in a lightly greased 9-x-13-inch baking dish.
  5. TOPPING. Combine cornflakes and the remaining ¼ cup melted butter in a large resealable plastic bag and crush corn flakes.
  6. 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.

Crushed corn flakes in bag with melted butter coating.

Recipe TIPS

Creamy potato mixture topped with cornflake mixture.

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.

Best Funeral Potatoes recipe close up image.

For more potato recipes:

COLLECTIONS: Thanksgiving Sides

5 from 1220 votes

Funeral Potatoes Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
Family-favorite funeral potatoes are creamy, cheesy, and crispy on top. It's perfect for dinners and holidays!
Servings: 16
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 50 minutes

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

Make ahead of time. Make potatoes as directed, but do not add the buttered cornflake topping. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to bake, add the buttered cornflake topping and bake as directed.
Topping variations. We think cornflakes work the best, but you can also use Panko breadcrumbs or even crushed Ritz crackers.
STORE. Place the potatoes in an air-tight container and leave them in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, just place on a plate and reheat in the microwave until heated through.
Make for a LARGE crowd. Funeral potatoes are a great dish to make for a crowd! If you want 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 244kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 61mg, Sodium: 516mg, Potassium: 69mg, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 770IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 140mg, Iron: 1.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
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Share it with us on Instagram using the hashtag #lilluna, so we can see what you’re creating in the kitchen!

About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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Recipe Rating




864 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Love Love Love your Funeral potatoes. I have been trying to find one just like my husband’s grandma made years ago but couldn’t find the same one until now. thank you so much for sharing it with us. you are the best. this funeral potatoes is the best and what we call in our family; “yummy potatoes”.

    from Your thankful follower

  2. Hi-
    I am EXCITEd about making this dish to serve with Christmas dinner and am wondering, Can it be made ahead and refrigerated for a night or two?
    Thanks!!

  3. 5 stars
    I am making these for a Christmas gathering, but dont have any cornflakes. I have potato chips and Ritz crackers. Do you think either of these would work? Also i definitely would add butter to the ritz crackers, but what about the potato chips?

  4. 5 stars
    I MAKE TWO minor changes. I add a can of cream of celery soup too and I use the “dried” hashbrowns (hungry Jack or Idahoan) due to having limited freezer space so frozen HB’s take up too valuable freezer space. I love this recipe otherwise.

    1. That sounds great! There are so many variations you could do with this recipe & all are delicious! Thank you!

  5. I’ve had funeral potatoes all my childhood. Now i am in a different country preparing for my first Thanksgiving away from home. I had to really search for some of the ingredients, and I have to make my own cream of chicken substitute (https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/condensed-cream-of-chicken-substitute/ in case anyone else needs it). but really this recipe is so easy! I’m looking forward to seeing how it turns out tomorrow with my friends. I really enjoyed reading all the comments. It really got me Into the mood. I’m going to try and make it with fresh potatoes (they don’t sell frozen potatoes in this country). I’ll let y’all know how it goes!

    1. I’m impressed that you are making homemade cream of chicken substitute! I sure hope it’s a hit!! Happy Thanksgiving!

  6. Sounds amazing, but what is Cream of chicken “And Born”?? What is the “And Born” part? I’ve never seen that before. Just curious. I want to make this and want to make sure I’m doing it right.

    1. It shouldn’t say born, so disregard that 🙂 Cream of chicken soup is a blend of chicken meat in a creamy chicken stock. Hope that helps! You can find it at any grocery store.