Funeral Potatoes

An easy side dish to feed a hungry large crowd, these delicious funeral potatoes are a creamy, cheesy mixture topped off with crunchy cornflake topping.

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Table of Contents

Funeral Potatoes Ingredients
Substitutions And Additions
How To Make This Funeral Potatoes Recipe
How To Serve These Cheesy Potatoes With Cornflakes
Storage
Frequently Asked Questions
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Funeral potatoes, referred to by many as just cheesy potatoes, are the ultimate crowd-pleaser at large gatherings. This is an easy, made-from-scratch casserole dish that consists of mixing together simple ingredients like hash browns, shredded cheese, sour cream, and a crunchy topping.

close up shot of a baking dish of Funeral Potatoes

Funeral Potatoes Ingredients

Funeral Potatoes raw ingredients that are labeled

You’ll need:

1 tablespoon of butter
½ large yellow onion, chopped
30 ounces package of traditional frozen hash browns (take out of the freezer at least 20 minutes prior to cooking)
1 teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of ground black pepper
½ teaspoon of garlic powder
2 cups of sour cream
2½ cups of shredded cheddar cheese
1 can of cream of chicken soup
3 cups of cornflakes, crushed

Substitutions And Additions

HASH BROWNS: You can use diced or shredded hashbrowns for your funeral potatoes.

Both will yield a similar result in taste, it will just change up the texture a bit.

ONIONS: If you aren’t a fan of onions, they can be left out of this recipe. I’ve seen both options for funeral potatoes. This is just a taste preference.

SOUR CREAM: If you’re out of sour cream at home, you can try swapping it out for plain Greek yogurt.

They have the same texture and taste and will give the same end result in your funeral potatoes.

VEGETARIAN: You could turn this into a vegetarian dish by replacing the cream of chicken with cream of celery soup or cream of mushroom soup.

MIX-INS: Add bacon bits to this funeral potato casserole for an extra bit of deliciousness.

How To Make This Funeral Potatoes Recipe

STEP ONE: Add 1 tablespoon of butter to a medium-sized skillet. On medium-high heat, cook your onions until they are soft.

Usually, this takes approximately five minutes.

STEP TWO: Combine your hash browns, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, cream of chicken soup, and your cooked onion all together in a large bowl.

Stir all of the ingredients together until they are mixed well.

PRO TIP:

If your hash browns are still frozen, mixing the ingredients together will take a bit of muscle. I recommend taking the hash browns out to thaw, as it will make this step much easier on the arms!

hash brown, salt, pepper, sour cream, cheddar cheese, cream chicken soup and cooked onion folded together in a bowl

STEP THREE: Preheat your oven to 375°F and pour your potato mixture into a 9×13-inch casserole dish.

Bake your casserole in the oven for 30 minutes.

PRO TIP:

Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to keep a close eye on your casserole as the suggested baking time approaches.

STEP FOUR: After 30 minutes, take out the casserole and stir it well. Put the casserole back in the oven and continue to cook until it’s bubbling on the sides and in the middle (typically about 20 to 30 minutes).

When you see the casserole beginning to bubble in the middle, it’s done.

potato mixture poured into a casserole dish

STEP FIVE: Take the casserole out of the oven and sprinkle your crushed cornflakes on top, spreading them evenly over the entire casserole.

Place it back in the oven for an additional five minutes, watching closely to make sure the top doesn’t overcook.

PRO TIP:

To crush your cornflakes evenly and quickly, try placing them in a Ziploc bag and rolling over them with a rolling pin.

crushed corn flakes added to the top of the potato mixture in a casserole dish

STEP SIX: Remove the casserole from the oven and serve immediately.

How To Serve These Cheesy Potatoes With Cornflakes

This classic side dish is perfect for family gatherings or special occasions.

It truly is the ultimate comfort food, and we love to serve these cheesy funeral potatoes alongside our oven baked chicken or our crockpot ranch pork chops.

For more cheesy potato dishes, our scalloped potatoes and crack potatoes recipe are both delicious.

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Storage

IN THE FRIDGE: Storing leftovers of this comforting side dish is as simple as putting a lid or plastic wrap on your 9×13 dish or transferring them to an airtight container and popping them in the fridge.

They make great leftovers, even if the cornflakes may get a bit soggy when reheated.

MAKE AHEAD: You can also make funeral potatoes ahead of time and store them in the fridge.

To do so, follow the steps above, up to step three, when the mixture is spread out in your 9×13 pan.

Instead of cooking at this point, place a tight lid on top of the pan and keep your potatoes in the fridge for up to one day.

Then, follow the steps for cooking as directed above. You may need to add a bit of extra baking time since the ingredients will be coming straight from the cold fridge.

IN THE FREEZER: You can also freeze these creamy potatoes. Follow the same instructions for the recipe, and then store your dish in a freezer-safe container.

When you’re ready to serve your potatoes, thaw them in the fridge overnight and then heat them through in the oven just before serving.

overhead shot of a plate of Funeral Potatoes with a fork

While their name comes from being a popular dish served at funerals, this cheesy funeral potatoes recipe is the perfect side dish for any occasion. The warm, creamy, cheesy potatoes, topped off with crunchy cornflakes, are the ultimate side dish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are they called funeral potatoes?

The name for funeral potatoes comes from their popularity being served as an after-funeral side dish at lunch gatherings. The cheesy, warm dish was comfort food that became a funeral meal staple.

But, while funerals may have been their origin, these potatoes have become a great side dish at just about any gathering, such as family dinners and other special events now.

Can I make this dish ahead of time?

This hash brown casserole can be assembled up to a day in advance and then baked right before you are ready to serve it.

Can I freeze funeral potatoes?

This classic potato casserole freezes well stored in an airtight container.

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Funeral Potatoes

5 from 1 vote

An easy side dish to feed a hungry large crowd, these delicious funeral potatoes are a creamy, cheesy mixture topped off with crunchy cornflake topping.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 5

Total Time 1 15

Servings

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Ingredients

30 ounces frozen hash browns, thawed 30 min before cooking
½ large yellow onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups sour cream
2½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
3 cups corn flakes, crushed

Instructions

Add 1 tablespoon of butter to a medium-sized skillet. On medium-high heat, cook your onions until they are soft, about 5 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, combine your hash browns, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, cream of chicken soup, and your cooked onion. Stir well.
Preheat your oven to 375°F.
Put your potato mixture into a 9×13 casserole dish and cook in the oven for 30 minutes. Take out and stir the whole casserole well. Put back in the oven and continue to cook until it's bubbling on the sides and in the middle, about 20 to 30 more minutes depending on your oven. Once it's bubbling in the middle you know it's done.
Crush corn flakes by putting them in a gallon Ziploc bag and using a rolling pin.
Take the casserole out of the oven and sprinkle the crushed corn flakes on the top. Put back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes but watch carefully so the topping doesn't burn.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Video

Notes

If your hash browns are still frozen, mixing the ingredients together will take a bit of muscle. I recommend taking the hash browns out to thaw, as it will make this step much easier on the arms!
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to keep a close eye on your casserole as the suggested baking time approaches.
To crush your cornflakes evenly and quickly, try placing them in a Ziploc bag and rolling over them with a rolling pin.

Nutrition

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This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

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Funeral Potatoes

Funeral Potatoes Ingredients

Substitutions And Additions

How To Make This Funeral Potatoes Recipe

How To Serve These Cheesy Potatoes With Cornflakes

Grilled Potatoes

Camping Potatoes Recipe

Storage

Frequently Asked Questions

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