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Cheesy Potato Casserole, also known as funeral potatoes, is sure to please a crowd! You’ll love the tender potatoes, lots of cheese and a unique crunchy topping.
Featured with this recipe
- A Favorite Potato Side Dish
- Ingredients in Cheesy Potato Casserole
- Corn Flake Topping Substitutes
- Hash Brown Casserole Variations
- Questions about Cheesy Potato Casserole
- What to Serve with Funeral Potatoes
- More Perfect Potato Recipes
- How to Make Cheesy Potato Casserole
- Cheesy Potato Casserole (Funeral Potatoes) Recipe
A Favorite Potato Side Dish
We call this dish Cheesy Potato Casserole, but it is better known to many as Funeral Potatoes. Not because you only eat them at funeral luncheons, but because they’re a staple for feeding large groups of people. Most church potlucks, family gatherings or large luncheons feature some sort of take on this casserole dish alongside a ham, salad and rolls. There are dozens of variations to this recipe, but this one has been a family favorite of ours for generations.
We make this cheesy potatoes recipe every year for our Easter dinner as it goes perfectly with Easter ham and all the trimmings. This cheesy potato casserole recipe is also a perfect side dish at numerous Christmas, Thanksgiving, basically any holiday dinner in our family. No matter what you serve it with or where you serve it, you’ll absolutely love this funeral potatoes recipe.
Ingredients in Cheesy Potato Casserole
Here’s our tried and true recipe for cheesy potatoes. They always turn out delicious and get devoured quickly!
- Hash Brown Potatoes – I like using the frozen hash brown cubes but you could use the shredded hash brown potatoes for a different texture. Thaw the potatoes before adding the rest of the ingredients.
- Salt – about three teaspoons, or to taste
- Black pepper – to taste
- Grated cheddar cheese – Use sharp cheddar cheese for the best flavor!
- Butter – this recipe calls for half cup butter or one stick.
- Cream of chicken soup – some recipes call for cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup, but I don’t like the flavor as well as good old cream of chicken soup.
- Sour cream – this gives the potato mixture extra creaminess that is so delicious!
- Milk – any kind of milk works for this recipe.
- Cornflakes – regular corn flake cereal, crushed to make two cups. Any brand will do.
Corn Flake Topping Substitutes
It may sound strange to you, but I promise you will love the crunchy corn flake topping. Adding a couple of cups of crushed corn flakes gives this Funeral Potato casserole a golden brown crust, a delightful crunch and a nutty, buttery flavor that goes so well with all the cheese and cream in the potatoes. However here are some other topping ideas if you don’t have Cornflakes on hand:
- Potato chips
- Ritz crackers
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Other crushed crackers or plain cereal
Hash Brown Casserole Variations
- Add finely diced onion (about half a cup) to your Funeral Potatoes for extra flavor. If you don’t like the crunch of onions, you can grate the onion too. Or just top with green onions or chives.
- Add other veggies like broccoli or peppers.
- Add cubed ham and add it straight to the potatoes for a delicious meaty meal.
- Mix bacon or diced chicken into the potatoes.
- Omit the crushed cornflakes topping and sprinkle with extra cheese.
- Cook up your own potatoes instead of using diced hash browns. You’ll need 6-8 good size potatoes to make Funeral Potatoes. Just peel and dice into bite size pieces and follow the rest of the instructions in the recipe card below.
Questions about Cheesy Potato Casserole
This is the most asked question and I can understand why. Funeral potatoes get their nickname because they’re often served at post-funeral luncheons, particularly in the in the culture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Try plain Greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream.
Cheesy potato casserole uses shredded cheese and hash browns or diced potatoes. Scalloped potatoes are sliced and use a cheese sauce made with heavy cream and a flour and butter roux.
Yes, this is a great one to make the night before. Just add everything but the topping, cover with plastic wrap, and keep in the fridge. Then when you are ready to make it just bring the casserole to room temperature, add the topping, and bake.
What to Serve with Funeral Potatoes
This deliciously cheesy Funeral Potato casserole pairs beautifully with our Honey Baked Ham Copycat Recipe or our Slow Cooker Ham with Maple and Brown Sugar. Try these other recipes for dinner too:
- Honey Baked Ham
- Oven Roast Beef
- Paprika Chicken
- Easy Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
- Oven Roasted Green Beans
- Rosemary Tri-Tip Roast
- Lemon Pepper Chicken
More Perfect Potato Recipes
Hailing from Idaho, we know a thing or two about good potato recipes, besides these Funeral Potatoes. Try a few of our very favorites!
How to Make Cheesy Potato Casserole
Cheesy Potato Casserole (Funeral Potatoes)
Video
Equipment
- Conventional Oven
- 9 X 13 inch Pan
Ingredients
- 2 pounds hash brown cubes country style
- 3 teaspoons salt
- pepper to taste
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- 1 cube butter ½ cup or stick
- 10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup
- 16 ounces sour cream
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 cups corn flakes crushed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix hash browns, cheese, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
- Heat butter, soup, sour cream, and milk in a saucepan until butter is melted.
- Stir heated sauce into hash browns.
- Pour mixture into a 9×13 baking dish.
- Top with corn flakes and a little melted butter.
- Bake for 1 hour.
Notes
- Add finely diced onion (about half a cup) to your Funeral Potatoes for extra flavor. If you don’t like the crunch of onions, you can grate the onion too.
- Add cubed ham and add it straight to the potatoes for a delicious meaty meal.
- Mix bacon or diced chicken into the potatoes.
- Omit the crunchy corn flake topping and sprinkle with extra cheese.
- Cook up your own potatoes instead of using diced hash browns. You’ll need 6-8 good size potatoes to make Funeral Potatoes. Just peel and dice into bite size pieces and follow the rest of the instructions in the recipe card below.
I just read your recipe!!! I can’t wait to make it. I know I will love it!!!👌👍👏🤗
I made this for Easter and even my picky family members really liked it. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Soooo good. I wasn’t sure about the corn flakes, but they added the perfect amount of crunch. Tasty.
My family loves these potatoes!!
Is it possible to prep this the day before, put in fridge, add cornflakes day of and bake?
Yes, absolutely!
If you double the recipe, does it need to cook a little longer or just an hour still?
It will need to cook longer if you double it. Are you putting it in two pans or one larger one?
Yummy
I’ve always had this recipe my entire life. My mom made it and it was always a hit.
By the way, scalloped potatoes do not contain cheese. Scalloped potatoes are simply thinly sliced potatoes layered with pats of butter and then just heavy cream is poured over and pats of butter. I’m sorry I get frustrated. Au gratin has cheese scallops does not. That’s the difference.
Soooooo yummy and easiest recipe I found, with fewest steps and ingredients. Keeper!!
Best way to reheat if taking over to someone’s house today for Easter?
In the oven! Heat at 350 until warm all the way through.
Hi Emily — just wondering if the hashbrowns should be thawed out ahead of time? Thank you, Darce
Nope! They can go right in from the freezer.
I just made these last night except I added kielbasa & made it a meal… Absolutely delish!!!
I love your recipes, this one included! An Easter dinner must have, the fam goes crazy over it. Thanks for helping me being delicious dishes to our table 🙂
I love your recipes, this one included! An Easter dinner must have, the fam goes crazy over it! Thanks for helping me bring delicious dishes to our table 🙂
I love cheesy potatoes!
Could I add cooked bacon on top after cooking and below the corn flakes? Have you tried that before?
I haven’t tried that but it sounds delicious!
Do you use frozen hashbrowns ?
Yes, we do!
These are my favorite go-to side dish with just about everything! They are usually the first thing gone!! Super cheesy & delicious!!
Do you defrost the potatoes first?
Nope! You put them in frozen.
Most recipes call for thawing potatoes . I do think they bake more thoroughly this way. Otherwise the center sometimes doesn,t heat all the way . Also if you use shredded hash browns instead of the cubes your casserole will be mushier. I prefer the cubes because it it serves up nicer
These are a perennial favorite .People always look for them at every church, holiday, or family gathering! A great make ahead dish also. Refrigerate of course if making day before
I LOVE potatoes. And of all the potatoes THESE are my favorite! Every single meal I could eat these. Every single one. So wonderfully cheesy! And the corn flake topping is a perfect crispiness on top of the soft, cheesy, potato casserole! Yum, yum, yum!
Can I substitute corn flake to rice crispy?
I have never tried that so I don’t know. Let us know how it goes if you try it!
These were so good, the kids ate all of them, they went so fast!!