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.
Cheesy Potato Casserole (Funeral Potatoes)
Cheesy Potato Casserole is better known to many as Funeral Potatoes, not because you only eat them at funerals, but because they’re a staple for feeding large groups of people. Nearly every church potluck dinner, large family gathering or luncheon I’ve ever attended features several pans of this cheesy potato dish alongside a ham, salad and rolls. There are dozens of variations to this recipe, but this one is our tried and true. It’s been a family favorite for generations and it’s always devoured quickly. We make them every year for our Easter dinner as it goes perfectly with Easter ham and all the trimmings. No matter what you serve it with or where you serve it, you’ll absolutely love this potato casserole.
Crunchy Corn Flake Topping
It may sound strange to you, but I promise you will love it! 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. Any brand of corn flakes will do.
Variations to Cheesy Potato Casserole
- 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.
- You can use shredded hash browns for a different texture too!
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:
- Sweet Teriyaki Grilled Ham Steaks
- 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!
- Parmesan Baked Potato Halves
- Twice Baked Potatoes
- Perfect Mashed Potatoes
- Creamed Potatoes and Peas
- Slow Cooker Au Gratin Potatoes and Ham
How to Make Cheesy Potato Casserole (Funeral Potatoes)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds hash brown cubes country style
- 3 teaspoons salt
- pepper to taste
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- 1 cube butter 1/2 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 9x13 baking dish.
- Top with corn flakes and a little melted butter.
- Bake for 1 hour.
Equipment
- Conventional Oven
- 9 X 13 inch Pan
Natalie says
These are my favorite go-to side dish with just about everything! They are usually the first thing gone!! Super cheesy & delicious!!
Danielle Dufresne says
Do you defrost the potatoes first?
Favorite Family Recipes says
Nope! You put them in frozen.
Betsy says
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!
Lily says
These were so good, the kids ate all of them, they went so fast!!
Kelly Anthony says
My aunt used to bring this casserole to every single holiday. I’ve been missing it ever since we moved and the holiday dish lineup changed drastically. I can’t wait to try these!!! Such a nostalgic dish for me 🙂
Noelle says
Great recipe! Perfect comfort food for the winter months, can’t wait to try it out!
Lara Beck says
Hi,
Might be a stupid question, but if you make this ahead, would you just assemble and put in the fridge without cooking? Or would you assemble and cook, and then put in the fridge to reheat the following day? If the latter, how long to reheat and at what temp?
Thanks!
Erica says
You could actually probably do either. It might taste the freshest after cooking and less dry if you don’t cook it first. Either way I would assemble without the crumbs on the top so they don’t get soggy. They will be easy to add right before cooking.
Sue says
Can you do this in a crockpot?
Favorite Family Recipes says
I haven’t tried it in a crock pot, so I’m not sure! Let us know how it goes if you do try it!
Vickie says
This sounds good,
Do I defrost the hash browns first. Or use frozen. Thanks
Favorite Family Recipes says
You can do it either way. I like them thawed first because I feel like they cook better but you can do them frozen too!
Jody says
Can you make this a day ahead and store in the fridge?
Erica says
Yes, that should be just fine
Brooke T. says
Love this recipe!
P.s. If you don’t want the crunch of onions but still want yummy onions in the dish, I recommend sautéing the onions in oil or butter with minced garlic first until they are soft and delicious.
Echo says
That is a great idea – I often do this to hide the onions from my kids. Thanks for sharing!
Don O. says
Just use your grater and grate the onion. Then they are so small that you don’t even notice them.
joan dugan says
Onion? What onion? There is no onion in the recipe? Are we looking at the same recipe?
Bonnie says
I use cheddar cheese instead of cream of chicken soup.
Becca says
Could you think of a good substitue for the can of cream of chicken? I personally strongly dislike it, because I feel as though the chicken just taste fake. It honestly makes me sick. Thanks for any suggestions in advance!
Erica says
I always use my friend, Melanie’s cream of chicken recipe.. it can be found HERE
Echo says
Thank you for asking! This is a homemade cream of chicken soup recipe from a good friend of hours – Melanie at Mel’s Kitchen Cafe. See recipe here: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/homemade-condensed-cream-of-chicken-soup-and-how-to-sub-in-recipes/
Heather says
I am making this for a birthday party, how many will this serve ?
Echo says
This recipe makes 12 servings. Good luck with your party!
Ann says
I love your site because some of my favorite recipes are ones you rave about, it makes it easy to trust the deliciousness of the rest of them! Thank you for sharing your passion with the rest of us. I tried this recipe and I love the country style potatoes, better than shredded. I also love the topping, I never bothered before but my kids loved that part the best!
Jolene says
I loved the country style hash browns and will use this recipe again but with less salt. 🙂
Jolene says
Do the hash browns need to be defrosted and how much butter goes with the cornflakes?
Mel Irvine says
Being from Australia, I find it hard to understand some of the ingredients used in the recipes I find online. Could you please tell me what hash brown cubes are? Are they just cubed potatoes or is there more involved? Thank you
Erica says
Yes, they are just the cubed potatoes that are small.. the ones in the frozen section of the grocery store.
Betty says
They are a potato grated.
Nancy says
Crushed Ritz crackers are also yummy!
Sonia Nuño says
I wonder how it would taste with Panko bread crumbs. Any other variations you recommend instead of corn flakes?
Erica says
Yes, panko, corn flakes, or I have even heard of people using potato chips! 🙂
Amanda says
I use crushed up Fritos! Everyone loves it this way that has tried it!
Echo says
I’ll have to try Fritos next time I make this – thank you for the idea!
Teresa says
I use crushed Ritz bacon flavor crackers….just adds that little something extra!
Erica says
Oh yum! Great idea!!!
Iamme says
Love this recipe, a favorite in our family for sure! My mom requested I make this for her birthday dinner this year. The only thing I do differently is used shredded hash browns.
Gayle Anderson says
Is a cube of butter a stick of butter or a couple of teaspoons of butter?
Erica says
A cube is one stick.
linda blood says
i make this also, the only different thing i do, is i put ham in mine, and instead of crushed up corn flakes, i use crushed up cheddar and sour cream potato chips. this is a very good recipe, a good way to use some of that leftover Easter ham.
Paula says
What is a CUBE of butter?
Erica says
cube=stick
Bonnie says
same question.Cube?? I use tater chips on top.
Bonnie says
Instead of pint, it is easier to say 16 oz. Maybe we use simple language in MI.
Bonnie says
I also add extra stick of butter & top with potato chips.
Michelle says
I use the shredded potatoes instead of cubed. Add garlic powder. Always make sure they are frozen. When you mix . If your ha da are not numb your not doing it right. For a completely different taste you can add a pancake of bacon peices not bits, I mean the packages kind in the bags by the dry ranch dip mixes., and add that to the mixture or justvti the topping for a bacon crunch too. Yes you can cook your own…but why? Lays potato chips crunched up and mixed with additional shredded cheese on top is also a great topping. Keebler butter crackers or cheese it’s work too!!!