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This Cheesy Potato Casserole has tender hash brown potatoes, sharp cheddar, and a creamy sauce under a buttery cornflake topping. You might know it as Funeral Potatoes, but it’s an easy side dish for holiday dinners, potlucks, or Sunday dinner with the family. You can assemble it a day ahead, then add the topping just before baking so it gets golden and crisp.
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“I made this recipe and the family loved it. It was so delicious. I will make it again” – Crystal
“I love this recipe because everyone in my family loves it. It’s a dish they will eat without complaining. I have 2 granddaughters, my grandson, and my great-grandson; they are all the pickiest eaters on the planet. I thank you for a recipe that they all like.” – Katherine
“This is so easy to make and I always get great praise from my guests. I make this at special occasions and everyone wants the recipe.” – Donna
A Family-Favorite Potato Side Dish
We make this Cheesy Potato Casserole every year for Easter dinner with Honey Baked Ham and all the trimmings. It’s one of our family’s favorite potato side dishes, and it’s a good side for Christmas and Thanksgiving, too.
You don’t have to save it for a holiday, though. Serve it with chicken or a Sunday roast when you want something besides mashed potatoes. Starting with frozen hash browns means there’s no peeling or chopping potatoes, so it’s easy to work into the rest of dinner.
🩷 Emily
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Hash brown potatoes: Use frozen diced hash brown potatoes, or substitute frozen shredded hash browns. Thaw either type before mixing it into the casserole.
- Cheddar cheese: Sharp cheddar gives the casserole a stronger cheese flavor. Shred it yourself from a block for the best texture.
- Sour cream, cream of chicken soup, milk, and butter: These make up the creamy sauce. Use condensed cream of chicken soup straight from the can without diluting it.
- Salt and black pepper: Use the salt amount listed in the recipe card and add black pepper to taste.
- Cornflake Topping: Crush the cornflakes and drizzle them with a little melted butter before baking. The butter for the topping is separate from the butter used in the sauce. Crushed Ritz crackers, potato chips, or panko also work as topping alternatives.
Ingredient Additions and Substitutions
- Onion options: Stir in finely diced onion or grate it for flavor without the crunch. Green onions or chives on top are great too.
- Meat additions: Stir in cubed ham, crisp bacon, or diced cooked chicken before baking for a heartier casserole.
- Veggies: Broccoli florets, diced bell peppers, or peas add color and texture.
- Soup swap: Cream of mushroom or cream of celery for a different flavor profile.
- Topping substitutes: Use crushed potato chips, Ritz crackers, panko, or another plain cereal if you don’t have cornflakes.
- Potato swap: Use 6 to 8 medium fresh potatoes, peeled and diced or shredded. Par-cook until just tender, then proceed with the recipe.
How to Make Cheesy Potato Casserole
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. In a large bowl, combine the thawed hash brown potatoes, shredded cheddar, salt, and pepper.
- Warm the sauce in a saucepan by melting butter with cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and milk until smooth.
- Stir the warm sauce into the potato mixture until evenly coated.
- Transfer to the baking dish, smooth the top.
- Lightly crush the cornflakes, leaving some larger pieces for crunch. Sprinkle them over the potatoes, then drizzle with the extra melted butter for the topping.
- Bake uncovered for about 1 hour, until the topping is golden and the casserole is bubbling. Check that the potatoes in the center are tender, too. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving so the sauce has a chance to set up.
Recipe Tips
- Thaw the hash browns before mixing them into the casserole. This helps the potatoes cook evenly, whether you’re using diced potatoes or shredded hash browns.
- Don’t skip warming the sauce. Heat it until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth, then stir it into the potatoes so everything gets evenly coated.
- Crush the cornflakes lightly rather than turning them into fine crumbs. Leave some larger flakes for crunch, and wait until just before baking to add the topping and melted butter.
- Give the casserole 10 minutes to rest after it comes out of the oven. The sauce needs a little time to set up so it doesn’t run everywhere when you scoop out a serving.
- Making potatoes for a crowd? Prepare additional batches in separate 9×13-inch baking dishes rather than piling extra filling into one pan. Keep the amount in each dish the same as the original recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
Try plain Greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream.
Yes, just use a gluten-free cream of chicken soup. Campbell’s makes a really good GF version. Then use gluten-free crackers, potato chips, or a gf corn flake cereal (without malt) for the topping.
Bake at 325°F convection for 45 to 55 minutes. Check early and pull when the top is golden and the center is hot.
Yes! Cook on low 4 to 5 hours or on high 2 to 3 hours until hot. Add the crunchy topping just before serving.
Make Ahead and Storage
Make ahead: Assemble the casserole without the cornflake topping or its melted butter. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When you’re ready to bake, remove the cover, add the topping and melted butter, and bake as directed. Save the topping until just before baking so it doesn’t get soggy.
Refrigerate: Divide leftovers into shallow, covered containers and refrigerate promptly, within 2 hours of cooking—or 1 hour if the surrounding temperature is above 90°F. You don’t need to let the potatoes cool completely on the counter first. Store in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.
Reheat: Cover the casserole with foil and reheat in a 325°F oven. Uncover for the last 5–10 minutes to help crisp up the topping. Before serving, check that the center has reached 165°F with a food thermometer.
Freeze: Assemble the casserole without the topping, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw completely in the refrigerator, then add the cornflakes and melted butter just before baking. You can also freeze baked leftovers in individual portions. Thaw those in the refrigerator and follow the reheating instructions above.
More Perfect Potato Recipes
Hailing from Idaho, we know a thing or two about good potato recipes, besides these easy Cheesy Potatoes. Try a few of our very favorites!
Cheesy Potato Casserole Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds frozen diced hash brown potatoes, thawed
- 3 teaspoons salt
- pepper, to taste
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup butter, (1 stick)
- 10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup
- 16 ounces sour cream
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 cups corn flakes, crushed
- melted butter, (to taste for topping)
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 until golden and bubbly.
Equipment
- Conventional Oven
- 9 X 13 inch Pan
Notes
- Frozen shredded hash browns can be used instead of diced hash browns. Thaw before using.
- Thaw potatoes so the casserole bakes evenly.
- Warm the sauce before mixing for the creamiest texture.
- Sharp cheddar gives the best flavor.
- Top just before baking to keep cornflakes crisp.
- Rest 10 minutes after baking so it sets and serves neatly.
- Make ahead Assemble without topping and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Add topping and bake.
- Topping swaps Potato chips, Ritz, panko, or other plain cereal work well.
- Mix-ins: Onion, ham, bacon, chicken, or broccoli are all delicious.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I grew up Mormon so I have the recipe, but I’ve made this with cream of celery and called it a kugel and taken it to a Jewish potluck. You can’t mix meat and milk. Cream of chicken is out!
I once took it to a workplace potluck and people were astonished that I would bring food that unhealthy😂
Thanks for sharing your cream of celery swap! It’s helpful to hear how you’ve adapted the casserole for different gatherings.
If I’m using four bags of hash browns to make a big batch of cheese potato for a baby shower, how much other ingredients do I need to add?
Yes! If your bags of hash browns are around 30–32 ounces each, I would make about 4 times the recipe. You’ll need approximately 8 cups shredded cheddar cheese, 4 sticks (2 cups) butter, 4 (10.5-ounce) cans cream of chicken soup, 64 ounces sour cream, 2 cups milk, 4 tablespoons salt (or add a little less and season to taste), pepper to taste, and about 8 cups crushed cornflakes for the topping.
I would divide it between four 9×13-inch pans rather than trying to bake it all in one large pan. That should give you around 48 side-dish servings, which is great for a baby shower! Hope his helps!
can you omit the sour cream? or half it? my husband hates it
Yes but it won’t be as creamy. I haven’t left it out before so I can’t say for sure how it will affect the texture. Hope this helps!
Haven’t tried it yet but wonder if I can make it the day before and just bake it the next day?
Yes, you can make it a day ahead. Cover and keep in the fridge until ready to bake. Enjoy!
Way too much sour cream
Hi Chasie, did you make the recipe? Wondering if you are just commenting that you feel it’s got too much in the recipe or if you made it and felt the sour cream ratio is off. Please let us know. Thank you!
Made it, loved it! Did a twist, I used 2/3 of the sour cream and 1/3 of top the tater. This gave it a wonderful flavor twist.
I have never heard of top the tater. I just looked it up and it sounds great. Thank you for sharing!