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This Cheesy Potato Casserole is creamy, comforting, and always the first empty dish at potlucks. Tender hash brown potatoes bake in a rich, tangy sauce with sharp cheddar and a buttery, crunchy topping. It’s easy, feeds a crowd, and pairs perfectly with holiday ham, roast turkey, or weeknight grilled chicken.
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
My Favorite Potato Side Dish
I grew up seeing Cheesy Potato Casserole on every holiday table. It’s my go-to side for Easter dinner with ham, but I also bring it to church potlucks and family gatherings because it never fails. The potatoes turn out tender, the sauce is extra creamy from sour cream and melted butter, and the golden topping adds the best crunch.. 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 Honey Baked Ham and all the trimmings. This casserole is also a perfect side dish at Christmas, Thanksgiving, or a nice Sunday dinner. No matter what you serve it with or where you serve it, you’ll absolutely love this cheesy potato recipe.
🩷 Emily
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Hash brown potatoes – Frozen shredded hash browns, thawed so they mix evenly and bake tender.
- Cheddar cheese – Sharp cheddar for bold cheesy flavor that stands out in the creamy sauce. For best texture shred the cheese yourself from a block.
- Creamy sauce – sour cream, cream of chicken soup, butter, and milk.
- Spices – Salt and black pepper to taste.
- Crunchy topping – Crushed cornflakes for a golden, buttery crunch.
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.
- Protein mix-ins: Cubed ham, crisp bacon, or diced cooked chicken turn this into a hearty main.
- 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
- Heat oven to 350°F and grease baking dish. Combine thawed hash browns, shredded cheddar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
- 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.
- Sprinkle with crushed cornflakes. Drizzle a little melted butter over the topping if desired.
- Bake for about 60 minutes until bubbling at the edges and the top is golden and crisp. Rest 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Thaw first so the potatoes cook evenly and the sauce doesn’t seize.
- Warm the sauce to help it coat the potatoes smoothly and melt the cheese in the mix.
- Use sharp cheddar for the best cheesy flavor without needing extra salt.
- Crush topping lightly so you get a mix of small flakes and bigger bits for better crunch.
- Let it rest 10 minutes after baking. It sets up and slices cleaner.
- Crowd size: Double the recipe for a full sheet pan. Bake a bit longer until bubbly.
Frequently Asked Questions
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, either type of hash brown works great!
Add the topping right before baking and avoid covering during baking. For extra crunch, broil 1 to 2 minutes at the end, watching closely.
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.
Aim for 165°F in the center. The edges should be bubbling and the top golden.
Make Ahead and Storage
Make ahead Assemble everything in a baking dish but the topping up to 1 day in advance. Then bring the casserole to room temperature, add the topping, and bake.
Fridge Cover leftovers and refrigerate 3 to 4 days.
Reheat Bake covered at 325°F until hot, then uncover 5 to 10 minutes to re-crisp.
Freeze Up to 2 months unbaked without topping, or freeze baked leftovers in portions.
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!
- Parmesan Baked Potato Halves
- Twice Baked Potatoes
- Creamed Potatoes and Peas
- Slow Cooker Au Gratin Potatoes and Ham
- All Our Favorite Potato Recipes
If you need a reliable, crowd-pleasing side, this Cheesy Potato Casserole is it. It’s simple, comforting, and always a hit. If you make it, please leave a star rating and a comment. I love hearing your variations and tips. 💛
Cheesy Potato Casserole Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
- 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
- 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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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 🙂
Great recipe! Perfect comfort food for the winter months, can’t wait to try it out!
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!
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.
Yes you can do ahead do not cook just mix it….I don’t use the cornflakes on top just extra cheese if you use corn flakes put them on just before you bake.
Can you do this in a crockpot?
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!
@Sue
Just curious if you made this in a crockpot and if so, how long did you cook it and did you have to change anything about the recipe to make it work well?
This sounds good,
Do I defrost the hash browns first. Or use frozen. Thanks
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!
Can you make this a day ahead and store in the fridge?
Yes, that should be just fine
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.
That is a great idea – I often do this to hide the onions from my kids. Thanks for sharing!
Just use your grater and grate the onion. Then they are so small that you don’t even notice them.
Onion? What onion? There is no onion in the recipe? Are we looking at the same recipe?
I use cheddar cheese instead of cream of chicken soup.
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!
I always use my friend, Melanie’s cream of chicken recipe.. it can be found HERE
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/
I am making this for a birthday party, how many will this serve ?
This recipe makes 12 servings. Good luck with your party!
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!
I loved the country style hash browns and will use this recipe again but with less salt. 🙂
Do the hash browns need to be defrosted and how much butter goes with the cornflakes?
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
Yes, they are just the cubed potatoes that are small.. the ones in the frozen section of the grocery store.
They are a potato grated.
Crushed Ritz crackers are also yummy!
I wonder how it would taste with Panko bread crumbs. Any other variations you recommend instead of corn flakes?
Yes, panko, corn flakes, or I have even heard of people using potato chips! 🙂
I use crushed up Fritos! Everyone loves it this way that has tried it!
I’ll have to try Fritos next time I make this – thank you for the idea!
I use crushed Ritz bacon flavor crackers….just adds that little something extra!
Oh yum! Great idea!!!
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.
Is a cube of butter a stick of butter or a couple of teaspoons of butter?
A cube is one stick.
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.
What is a CUBE of butter?
cube=stick
same question.Cube?? I use tater chips on top.
Instead of pint, it is easier to say 16 oz. Maybe we use simple language in MI.
I also add extra stick of butter & top with potato chips.
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!!!