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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 want to try thos recipe, but I’m a little taken back w the cereal on top.
I only cooked w corn flakes when I’m making my chicken, but never on top as a crunching factor on my potatoes. Interesting.
This is a recipe that “goes far”. It is great for “dishes to pass” at church functions.
Most of the ingredients we already have in the house, so it is convenient to make.
Thank you.
This is an easy dish to make when I run out of ideas! It is warm and delicious on a cold, rainy day! It’s simple but so delicious!
Yummy!
Easy to make and delicious. Always a hit
Love the toppings. Very easy to make. It always turns out great. Wonderful for all occasions.
Sounds very interesting and not too difficult. Will have to make this.
Scrumptious and oh so good!!!
So easy to make with ingredients I usually have on hand and so many ways to serve it, if there’s any left.
This is the 1st time I have tried this recipe, but I love hash browns and cheese, so what is not to like. It was so creamy and delicious, everyone just loved it. I will make it again very soon.
This is my go to recipe for potatoes for my family’s gatherings. Everyone likes then from the 2 years old to the 80 year old. You can’t go wrong with these.
Easy to make and can be in made in a crock pot.
This recipe to me tastes better than the potatoes at the popular restaurant, I follow this recipe but use Ritz for the topping.
This is my favorite dish! Everything comfort food should be!
An easy recipe for when you have a large family gathering and it tastes delicious. I would recommend this recipe to anyone.
Anything with potato and cheese is a winner with me
I love this recipe, especially for potluck dinners. I never bring home leftovers! I never have cornflakes on hand, so I use buttery crackers such as Townhouse or Ritz instead. I just crumble them and stir in about four tablespoons of melted butter and use this as the topping. I also add about two teaspoons of minced, dried onion for flavor. Scrumptious!
This is a hit at all of the family gathering or potlucks that I bring it to. I’ve tried it with various toppings. They all came out very tasty.
For the corn flakes on top. Do I mix butter with them before putting them on top or just put them on top and drizzle butter on them?
I’d like to make this recipe tomorrow. Do I use salted or unsalted butter?
I use salted butter. Thanks for asking!
Substitute cornflakes with crushed Cruncky Cheetos.
I’ll have to try that! Maybe even hot Cheetos!