Funeral Potatoes, otherwise known simply as potato casserole, is a cheesy and creamy side dish with a crunchy top! It’s such a delicious and simple casserole that is filled with cream of chicken, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and butter and topped with crunchy corn flakes.
It’s the most delicious potato side dish you have ever tasted making it perfect to serve with every meal or holiday.
FUNERAL POTATOES
Funeral potatoes are a favorite side dish in our home that easily feeds lots of people just like our tater tot casserole. It is made up of mouthwatering ingredients that everybody loves like cheese, butter, and sour cream.
Funeral Potatoes are a staple for every holiday and party because they are always a huge hit with everyone.
The first time I had this potato casserole was at a church potluck. I went through the line, taking a bit of this, a bit of that, and when I sat down and tasted the potatoes they were amazing! I had to go back and get more.
The sad thing was they were already gone. You see, I learned (the hard way) that this side dish was very popular and my friend made it every time we had a potluck. So, the church goers already knew it was good.
I’ll never know why I hadn’t tried them earlier, but once I found out, I never missed them again. And, I finally got a hold of the recipe and can now make it at home — and you can too!
WHAT ARE FUNERAL POTATOES?
Funeral potatoes are also known as cheesy potatoes or potato casserole. It is a potato side dish that combines potatoes, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cheese, and butter to make a deliciously creamy side dish topped with a crunchy top that serves a ton of people.
Typically served on holidays or at funerals it is the ultimate comfort dish that is super easy to make with very little prep work.
HOW DID FUNERAL POTATOES GET THEIR NAME?
Many people wonder how a delicious potato casserole got the name of “Funeral Potatoes.”
Well, it all started when someone needed to make a lot of food for a funeral so they decided to make several batches of potato casserole and take them.
Ever since then, these have been a staple at funeral luncheons because they were loved so much and were so comforting to the grieving families.
Since then they have been made for holiday dinners, Sunday dinners, and for any occasion because they are just that good.
POTATO CASSEROLE RECIPE
I love Potato casserole because it is full of flavor and so simple to make and can feed a lot of people making it perfect for your next family holiday party or sign up to bring to the next potluck.
FUNERAL POTATOES INGREDIENTS
Frozen hash browns– Grab a bag of frozen hashbrowns from the freezer section at the store. I like to use shredded ones when making potato casserole. Be sure you thaw your hashbrowns prior to making this dish.
Condensed cream of chicken soup- Cream of chicken soup brings flavor, comfort, and a creamy texture to this dish. I always have this on hand so I can whip up Funeral potatoes when I am craving them most.
Sour cream – Sour cream helps give this potato casserole the creaminess that we love in this dish. You can use a lower fat sour cream, but I recommend getting full-fat sour cream.
Cheddar cheese- Cheddar cheese makes these potatoes cheesy and delicious. If you are in a hurry you can buy pre-shredded cheese, but if you have the time shred it yourself. Pre shredded cheese does not melt as well as block cheese.
Butter – Butter is one of the many reasons this dish tastes so good. Don’t skimp on the butter!
Onion- Onion is optional in this dish. I usually make one with onion and one without. I like to use a sweet onion to add a sweetness to Funeral Potatoes without overpowering the dish.
Salt and Pepper – Salt and pepper help season this dish and helps enhance the flavors.
Cornflakes – Cornflakes are added to the top of this dish to give it that crunchy delicious texture that we all love. If you don’t have Corn Flakes, you can try another topping of your choice. We have some great suggestions below.
HOW TO MAKE FUNERAL POTATOES
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.
- Combine in a medium-sized mixing bowl the melted butter, sour cream, cream of chicken, onion, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.
- Add in thawed hash browns and the cheddar cheese and mix until combined.
- Pour mixture into the prepared greased baking dish.
- Combine in a small mixing bowl, ¼ cup melted butter and corn flakes.
- Mix to cover corn flakes with butter.
- Spread cornflakes on top of the casserole.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until bubbly.
TIPS AND TRICKS
- If the top is becoming to crispy feel free to cover it with tin foil to prevent burning.
- This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled. Just be sure to cook one batch in a 13×9 pan. If you are cooking multiple pans in the same oven they will cook slower.
- If you don’t have any shredded hashbrowns on hand you can shred your own potatoes.
- This recipe can be served with or without onions. I usually make a pan with onions and one without.
Funeral Potato Toppings
The original version of funeral potatoes calls for Corn Flakes, but you can try a variety of different toppings. Here are some of our favorites:
- French fried onions
- Crushed Ritz crackers
- Panko Bread crumbs
- Grated Cheese
- Bacon
- Or anything else that is light and crunchy!
WHAT CAN I SERVE WITH FUNERAL POTATOES?
Funeral Potatoes make the perfect side dish. Typically they are served at funerals or on holidays like Christmas and Easter. We love serving them with:
- Ham
- Turkey
- Brisket
- Steak
Tip: to make this a complete meal, just chop up your protein (already cooked) into bite-sized pieces and add to the casserole before it’s cooked.
HOW DO I STORE THEM?
You will want to be sure to store your Funeral Potatoes in an airtight container which helps them last longer. They can be stored for up to two weeks in the fridge in an air-tight container.
CAN YOU FREEZE FUNERAL POTATOES?
Yes! You can freeze funeral potatoes but you will not want to add the cornflakes before freezing.
To freeze prepare the dish as instructed just do not add the cornflakes. Be sure to wrap the dish tightly first. Keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you are ready to cook just grab your funeral potatoes out of the freezer the night before and allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge.
Don’t forget to add the cornflakes before baking.
HOW TO REHEAT POTATO Casserole
Reheating funeral potatoes is simple. Just place a single serving on a microwave-safe plate and microwave until heated all the way through. If you want to reheat more than one serving you can bake in the oven at 325 for 10-12 minutes.
LOOKING FOR MORE AWESOME CASSEROLE DISHES? TRY THESE!
Frito Pie Casserole
Tuna Noodle Casserole
Tater Tot Casserole
Green Bean Casserole
Funeral Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 package 32. oz frozen hash browns, thawed
- 1 10 oz. can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- ½ cup butter melted
- 1 medium onion diced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Topping
- 2 cups cornflakes
- ¼ cup butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Grease a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.
- In medium-sized mixing bowl combine melted butter, sour cream, cream of chicken, onion, salt and pepper and stir to combine.
- Add in thawed hash browns and cheddar cheese and mix to combine.
- Pour mixture into prepared baking dish.
- In small mixing bowl, combine ¼ cup melted butter and corn flakes. Mix to cover corn flakes with butter. Spread cornflakes on top of casserole.
- Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until bubbly.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Comments & Reviews
Debora Irvine-Boudreau says
great recipe very easy and tasty