Funeral Potatoes

Learn how to make the ultimate comfort food—funeral potatoes. This recipe uses classic ingredients to make a rich, creamy casserole perfect for any occasion. This side dish has its peculiar name because it is so common at after-funeral luncheons. 

Funeral potatoes are easy to make, virtually foolproof, easy on the pocketbook, and people love them. This recipe serves at least ten people, so it is a real crowd-pleaser and perfect for family gatherings at Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

You are going to love these cheesy potatoes. Leftovers heat up perfectly in the microwave. I like to serve the leftovers mixed with sausage crumbles and topped with over-easy eggs. It just does not get much better than that! If you like this recipe, try twice-baked potato casserole, loaded baked potatoes, smashed potatoes, and scalloped potatoes.

What are Funeral Potatoes?

Funeral potatoes, also known as cheesy potato casserole, are a frozen hash brown potato casserole that combines onion, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, cheddar cheese, and Monterey Jack Cheese with a crunchy cornflake topping.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.

• Butter: Salted or unsalted. Adjust the amount of added salt if using salted.
• Onion: Preferably sweet yellow.
• Sour Cream: Use full-fat for flavor and texture.
• Cream of Chicken Soup: Substitute cream of mushroom soup or celery soup for the cream of chicken soup.
• Cheese: Any white, sharp, or mild cheddar and Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, or Pepper Jack
• Corn Flakes: Crushed potato chips or Ritz crackers also work.

How to Make Funeral Potatoes

This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.

1. Cook the onion in a skillet with a bit of butter.
2. In a large bowl, combine the hash brown potatoes, onion, melted butter, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, garlic powder, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, cheddar cheese, and Monterey Jack cheese.
3. Spread the mixture into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
4. Crush the cornflakes and mix them with a little melted butter. Sprinkle over the top and bake for about 45 minutes. 

Preparation Tips

• Take the frozen hash browns out of the freezer and let them sit on the counter for about 1 hour before starting this recipe. This gives them time to thaw so the mixture does not freeze into one big glob.
• If you are pressed for time, you don’t have to sauté the onion, but it adds depth and flavor and is worth the extra 5 minutes.
• This recipe calls for frozen hash brown potatoes, but any frozen or parboiled potato will work. Shredded hash browns are a family favorite.
• For best results, don’t use low-fat sour cream or cheese, as they don’t taste as good with the casserole.

How to Prepare Ahead of Time

You can assemble this casserole up to 24 hours in advance and store it covered in the pan in the refrigerator. Remove it from the fridge 40 minutes before baking to bring it to room temperature. Save mixing the cornflakes with butter until just before you put it in the oven.

Recipe Variations

• For the complete meal: Add diced ham, sausage crumbles, or crispy cooked chopped bacon.
• Different Cheeses: Try Smoked Gouda, Pepper Jack, Muenster, Colby Jack, Provolone, Fontina, or Swiss.
• Veg It Out: Add steamed broccoli, sautéed mushrooms, pickled jalapeños, or blanched green beans.
• Toppings: Try potato chips, onion straws, bread crumbs, or crushed Ritz crackers.

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