Funeral potatoes are a quick, easy-to-make side dish perfect for feeding a crowd. Whether you want to feed and comfort loved ones or win over the crowd at a cookout or potluck, you can’t go wrong with this mouthwatering cheesy potato casserole.
Funeral Potatoes are a mainstay of our customary Easter dinner, perhaps even more so than honey-baked ham. (We’ve had a recurring debate regarding Easter ham in recent years, but Funeral Potatoes are never in question.)
Here in Utah, this cheesy potato casserole (akin to potatoes au gratin) graces the table at just about any social function, including funerals, but it’s especially popular at Easter. I now buy my shredded potatoes well ahead of the Easter holiday, having experienced the dire consequences of waiting too long and finding that every store in town has been totally cleaned out.
We take our Funeral Potatoes very seriously around here, which should tell you everything you need to know about how delicious they are!
Table Of Contents
Utah Funeral Potatoes Ingredients
- Shredded hash browns: Shredded potatoes are the foundation of Funeral Potatoes. Potato casseroles can be time- and labor-intensive, but refrigerated (or frozen) hash browns make this particular casserole quick and easy to throw together.
- Cream of chicken soup (or SOS mix): Cream of chicken soup is a staple in creamy casseroles like this one. I often use my prepared SOS mix (1/3 cup of SOS mix plus 1 1/4 cups of water, cooked until thickened) instead of the canned stuff, but it’s great both ways.
- Sour cream: Sour cream helps thicken the cheese sauce, and lends a tangy flavor that balances the richness of the potatoes and cheese.
- Cheddar cheese: You can’t have a cheesy potato casserole without cheese! Cheddar melts wonderfully and adds plenty of flavor.
- Butter: As in any good casserole, butter adds a rich flavor to the cheese sauce and moisture to the other ingredients.
- Green onions: Green onions lend a fresh flavor and texture that contrasts deliciously with the cheese sauce and potatoes.
- Cornflakes: A layer of crushed cornflakes forms a crispy, golden brown crown atop these cheesy potatoes, adding a satisfying crunch and enhancing its visual appeal.
How To Make Funeral Potatoes (Cheesy Potato Casserole)
Ingredients:
- 2 (20-ounce) bags shredded hash browns, refrigerated or frozen*
- 1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of chicken soup (or prepared SOS mix)
- 16 ounces sour cream
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup butter, divided
- 1/3 cup green onions, finely chopped
- 1 cup cornflakes, crushed
*Thaw and drain frozen hash browns before using them in this recipe.
Directions:
Set aside 2 tablespoons of the butter to use later, then place the remaining butter in a saucepan and melt it on your stovetop over medium-low heat. Stir in the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cheese, and green onions, then cook until the cheese melts and forms a creamy sauce. Set the sauce aside.
Arrange the hash browns in an even layer in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
Pour the cheese sauce evenly over the shredded potatoes. (Feel free to stir the sauce and potatoes together, but I don’t bother — it doesn’t seem to make much difference either way.)
Melt the reserved 2 tablespoons of butter in a microwave-safe bowl, then add the crushed cornflakes and stir.
Sprinkle the cornflake topping evenly over the cheesy potatoes, then bake for 45 minutes at 325 degrees F, or until the top is golden brown and the casserole is hot and bubbly.
Let the casserole cool and set up for 15 minutes before digging in.
“I can’t wait to try this recipe. I’m always trying to come up with delicious side dishes for the holidays and this one sounds perfect! Seeing as we’re cooking so many things, [using] shredded potatoes takes away some of the work and time! I think you could prepare these a day or two ahead […] to save even more time.”
– OGT Reader Deb A.
How to Enjoy Leftovers
To store leftover funeral potatoes, place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
To reheat, microwave the potato casserole for 2-3 minutes, or bake it in your oven at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. (The oven method may be a bit slower, but I prefer it for reheating larger quantities.)
Serving Suggestions
Funeral potatoes make a delicious side dish for any occasion. Serve them alongside:
- Grilled or roasted vegetables
- Spiral-cut ham
- Roast turkey
- Roast chicken
- Smoked or grilled pork ribs
Funeral Potatoes Ingredient Substitutes
| Ingredient | Substitutes |
|---|---|
| Shredded hash browns | Grated potatoes, frozen shredded potatoes, or frozen diced potatoes |
| Cream of chicken soup | SOS mix, cream of onion soup, or cream of mushroom soup |
| Sour cream | Plain/Greek yogurt or mayonnaise |
| Cheddar cheese | Colby jack cheese or shredded cheese blend |
| Butter | Margarine |
| Green onions | Shallots |
| Cornflakes | Crackers or potato chips |
More Delicious Potato Recipes
Is there anything potatoes can’t do? Whether you prefer to boil ’em, mash ’em, or stick ’em in a stew, potatoes make affordable comfort food for all ages and occasions.
Check out some of my other favorite potato-based recipes:
- Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
- Easy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- World’s Best Potato Salad
- Microwave Potato Chips
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Make Funeral Potatoes Ahead Of Time?
Yes! I recommend storing the cheese sauce, potatoes, and cornflakes separately and assembling the casserole just before baking it. If you don’t have time for that, you can prepare the casserole one day ahead of time and reheat it in your oven for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Why Are They Called Funeral Potatoes?
This potato casserole gets its name because it’s a popular dish to serve at church and community gatherings, including funerals. (It has several similar monikers, in fact — Church Potatoes, Wedding Potatoes, Picnic Potatoes, Potluck Potatoes, etc.)
Conclusion
This Funeral Potatoes recipe is one of my favorite comfort foods to serve (and, more importantly, eat) at special occasions and social gatherings. I’m sure you and yours will love it too!
Have you ever tried making funeral cheesy potatoes?
Utah Funeral Potatoes Recipe (Cheesy Potato Casserole)
Ingredients
- 40 oz shredded hash browns
- 10.5 oz cream of chicken soup
- 16 oz sour cream
- 2 cups cheddar cheese grated
- 1/2 cup butter divided
- 1/3 cup green onions finely chopped
- 1 cup cornflakes crushed
Instructions
- Reserve 2 tablespoons of the butter for later, then melt the remaining butter in a saucepan on your stovetop over medium-low heat.
- Stir in the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, grated cheese, and green onions, cook until the cheese has melted and the sauce is well combined, then remove from heat.
- Arrange the shredded potatoes in an even layer in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Pour the cheese sauce evenly over the top of the potatoes.
- Melt the reserved butter in a small bowl and stir in the crushed cornflakes.
- Sprinkle the cornflake topping over the cheesy potatoes.
- Bake at 325 degrees F for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the potatoes are hot and bubbly.
- Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
Everyone has their own versions! I use 8oz. Soft cream cheese, 8 oz. Shredded cracker barrel sharp cheddar, 1 can cream of onion soup,8 oz. Sour cream. Mix and pour over large bag of hash browns, top with durkees fried onion.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thinking of trying the container of French Onion chip dip!
I had these for the very first time at Christmas Eve dinner, prepared by someone who came from Utah. They were so yummy and the hit of the dinner! I remember being intrigued by the name. Thank you so much for the recipe – can’t wait to make them myself.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.can I make this with fresh potatoes-I’ve never seen these hash brown products
Please log in or create a free account to comment.in the UK
Absolutely! Just weight out 40 oz of shredded, cooked potatoes :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I make a similar recipe called Schwarties Hash Browns…only difference is frozen hash browns, cream of mushroom soup, I dont pre-cook the mixture and no corn flakes on the top…They are the best and I will make them up and split up into loaf pans and freeze….
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We make these all the time but call them Cheesy Potato Casserole. We prefer the diced hashbrowns. One time I went to make them & was out of sour cream. I had a carton of French Onion dip so I used it & didn’t add the onions. It was amazing & we preferred it this way! I don’t put the cornflake topping on – I never have them on hand!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yum!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This recipe must have migrated west with the Germans or Pennsylvania Dutch because it’s a popular dish in Lancaster County too. I have this exact same recipe and everyone loves it, though we’ve never called them Funeral Potatoes. I like to add some seasoned salt to the mixture sometimes to give it a little extra flavor, though it’s definitely great on its own.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yay! For Lancaster county! Greetings from Ephrata.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.In our family we’ve always called, well actually it was given to us by a friend so we use her name. It’s called potatoes supreme. We use melted butter when mixing it. We don’t use any crunchy toppings. Like I said earlier, it’s not the Holidays in our family without it.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Also in our family we do the potatoes from scratch. My family insists on peeling,boiling and grating them for this dish. Yes, it’s a lot of work, but everyone likes the recipe using this method. We’ve had this recipe since the 80s.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What a fun (and delicious) family tradition :-)
Going to have to try this recipe, but I’ll have to call it something else or my husband won’t touch ’em! :) They must also be popular in Oklahoma – The Pioneer Woman made a variation of this on her show a couple of years ago. I thought then, “Why in the world would you call them Funeral Potatoes?” LOL! I think I will just say, “Because they are so good, they’re to die for!”
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Your amazing! And so is this receipe! Whether fresh or frozen potatoes, it’s the receipe that matters. Substitute what you will but give credit to this lovely lady for sharing this delicious dish.
And ladies, it really is in how statements are worded that can express gratitude or not. Nobody will ever agree on all the ingredients but sharing suggestions can be beneficial and a learning experience, if seasoned with grace. We’d all like to be the perfect organic purist but sometimes, just sometimes. the crown slips a bit and we reach for a substitute. That was my attempt at humor.
Jillee your as perfect as they come, we love and appreciate you beyond words. Never stop doing what you do.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Anne Marie, I agree with you. I know on Easter Sunday morning when I was growing up, my mama would be SO busy trying to get our meal prepared for that day while still making it to Easter service at church. I guess I would rather spend more time on that special day with my family than be making a recipe harder and more complicated than it has to be! I don’t think people always stop and think about things way more dangerous to us than perhaps having “processed” food once in a while. Anyone with a cell phone exposes themselves to more than one danger. There are thing s around me that I am way more afraid of than packaged potatoes or canned condensed soups, etc. I, with you, think Jillee does a great job and would never, ever suggest we do something if it was putting us in grave danger! But…she DID call these “FUNERAL potatoes”…hmmm…Jillee???? :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.These are a staple for Christmas dinner every year! I was given the recipe years ago which called for southern diced potatoes, but the rest is the same. Big hit where I have to make a double batch. I just recently heard the term “funeral potatoes” and had a laugh! Thank you for your great site!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Never used the shredded ones, but I’ll try them. I usually just use the diced frozen ones – and add a chopped onion and a can of green chile. And mix everything together including the potatoes. Love this any way you fix it.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We make this in Texas but use thawed tator tots (broke apart). We call it potato casserole…..love it!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I enjoy your blog, however I wish you had a “print” button to help with the printing.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I do! There’s a large green button that says “printer friendly” towards the end of the post :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use the southern style (diced) potatoes and instead of sour cream, used French Onion Chip Dip. For the topping, I use either Corn Flakes or crushed potato chips. :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.These are a favorite in our family, here in Ohio!! Instead of cream of chicken soup we use a can of cream of onion and cream of potato along with the rest of the ingredients you use. We even had to have them for a pizza party!! :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We love funeral potatoes but we use potatoes O’Brien instead of hash browns and omit the spring onions.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.yes…looks yummy –but can be made healthier..(without prepackaged stuff) ..you do not have real potatoes in Utah? thanks for recipe! enjoy your blog otherwise…
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Gotta love the Negative Nelly first thing in the morning!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Please don’t label Georgie a Negative Nelly! I had a similar reaction because I prefer to use unprocessed foods if possible, and also real potatoes are cheaper (we’re on a low pension income). I’m hoping I can grate my own spuds and cheese and use dried breadcrumbs instead of cornflakes (which I rarely buy) and get the same delicious result.
there’s nothing negative about Georgie’s comment, Others have stated they used different products to make this.
I commented that the recipe sounds great but that I don’t care for the name.
I don’t think you’re being negative at all. Just realistic in asking for the many who don’t want the processed stuff. However, I’m sure she’d hunt for and offer the clean version if she wanted to. Maybe you can look up or develop a recipe and post it? That would be great! ☺
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You can replace the potatoes with 40 ounces of cooked, shredded potatoes. You can replace the cream of chicken soup with this homemade alternative: http://jillee.co/2nhW8Pf . You can cut down on the amount of sour cream and shredded cheese (if you’re looking to go lower-fat). And you can use bread crumbs, or any crunchy cereal for the topping :-) It will still be absolutely delicious!
The only packaged food here is the soup. Time to do your own research. :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.That’s not how my corn looks when it comes off the stalks! There is more than just processed soup there.
If I were to make it, I would grate my own ingredients and make the soup from scratch. I don’t buy GMO, but there are plenty of non-GMO cereals that would work in place of the corn flakes. This recipe is easily adapted for people who want to eat clean, healthy food on a budget. Thanks Jillee!
“You do not have real potatoes in Utah? ”
“Enjoy your blog otherwise…”
Those two sentences alone reek of passive aggressiveness.
The unnecessary disrespect of a few people towards Jillee’s blog is really getting on my nerves. I’ve not wanted to call it like I see it because I’ve felt worried about creating more awkwardness and drama for Jillee. However, enough’s enough. Let’s revisit the basics, shall we?
-If you have nothing good to say, say nothing.
-If you critique, do it Constructively.
Jillee, this looks delicious! I’ve not actually heard of funeral potatoes, but thanks to you I will be making them for Easter this year. Thanks again for your efforts to bring us so many good things. :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Amen! I am sick and tired of everyone’s (sometimes nasty) opinion! In case you don’t understand, this recipe can be a guideline for those of you who chose to use it as such! Perhaps if we as a society quit bashing EVERYTHING, we can see another point of view. Would you talk to someone that way if you were face to face?! Just saying!
You are so right about how much Utahans love their Funeral Potatoes. It’s a given that you plan ahead for the supplies at Easter. But last summer I went to the one grocery store in our little town for hash browns and they were all gone and my first thought was “oh, gosh…who died?” That’s when I knew I was starting to fit in in my adopted state.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We’ve always called this hash brown casserole around Kentucky. Always a favorite! Love them
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We’ve done this dish using the fresh potatoes for holidays- Christmas, New Years, and Easter. We boil them and then grate them. Yes it’s a lot of work doing the boiling and peeling the day before. This has become a tradition for our family. Most of my siblings now do it with their families. For the family dinners mom wouldn’t hear of using the frozen ones. We have done it for funerals using the frozen.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We love this dish in the Midwest (which most of us refer to as cheesy potatos) as well. And not that it needs any more calories :) but, instead of using crushed cornflakes on top we use crushed potato chips. I also use the western hashbrowns that already have some onion and peppers mixed in. Definitely a favorite!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for posting this tasty looking recipe! It will be in my stash of favorites. I can’t wait to try these. We go to pot lucks now and then and the funeral potatoes will be a perfect dish to bring. I know my husband will love them too!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I leave out the onions too, use lightly crushed Special K instead of the CornFlakes and use cream of celery soup….
Please log in or create a free account to comment.These potatoes are the BOMB! I have actually been making this dish for over 10 years now. Actually clipped the recipe off the back of a 32oz plastic bag of Mrs. Dell’s Frozen Hashbrowns I had purchased for breakfast! I could probably inhale half the pan by myself they are so comforting and yummy! I serve them for Easter dinner as well. :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This sounds like a great recipe. However, i would have to change the name. I could never serve this dish as “funeral potatoes”. I’m a Jersey girl; i don’t think my friends & family would would appreciate being served funeral potatoes.
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