Believe it or not, “Funeral Potatoes” is not actually the technical name for this dish–it’s usually something like Cheesy Potato Casserole. But these are often found served with ham on Easter dinner tables as well as luncheons following funerals which, not shockingly, is how they got their name in certain circles. You can serve this as a main dish (kind of like mac and cheese, right?) with a salad and fruit or serve it alongside pot roast, ham, or roasted chicken. The funeral is totally optional. If you’ve never tried them, be prepared for these creamy, cheesy potatoes to disappear very quickly!
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Onion
- Fresh garlic
- Butter – Use real butter.
- Frozen hash brown potatoes
- Sour cream – Full fat is best.
- Cream of chicken soup
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Topping of choice – Crushed cornflakes, seasoned bread crumbs, crushed potato chips, crushed crackers, or more cheese!
How to Make Funeral Potatoes
- First you’ll melt some butter and sauté your onions and garlic.
- While the onions and garlic are sautéing, combine together the sour cream, cream of chicken soup, salt, and pepper.
- Combine the sautéed onions and garlic with a bag of thawed hash brown potatoes, the sour cream mixture, and the cheese. Transfer to a 9×13 baking dish.
- You can bake these potatoes as is, or sprinkle with corn flakes, cracker crumbs, or extra cheese before baking. I prefer topping with cheese or leaving them plain, as the other options become soggy on leftovers.
Storing and Other Tips
- Store cooled leftover funeral potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 4-5 days for best results.
- If you’d like to save dishes, prepare these potatoes in a cast iron skillet or other pan that can go from stovetop to oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Feel free to prep these potatoes a day ahead of time. They will need a few extra minutes in the oven if baking directly from the refrigerator.
You can freeze funeral potatoes for up to 3 months, before or after baking. Leave the toppings off if you plan to freeze. Thaw your pan in the refrigerator overnight before baking or reheating.
Funeral Potatoes
Equipment
- 9×13 baking dish optional
Ingredients
- 1 onion, small-medium diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1-2 tablespoons butter
- 1 28-30 ounce bag hash brown potatoes shredded, thawed
- 1 16-ounce container sour cream
- 1 10-ounce can cream of chicken soup or cream of mushroom
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese about 2 cups, shredded
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- crushed cornflakes, seasoned bread crumbs, crushed potato chips, or crushed Ritz or saltine crackers optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. In a large skillet (or 12" cast iron skillet), melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant. Remove from heat.
- Add the thawed hash browns, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, cheese, salt, and pepper and combine well. Add additional salt and pepper if necessary.
- If not baking in the skillet, spread the mixture into a 9×13" (or similar) dish and bake for 50-60 minutes or until the casserole is hot in the center and the cheese is bubbly throughout. Serve as a main dish with a salad and fruit or alongside roasted ham, turkey, chicken, or beef.
Notes
- Store cooled leftover funeral potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 4-5 days for best results.
- If you’d like to save dishes, prepare these potatoes in a cast iron skillet or other pan that can go from stovetop to oven.
- The comment section on this recipe is filled with interesting and delicious variations, such as adding green onions, different types of toppings, and unique seasonings. If you’re looking for a new spin on this recipe, take a look!
Nutrition
Questions & Reviews
Until I started participating in the blogging world I had never heard this potato casserole called “Funeral Potatoes”. But even with the cream of ‘what?’ soup these potatoes are such comfort food to me!
Love these potatoes, but I love to add a little bit of ranch to these it just gives it a little kick!! GREAT JOB on the new website I love it!!!
“The funeral is optional” hahaha!
1. I can’t believe you broke our cream-of-something soup streak.
2. It’s totally worth it for funeral potatoes- and I wouldn’t use anything else, even homemade! The can is a must.
3. My recipe is exactly the same except I include an entire stick of melted butter. Hahaha- that can only improve it, right?? lol
These are seven million times better if you use fresh potatoes, boil them, cool them and grate them! Gotta love funeral potatoes. I talk about them on my blog a lot and people that aren’t from Utah have a hard time understanding how amazing they are!
I put french fried onions in the mix and then on top just before they are done
I don’t wait for a special occasion to make these yummy potatoes. For my family of 3, I will mix up a whole batch, bake 1/2 and put the other 1/2 unbake in a ziplock freezer bag. That way I have some for another dinner. When ready to use, just thaw and bake as usual. They are just as good.
lol, this is a great recipe and I think that the canned cream of soup is okay in moderation, it really does add a lot of flavor easily and you can use the reduced fat/sodium kinds as long as you use the name brand and they’re still good. I use it in my easy pot pie recipe too. I also think it’s funny that you never thought of them for breakfast. We go down to SLC for work meetings every 3 months and we stay in a hotel right next to a Cracker Barrel, the first time I went there for breakfast I asked one of my coworkers who had been there before, what the hashbrown casserole was and her reply “do you know what funeral potatoes are?” lol, they are everywhere and yes everyone has their own version. A dear friend of mine always makes her version of scalloped potatoes for our Scout troops Christmas dinner, this last year she gave us the recipe and I think it’s very similar. Her’s are the only scalloped potatoes I’ve ever liked. I need to go find that recipe now…
This sounds YUMMY, but can we change the name to “POT LUCK POTATOES” ? LOL!
We can’t. It’s too ingrained in my cultural lexicon, haha! 🙂
I’ve grown up on these! I’ve never used pre-packaged hashbrowns before. I’ve always boiled whole potatoes, cooled them, and then shredded. I can see how using pre-made would be a huge time saver though!
Krista, you are a WAY better person than I am, lol!
I love potato casserole! Ours is pretty similar, with a few changes…we do use a crunchy topping (cornflake crumbs), but ours never gets soggy. I think it’s because we go the extra step and actually BUY a box of Cornflake Crumbs. Anytime I’ve tried crushing the cereal myself…it’s gross. But the boxed crumbs are perfect, and they stay crunchy even for a week after. We also mix the crumbs with melted butter before putting them on, so they get nice and toasted in the oven.
The only other change is that we use green onions instead of yellow or white. They add a really great kick to the flavor. And you’re right…it’s the BEST side for a ham!
We use cornflakes with the butter too! We don’t even crush them. I think it might be my favorite part of the casserole! I also sometimes throw in some cayenne, just enough that my kids don’t notice, and parsley from our garden.
How did you ever discover they stay crunchy for an entire week? These never last past a couple of days at my house!