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
We call these “Texas Taters” and use Southern Hashbrowns (the cube-shaped kind) rather than grated. My college-age daughter asks for these EVERY time she’s home and we send a container mixed, but not baked, back with her every time.
Thanks, Kate. We were “dying” for this one to be posted 🙂
Oh, Patti.
I love you! 🙂
Do you love me too? I’m Patti’s sister! 🙂 Your website is awesome!
Um, LynnEl, of COURSE I love you, too!!
I take all the wet ingredients and melt them together in a pot and then pour over the potato mix. I know – another pan to wash but it seems to make the potatoes a lot creamier. And I am definitely a no topping person.
We love these at our house too. I add a shake or two of rubbed sage into the mix…yummy!
I love me some “Yummy potatoes” as we call them in our family, though I can’t do it with frozen hashbrowns, YUCK! Has to be freshly boiled potatoes grated! I grate them in my Bosch cheese grater but used to do it by hand because it’s that important! We also use a whole stick of butter and make sure those onions are golden brown, it gives the best flavor to it! I have used dried onion soaked in water for 10 minutes then saute and it well too if you don’t have fresh around. Can you tell this is my comfort food! LOL! So glad it made it on your site!
Funeral Potatoes!!! LOL! We call this hashbrown casserole!!!!! Like from cracker barrel!!! I love it! French’s Fried Onions go well as the topping, too… lol 🙂
I just found your blog yesterday after seeing your Mormon Moms in the Kitchen cookbook on Amazon, so I got a bit of a giggle seeing a funeral potatoes recipe here this morning. Funeral potatoes are the ultimate Mormon moms recipe. 🙂
Seriously, though, I love these potatoes. I pretty much only have them on Christmas and Easter (unless there’s a funeral…), so they’re not only a comfort food but also associated with good times with my family. And they’re delicious! I use cream of celery soup in mine.
Ha ha! Where I am from we call these wedding potatoes! They are so yummy whatever you call them!
I love funeral potatoes! I get a craving for them at least once a month. I do use a topping, but it’s not crunchy, so it’s works well in the leftovers. We just melt butter and mix that with the corn flake crumbs and put it on top. I don’t like to use the shredded hash browns though. I prefer the cubed ones. I had a roommate that refused to use store bought hash browns, so when we made it, she insisted we boil the potatoes and shred them. It worked great.
Yum! We call them patio potatoes.