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
I love potato casserole, but only with a crunchy topping! we use anything from corn flakes to ritz crackers to crushed cheese-itz…mixed with butter of course! if you want the topping to be crunchy the next day, just warm the left over casserole in the microwave (yep, go ahead and use the microwave, after all, you are reheating creamed soup, sour cream, and tons of cheese, a little radiation isnt going to kill you!) then pop it under the broiler for a couple minutes (watch closely). Tah-Dah, crunchy leftovers!
Another easy way to make these … if you’ve got to have the “real” potatoes … is to buy the “Simply Potatoes”. They are in a dark green bag and are precooked REAL potatoes! I usually find them by the eggs, etc. I also make mine in the crockpot. Just throw everything in stir it up and cook on low. They taste great!
Oh no! You can’t have these without crushed cornflakes and butter on top. It’s almost sacrilegious. 😉
we LOVE funeral potatoes. sometimes we go all-out and make the potatoes ourselves by cooking them and grating them. which makes it delicious. but also so delicious with the hash browns. we call them “yummy potatoes” in my family
I love these!!! Sometimes I like to crunch up cornflakes and put them on top and then drizzle the cornflakes with melted butter before baking.
I love these!! We call them “church potatoes” or “cheesy potatoes”. One awesome thin about these is that they freeze pretty well after baking. I’ll make a pan and freeze leftovers for another meal. You can either heat them in the microwave or in the oven in a small casserole dish. We also make ours without onion since we have onion-sensitive family members and they taste just as good.
my copy of your cookbook came today!!! I was so excited to see the Fedex guy. It is amazing! I especially love the Rollovers index, that is so incredibly helpful! I wish all cook books had that! I have already integrated a bunch of the recipes into my weekly menus, can’t wait to try more of them!
Thanks!!!
One of our favorite recipes ! (We don’t use garlic, though.)
Just wanted to let you know that I linked to you from my blog today!
I love these potatoes–have been making them for years. What I don’t understand though, is why would you need to add any salt? That can of soup has more than enough flavor–and sodium.
I’m so glad that you are making sure that the world has this recipe. We ate this just last week with ham and I was thinking that it’s such a pity that I don’t make them more!