Funeral Potatoes (aka Cheesy Potatoes or Party Potatoes)are the perfect classic comfort food if you’re looking for a tasty dish to serve at your next family dinner. This recipe is perfect if you want to whip up something in a hurry with ingredients like frozen hashbrowns, cream of chicken soup, and corn flakes.
Funeral Potatoes (aka Party Potatoes or Cheesy Potatoes)
Funeral potatoes are a comfort food many of us grew up with. It’s a dish that reminds us of family gatherings and the holidays.
This type of potato dish was often found on potluck tables across America during times when mourners would stay after funeral services to eat cold cuts and other dishes together before returning home. Funeral potatoes can be considered comfort food because they’re hearty and filling like most casserole dishes
Why Are They Called Funeral Potatoes?
The name for funeral potatoes comes from the tradition of them being served after a funeral or memorial. They were a classic side dish at post-funeral luncheons. These cheesy, warm potatoes were comfort food that became a funeral dinner staple. But, while funerals may have been where they originated, this dish has become a common side dish at just about any type of pot luck or meal now.
Ingredients
- Frozen hash browns
- yellow onion
- Butter
- Salt
- Garlic powder
- Sour cream
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Cream of chicken soup
- Corn flakes
Ingredient Substitutions
- Hash Browns: You can use diced or shredded hash browns for your funeral potatoes. Both will yield a similar result in taste, it will just change up the texture a bit.
- Onions: If you aren’t a fan of onions, they can be left out of this recipe. I’ve seen both options for funeral potatoes. This is just a taste preference.
- Sour cream: If you’re out of sour cream at home, you can try swapping it out for plain greek yogurt. They have the same texture and taste, and will give the same end result in your funeral potatoes.
How to Make Funeral Potatoes
- Cook your onions and butter until they are soft.
- Combine your hash browns, salt, black pepper, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, cream of chicken soup, and your cooked onion all together in a large bowl. Stir all of the ingredients together until they are mixed well.
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and pour your potato mixture into a 9×13 casserole dish. Then cook your casserole in the oven for 30 minute.
- After 30 minutes, take out the casserole and stir it well. Put the casserole back in the oven and continue to cook until it’s bubbling on the sides and in the middle (typically about 20-30 minutes). When you see the casserole beginning to bubble in the middle, it’s done.
- Take the casserole out of the oven and sprinkle your crushed corn flakes on top, spreading them evenly over the entire casserole. Place it back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes, watching closely to make sure the top doesn’t overcook.
- Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Tips From Our Recipe Developer
- If your hashbrowns are still frozen, mixing the ingredients together will take a bit of muscle. I recommend taking the hashbrowns out to thaw, as it will make this step much easier on the arms!
- To crush your cornflakes evenly and quickly, try placing them in a ziploc bag and rolling over them with a rolling pin.
How to Store Funeral Potatoes
Storing leftover funeral potatoes is as simple as putting a lid on your 9×13 and popping them in the fridge. They make great leftovers, even if the cornflakes may get a bit soggy when reheated.
You can also make funeral potatoes ahead of time and store them in the fridge so they are ready to go when you want to bake them. To do so, follow the steps above, up to step 3 when the mixture is spread out in your 9×13 pan.
Instead of cooking at this point, place a tight lid on top of the pan and keep your potatoes in the fridge for up to 1 day. Then, follow the steps for cooking as directed above. Note, you may need to add a bit of extra baking time since the ingredients will be coming straight from the cold fridge.
Other Easy Potato Recipes
Funeral Potatoes
Ingredients
- 30 oz package of traditional frozen hash browns (take out of the freezer 20 mins prior to cooking)
- ½ large yellow onion chopped
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2 cups sour cream
- 2½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 3 cups corn flakes crushed. I used a large gallon size bag and a rolling pin to crush my French's Onions and Doritos.
Instructions
- In a medium skillet heat 1 tablespoon butter and cook your onion until soft (about 5 mins)
- In a large mixing bowl combine your hash browns, salt, black pepper, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, cream of chicken soup and your cooked onion. Stir well. It may take some serious arm muscle to work this all together if your hash browns are still frozen but should mix easily if thawed.
- Preheat your oven to 375°. Put your potato mixture into a 9×13 casserole dish and cook in the oven for 30 minutes. Take out and stir the whole casserole well. Put back in the oven and continue to cook until it's bubbling on the sides and in the middle, about 20-30 more minutes depending on your oven. Once it's bubbling in the middle you know it's done.
- Take the casserole out of the oven and sprinkle your the crushed corn flakes on the top (crush them by putting them in a gallon ziploc bag and use a rolling pin). Put back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes but watch carefully so the topping doesn't burn.
- Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
I’ve been making these for years only difference is I used crushed butter cracker crumbs instead of corn flakes
Aloha from Waimanalo, Hawai’i! I have 6 boys and 1 gurl and have fostered 14 boys. We’re a very close family. And we get together whenever possible. I grew up with 9 older brothers so chaos is normal! My 26 year old daughter has been a vegetarian since she was four, so I had to revise dishes for her. This recipe will be easy to revise! I only need to swap out the soup!! We love all your recipes!! Mahalo for all your hard work! Happy New Year to you and your ohana!! Kathi Huihui
I make this recipe all the time And it is a winner.
I have been looking for this recipe for a few years!! Thanks so much for posting it.