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This super cheesy, crunchy topped hash brown casserole is truly The Best Funeral Potatoes Ever! The combination of sour cream, onions, garlic and that buttery top all meld together with the potatoes for a side dish perfect for any occasion. Serve this up for your next holiday, or special day and watch the dish disappear. It’s a comfort food classic!
Serve these potatoes with just about anything from Ham, to Chicken to Steak and even Fish! It will go with it all!.
The Best Funeral Potatoes
Cheesy and beautifully seasoned, these really are just plain amazing! Potatoes are that ultimate comfort food. Combined with onions, sour cream, and lots of cheese, what’s not to love? This has become a staple at the table for many holidays. From Thanksgiving to Easter and everything in between this is a classic side dish that can make any meal complete.
Serve them at potlucks, BBQs as well as holidays. They are not just reserved for special occasions. Double the batch and freeze it (without the topping) to use at another occasion. You loved ones are going to love these potatoes!
Funeral Potato Ingredients
These are so buttery and cheesy!
- Butter: To saute the onion and garlic with.
- Onion: Finely chop the onion
- Garlic: minced
- Hash Browns: Frozen shredded hash brown potatoes thawed, or make your own
- Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup: Creates creamy goodness and flavor
- Sour Cream or Plain Greek Yogurt: More creaminess and a bit of tang
- Parmesan Cheese Adds a nice punch to the cheese.
- Salt and Pepper To Taste
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Shredded and firmly packed, don’t skimp on the good stuff.
- Crushed Corn Flake Cereal or Panko Bread Crumbs: Either one will work
Making Funeral Potatoes
This comes together in a snap.
- Saute: In a medium skillet melt 2 Tablespoons of butter. Add the onions and cook till translucent. Add the garlic and saute, just until fragrant.
- Mix: In a large bowl combine the onions, garlic, hash browns, soup, sour cream, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese. Stir till well.
- Pan: Spread into a 9×13 pan and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.
- Melt: Melt the remaining 4 Tablespoons of butter and mix with the crushed cornflakes or bread crumbs. Sprinkle on top of the potatoes
- Bake: Bake for 50-60 min at 350 degrees till bubbly and cooked throughout.
Why Are They Called Funeral Potatoes?
- What’s in a Name: As the name suggests, this cheesy potato comfort food is traditionally served at a meal for the grieving family following a funeral. Most commonly known as Funeral Potatoes in the western and southern United States they are also known as a Cheesy Potato Casserole. They’re popular at gatherings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and are often served at their funerals and other functions.
- Why Funerals: Besides cheese and potatoes being an ultimate comfort food and just delicious, they are easy to transport, easy to make, and easy to keep warm. Perfect for a potluck and a time of need.
- The Little Black Dress of Side Dishes: A big helping of cheesy potatoes goes with just about any main dish, making it a very versatile dish. Dress it up or dress it down for the occasion. From Christmas, to birthdays, to funerals, it’s the perfect side attraction. Trust me these will go fast!
Tips for The Best Funeral Potatoes
- Make Ahead: These are one of those wonderful dishes you can make ahead. Make as directed but do not put the cornflake or bread crumb topping on. Refrigerate till ready to bake. Remove from the fridge and let come to room temperature, if you have time. Mix up the topping put on top and cook as directed.
- Potatoes: Shredded potatoes as well as country style hash browns (cubed potatoes) will work in this recipe. I like the shredded best.
- Bake Your Own Potatoes: Make your own hash browns by parboiling 12 small potatoes and grating them once cooled.
- To Top or Not to Top: You can leave the topping off if you prefer. The crunchy topping does go soggy if you have leftovers. So if you know you will have leftovers you might want to leave it off. Either way it’s still amazing!
- Leftovers: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days. They are almost even better the next day!
- Make it a Meal: Add in diced ham, chicken or bacon and turn this side dish into the main dish!
More Potato Recipes
Potatoes are just plain good!
- Crispy Potato Skins
- Easy Slow Cooker Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Cheddar Garlic Mashed Potato Casserole
- Slow Cooker Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes
- Garlic Butter Herb Steak Bites with Potatoes
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The Best Funeral Potatoes
Ingredients
- 6 Tablespoons butter divided
- 3/4 cup onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 30 ounce bag of frozen, shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed -or- 12 small potatoes parboiled and shredded
- 1 10.5 ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup sour cream or plain greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded and firmly packed, divided
- 1 1/2 cup crushed cornflake cereal or panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sized skillet, add 2 Tablespoons butter and sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the cooked onions, garlic, hash browns, condensed soup, sour cream, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese.
- Spread into a 9x13 inch baking pan. Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.
- Melt the remaining 4 Tablespoons of butter and mix with the crushed cornflake crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the casserole.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes or until cooked throughout and bubbly.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Looks yummy! Will be making for Easter.
This was a delicious recipe, simple and quick. It was a hit for my family gathering. Thank you!
In Illinois and Missouri they are called potato crunch!
I’ve had these funeral potatoes but they were made with cream of mushroom and another one was made with cream of celery.Both very delicious. I will definitely try it with cream of chicken soup next time.
I prefer either of those to the cream of chicken.
for xtra cheesey use Campells cheese soup
Hi! I’d like to make this for Easter, so I’m not going have time to test it first. Is this baked uncovered for the entire 50-60 minutes? Just want to make sure I don’t burn the topping. Thanks!
Yes, you can watch them and make sure they do not over bake but that is how long I have had to bake them for them to be done and the cheese to be melted to perfection! The corn flakes help the topping too. Enjoy and Happy Easter!
Looks&sounds alot like tuna casserole but w/out the tuna
I made these for my book club, everyone loved them. I went with the panko instead of the cornflakes. Thanks for the recipe!
I made these for a funeral and had some leftovers, as my 9×13 isn’t quite. I baked the leftovers in a muffin tin and ate them. They were AMAZING.
YUM! Thank you so much for sharing! XOXO
These were the best potato’s I have ever made. Will be making again. Thank you for sharing.
This was great,It is August and my tomatoes are coming in so I added a layer of thin sliced tomatoes under the topping
Ohhh! That sounds yummy with the tomatoes added!
Super Delicious and easy thank you for your help!!
They are called funeral potatoes, because in Utah, where they originated, they are a popular dish to bring to potluck gatherings after a funeral service. 🙂
Just found your site. This will be my next potato dish.
is it possible to cook two pans at once?
Wondering if you can make these a day or 2 in advance? I’m thinking that maybe the cornflake mixture would need to be done the day of? Thanks so much for the awesome recipe!
What’s the answer? I want to know this myself.
I made this dish but didn’t bake it, and wrapped it well for freezing. It lasted perfectly fine a couple months in my deep freeze.
Im Australian….why on earth are they called “Funeral Potatoes”???????
It feeds a lot of people and is a comfort food, so it is most often the potato dish of choice for family luncheons after a funeral. My mom disliked associating them with funerals, so we call them cheesy potatoes at our house.
I felt the same way about the name Chelsey. The potato dish is so delicious, I hated to associate it with sadness, but it does feed a lot of people and is a wonderful comfort food, so I use both names myself.
Because in Utah, they are a staple comfort food at funerals.
Not just in Utah. These are nationwide. I have one to funerals in Michigan, California, Washington, Florida, and Vermont, these were served. It’s comfort food, and easy to make.