Funeral Potatoes (Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole)

Funeral potatoes are easy to make (just 5 minute prep!) using hash browns, sour cream, creamy soup, and shredded cheese, yum!

Funeral potato casserole (aka cheesy hashbrown casserole) is a family favorite and perfect for a quick weeknight side dish or for bringing to your next potluck. Fix them alongside apricot glazed ham or smoked chicken thighs. 

Funeral Potatoes

Funeral Potato Ingredients

• Potato – We like to use a bag of frozen diced hash browns, thawed. Shredded hash browns will also work. 
• Onion – Finely diced or minced. 
• Sour cream – I like to use full fat for a super creamy texture. 
• Cream of something soup – Any of the condensed ‘cream of’ soups will work. 
• Milk – We prefer whole milk. 
• Butter – Salted, melted. 
• Spices – Salt & pepper.
• Cheese – Cheddar, shredded. 
• Cornflakes – For topping. Make sure to use gluten-free corn flakes if making this as a gluten-free funeral potatoes recipe. 

What are funeral potatoes?

Funeral potatoes are a cheesy hash brown potato casserole dish commonly served at funerals and potlucks in the Midwest United States, especially in Utah. 

They are called funeral potatoes because they always seem to appear at funeral gatherings. 

Potatoes, onion, sour cream, cheese, spices, corn flakes.

How do you make funeral potatoes? (step-by-step)

⭐ First, whisk together the sour cream, cream of soup, milk, butter, salt and pepper.

⭐ Then, combine hash browns, diced onion, cheese, and sour cream mixture. Spread evenly in a casserole dish.

⭐ Next, sprinkle the remaining cheese over top. Toss the crushed cornflakes with butter to coat and sprinkle over the cheese.

⭐ Finally, bake until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly.

Crockpot Funeral Potatoes

To fix these in the crock pot, whisk together the sour cream, cream of soup, milk, butter, salt and pepper. Then combine hash browns, diced onion, cheese, and sour cream mixture. Spread evenly into slow cooker. 

Sprinkle remaining cheese over top and cover. Cook on low for 3 -5 hours or high for 2 – 3 hours. Top with cornflakes before servings. 

Make sour cream mixture, add cheese, add potatoes, spread into casserole dish, cover with cheese & corn flakes.

Preparation

Can you make funeral potatoes ahead of time?

Yes, you can prep and assemble the dish about a day in advance and then bake right before you’re ready to serve. 

What kind of cheese for funeral potatoes?

We love finely shredded cheddar cheese in this recipe, but it’s also good with a fiesta blend or pepper jack if you want to give it a kick of spice. 

Can I use fresh potatoes instead of frozen hash browns?

Yes, to use fresh potatoes shred or small cube them and soak for several minutes to release starch, then rinse well to reduce oxidization (discoloring). Add to recipe a and bake. For fresh potatoes, use the longer bake time. 

Bake until bubbly and browned on top.

Leftovers and storage

How long do funeral potatoes last?

Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for 3 – 4 days.  If the dish was left out at room temperature longer than 2 hours, leftovers should be discarded. 

How do you reheat funeral potatoes?

You can reheat individual servings in the microwave at high power for 30 – 60 seconds, or on an oven safe dish in the toaster oven for about 7 minutes, until warmed through and top is crispy. 

Can you freeze cheesy hashbrown casserole?

Yes, It’s best to freeze before baking. Assemble the casserole then wrap tightly with foil twice (or once with foil and once with plastic wrap). 

To bake, unwrap frozen casserole and cover with one layer of foil. Bake for 45 minutes.  Remove foil and bake according to recipe directions. Alternately, you can thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake as normal. 

This stuff goes so fast at our house!

Tips, tricks, and frequently asked questions

✅ Try different toppings – Instead of corn flakes, try using traditional bread crumbs, Ritz or club crackers, panko bread crumbs, or potato chips (skip the butter if you use chips). 

✅ Add some heat by using a spicy cheese or by mixing in diced pickled jalapeno. 

✅ Make it a full meal by mixing in 2 breasts worth of instant pot shredded chicken or easy baked chicken. 

We love the cornflakes on top, but try potato chips, crackers, or breadcrumbs too!

What to serve with funeral potatoes

We enjoy these at family and friend gatherings along with other mid-western favorites like baked chicken spaghetti, watergate salad, strawberry poke cake, and frito pie casserole. 

Add chicken to make it a complete meal.

More awesome potato recipes

• Roasted garlic potatoes
• Best potato salad recipe
• Sweet potato and sausage hash
• Roasted red potatoes
• Potato soup recipe

Other casseroles to try

• Cheesy chicken and rice casserole
• Tuna casserole
• Corn Casserole
• Tater tot casserole
• See all our yummy casserole recipes

I love a dish that comes together in less than 10 minutes.

Tools we love

• Casserole dish with lid – I love this dish because it can go from freezer to oven. 
• Large spatula – No one wants a small portion of cheesy potatoes. 

😍😍😍

How to Make Funeral Potatoes

Funeral Potatoes (Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole)

Funeral potatoes are easy to make (just 5 minute prep!) using hash browns, sour cream, creamy soup, and shredded cheese, yum!

5 from 18 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cheesy hashbrown casserole, funeral potatoes

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 166kcal

Author: April Woods

Ingredients

• 1 bag frozen hashbrowns thawed, 32 ounces
• 1 small onion finely diced
• 2 cups sour cream
• 1 can condensed 'cream of' soup 10 ounces
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup butter melted
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 ½ cups shredded cheddar divided
• 2 cups crushed cornflakes
• ¼ cup butter melted

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Instructions

• Whisk together the sour cream, cream of chicken soup, milk, ½ cup melted butter, salt and pepper.
• Combine the thawed hashbrowns, diced onion, 2 cups of shredded cheddar and sour cream mixture.
• Spread evenly in a 9x13 casserole dish.
• Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup shredded cheddar evenly over the top.
• Toss the crushed cornflakes with the ¼ cup melted butter to coat, then sprinkle over the shredded cheddar.
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 60 minutes, until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly.

Notes

Calories are automatically generated. For best results calculate based on your exact ingredients.

Crock pot variation: 

Whisk together the sour cream, cream of soup, milk, butter, salt and pepper. Then combine hash browns, diced onion, 2 cups shredded cheese, and sour cream mixture. Spread evenly into slow cooker. 

Sprinkle remaining cheese over top and cover. Cook on low for 3 -5 hours or high for 2 - 3 hours. Top with cornflakes before servings. 

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Nutrition

Calories: 166kcal

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