A popular Utah casserole, these Funeral Potatoes are good for more than just funerals! This classic potato casserole is comforting and crowd-pleasing.
I pretty much love any potato side dish! These Funeral Potatoes are right at the top of the list with these Scalloped Potatoes and The Best Sweet Potato Casserole!
Are you looking for the perfect holiday side dish?
This cheesy potato casserole is great for holidays – we have them a lot on Easter, but they are great for Thanksgiving or Christmas as well. Actually – they are really perfect for any holiday!
Why Are They Called Funeral Potatoes?
Yes – you read the title right – Funeral Potatoes. If you don’t live in Utah, you may be wondering if that was a typo. But it’s not!! This side dish gets its name because it is a popular dish for luncheons after funerals here in Utah. And in fact, I made these potatoes that I am blogging about for a funeral last month! I think they are so popular after funerals because they are super comforting, crowd friendly, and easy to make in large amounts. But don’t worry, you can eat these anytime – not just following a funeral, thank goodness.
They are known by many other names, as well, like Cheesy Potato Casserole, Company Potatoes, Comfort Potatoes, Holiday Potatoes, Hash Brown Casserole, and Heart Attack Casserole.
Ingredients:
- Butter: I use unsalted butter. I am actually a salt addict, but find these plenty salty with just the other ingredients, so I would stick with unsalted butter.
- Cream of Chicken Soup: If you are a regular reader of my blog, you’ll know that I’m not normally a big fan of “cream of…” soups. I probably only have a handful of recipes (out of hundreds) here on this blog that have them as an ingredient. But in staying true to this recipe, I stuck with the most well-known ingredients, which includes some cream of chicken soup. Feel free to substitute cream of mushroom, or any other cream soup you’d like. Or if you are feeling ambitious, try making the casserole from scratch!
- Sour Cream: This is not a low fat dish, so I would stick with full fat for the best outcome.
- Cheddar Cheese: I always suggest freshly grating the cheese because it will melt the best.
- Chopped Onions: I like yellow or white onions the best.
- Frozen Hash Browns: I have used both shredded potatoes and cubed potatoes. The shredded hash browns will cook faster than the cubed, so make sure you keep that in mind.
- Corn Flakes and Butter: I’ve had some confusion with people thinking that you put Frosted Flakes on top. These are just regular, not-sweet corn flakes. If you don’t like the idea of the cornflakes, I’ve had people use panko bread crumbs, crushed potato chips, french fried onions, or even just more shredded cheese. The melted butter on top of the corn flakes makes it so that the corn flakes get nice and crispy.
How to Make Funeral Potatoes
Start by melting the butter in a large bowl. (Make sure the bowl is really big so you have room to stir everything together!) I just do this in the microwave, but you can melt it on the stove and then add it to the large bowl.
Stir in the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cheese, and onions. Stir it well.
Add in the hashbrowns and stir.
Spread the mixture into a 9×13-inch baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
Spread the crushed cornflakes on top.
Then drizzle the butter over the cornflakes.
Bake until everything is heated through and bubbling!
Tips and Tricks
- These Funeral Potatoes can be made ahead of time. Just don’t top them with the corn flakes until right before you bake them.
- If you want to make them even further ahead of time and freeze them, again, assemble the casserole, leaving the corn flakes off. Wrap it tightly and freeze. Thaw completely before baking, topping with the cornflakes and butter before you put them in the oven.
- Technically, you can double the recipe, but you would need a *very* large bowl. I would suggest just making the recipe twice.
- No need to defrost the hashbrowns before adding them to the mix. If they are thawed, your potatoes will be finished baking 10-15 minutes faster.
Funeral Potatoes Video
You can watch the video above to see how to make these Funeral Potatoes.
More delicious side dish recipes:
Scalloped Sweet Potatoes – if you are looking for something familiar, but different, this is a great way to change things up without going too crazy.
Glazed Carrots – this is such an easy side dish, and it gets devoured every time.
Scalloped Corn and Broccoli – this one has become a holiday staple for us.
Corn Casserole – this side dish is easy enough for a weeknight, but tasty enough for a holiday!
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Funeral Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 (10.5 oz) each cans cream of chicken soup
- 2 cups sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 32 oz package frozen shredded or cubed hash browns
- 3 cups corn flakes coarsely crushed
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Melt the butter in a large bowl. Add the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cheese and onions and mix to combine. Stir in the hash browns. Spread into the prepared baking dish.1/2 cup butter, 2 (10.5 oz) each cans cream of chicken soup, 2 cups sour cream, 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup chopped onions, 32 oz package frozen shredded or cubed hash browns
- Sprinkle the corn flakes evenly on top of the potatoes. Drizzle the 2 tablespoons butter over the top.3 cups corn flakes, 2 tablespoons melted butter
- Bake in the preheated oven. For shredded hash browns, bake about 30 minutes. For cubed hash browns, bake for 55-60 minutes.
Rose says
can you cook this in a crockpot and for how long
Deborah says
I have not tried them in a crockpot, but they should work. I would make them, but leave the topping off, and cook them for 3-ish hours in the crockpot. Keep an eye on them, because I haven’t tested it so I’m not sure on the timing. And then I would just add the topping just before serving.
M B says
Too runny. This recipe calls for 2 cans of chicken soup. I have made these potatoes before and just needed a quick glance at a recipe so I just googled it and yours came up so I followed it. . Not really thinking about it until afterwards. All the other recipes calls for just one can of soup. But I used 2 like this recipe called for. Too runny. Only one can should be used
Appalachian Baker says
It’s Cream of Chicken soup. Not chicken noodle. It’s definitely not runny using the cream of chicken soup. Plenty thick. After it’s refrigerated it’s even thicker. Maybe check the sizes on the cans and bag of diced hashbrowns. Making sure they are what the recipe calls for. This is my go to and is always a hit.
Zed says
Perfection. Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!
JanieH says
I split this recipe in two, freezing one half for a busy night and it worked like a charm! Everybody LOVED this!!
Rose says
I do this also. Perfect way to fix for two people. Also add ham for a scalloped potatoes and ham vibe
Shae Bruesch says
Did you put on the corn flakes and butter before you froze it or do that right before baking?
Deborah says
I freeze them without the cornflakes, then add the cornflakes and butter just before baking.
Kel says
Love this.1st shared with me from my neighbor. My sister decided to call them “Party Potatoes” when she asked me to make them for our mother’s 85th birthday 🎂👍😉
Sarah says
I made a very similar recipe to this today, but had a problem with the corn flake crust, so I looked online and found your recipe, and I thought maybe you could help me. The casserole was great, but the cornflake topping was not crunchy/crispy…instead it was kind of tough and chewy. I used 1 1/2 cups of crushed cornflakes and 3 TBS of melted butter, except I meted the butter stove-top, then mixed in the cornflakes. Do you think that might be the problem? Because you say to put the dry cornflakes on the casserole first, then pour the butter over top. Doing it this way would seem to not get all the cornflakes fully wet and immersed into the butter…so is that the key? I cooked on 350 for 50 minutes. Thanks for any advice you can give!
Deborah says
I can’t say for sure since I am not there to see, but I’m guessing it’s the ratio of cornflakes to butter. My recipe has twice the amount of cornflakes and less butter, so I’m guessing that the cornflakes just got too wet.
Pauline Ford says
Could I just use grated raw potato. Looking for some advice please. Have never had these here in Australia cheers
Deborah says
I have never made them myself with grated raw potato, so I can’t say for sure. But I think it would work.
Linda Gay Sirmons says
I have been making these for many years but lost the recipe. So happy to find it again. A friend who is not a Mormon gave me the recipe. A friend who is Mormon had never heard of them. The important thing is, I have served them to large crowds and just family. Everyone loves them and men whosper to me to give the recipe to his wife without telling her he had asked for it. Everyone loves these potatoes.