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 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 1/2 cup 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.
- Sprinkle the corn flakes evenly on top of the potatoes. Drizzle the 2 tablespoons butter over the top.
- Bake in the preheated oven. For shredded hash browns, bake about 30 minutes. For cubed hash browns, bake for 55-60 minutes.
Timm R. says
My only complaint about the recipe is….. it should say BIGASS Mixing Bowl…. LOL I used a very large mixing bowl and it was too full to easily stir/mix ingredients. I have never heard of Funeral Potatoes. This was my first time making//eating them. This recipe turned out GREAT. I made some additions. I added 1tsp of minced garlic. 1 package of Jimmy Dean Link Breakfast Sausage. Sliced thin and cooked before adding to recipe. I topped with crushed Kettle Cooked Potato Chips. I served a Large Scoop of the potatoes with a Sunny Side Up Egg on top. YUMMMM.
Deborah says
I’m so glad you have been converted to Funeral Potatoes! 🙂 I need to try these with that egg on top now – WOW!!!
Lavina says
I love this recipe!
I was wondering if this dish could be cooked in a slow cooker? If it can, how long would it need to cook?
Deborah says
I have actually never tried cooking them in a slow cooker, but I have seen others who have. My guess is that they would take 3-4 hours on high or 6ish hours on low, but you’d probably need to watch them to make sure. Good luck!
Tonessa says
Hello. Stupid question but… i was wondering do i un-thaw the hash browns or leave them frozen? … Thanks to whom ever replies ☺
Deborah says
Just put them in frozen! 🙂
Rachel says
We make them that way too with butter on the corn flakes. We never knew what to call this but we love them at church fellowship lunches after Sunday service so our family calls it Church Potatoes.
Elena says
It’s looks so good !
Could I add cheese on top and then the cornflakes ?
Audra LeAnn says
Southern dish that is utterly delish! I always add coarse black pepper to mine when stirring it all together.
Nancy says
Mine are better, we call them “party potatoes”. Basically the same recipe but use Country Style Hash Browns, which are little cubed chunks of hash brown potato, available right next to string shaped hashbrowns. And then for the topping, we add the melted butter to a bag of corn flakes and break them up and mix them together in a big zip bag. Corn flake topping comes out more browned and yummy!!!
Angie says
So there’s 2 different melted butter portions and the recipe doesn’t say when to use which?? Please specify??? 😞
Deborah says
I have updated the recipe to make it more clear.
Brent Wambold says
We made “Patio Potatoes” because they were made for BBQ’s out on the patio by the screenhouse. I think the original recipe came from the Chicago Tribune. It was sour cream, garlic powder, pepper, a can of cream of onion soup, cream of celery soup, one soup can of fresh milk to loosen that up… then add a large bag and a half of country style hash browns (still frozen) pour it out into a greased casserole dish and bake for an hour at 400 – then take out and top with two cups of fancy shredded cheddar cheese….back in oven until the cheese melts and just begins to browns a little… Don’t let it go to far or you won’t be able to eat it… This is the best with a nice roast or chicken…but stands up to the church buffet, too
Connie says
We called this recipe hasbrown caasserole.
cecilia says
Your funeral potatoese looksdelish can they be served atroom temp.?
Traci says
Do,the hash browns stay frozen, or do,you defrost them first?
Deborah says
You mix them in frozen.
Tyra says
I have a question, I’m going to a campout where we have potluck dinners. It’s a 5 hour drive, plus several more hours til dinner after I arrive. If I bake these the morning I leave, will they still taste good at room temperature for dinner? I have no clue how I’d reheat at a campsite lol
G L Page says
I make them and love them.
I call them Heart attack on a plate!
🙂
BREN GRATSCH says
YOU CAN BROWN 1 LB OF SAUSAGE DRAIN VERY WELL ADD THIS AND GREEN PEPPERS ,SO GOOD///
Kay says
I had never tried these until 10 years ago. At my new family’s Thanksgiving. I was like, wow such a sad name for really tasty food!
They serve them every year for Thanksgiving and there are rarely any left overs! For our recipe we use cream of mushroom soup (due to a few vegetarians in my house I can’t use cream of chicken.) And I stearic cornflakes we use crushed lays potato chips. Of all the food options on The moving,these will be the first to go.🍴🏪
Kay says
That was supposed to say* instead of cornflakes.*
Deborah says
I love this! And I love the idea of potato chips. I’m definitely going to give that a try next time I make these!