Funeral Potatoes Recipe

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If you’re looking for the BEST EVER version of Funeral Potatoes, congratulations, you’ve found it! This is the one people ask me to bring to every holiday, potluck, and yes, after-funeral luncheons, too (hence the name). It’s cheesy, creamy, onion-y, and topped with the perfect layer of crispy cornflakes. It’s the ultimate comfort food.

 

Table of Contents

Ingredient Notes

• Frozen diced hash browns– Diced gives the casserole more texture and keeps it hearty. Skip shredded here…they create a softer consistency.
• Condensed cream of chicken soup– This creates the creamy base and adds savory depth. You can swap cream of mushroom if that’s more your thing.
• Sour cream– Adds richness with just enough tang to keep everything balanced.
• Freshly grated cheddar cheese– Grating it yourself makes a huge difference. It melts smoother and gives better flavor.
• Corn flakes– The classic topping for a reason. They toast up buttery, crisp, and golden.
• Butter– It shows up twice, because obviously it does. Once for richness in the filling, once for that crunchy topping.
• Onion– Sautéing it first softens the bite and adds subtle sweetness.

How to Make Funeral Potatoes

Only a few quick minutes of prep is required before a long oven bake. For full recipe details, including ingredients and measurements, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1: Preheat + Prep Pan

Preheat your oven to 350° F and grease a 9×13 baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.

Step 2. Cook the Onions

Cook the diced onion in butter in a large skillet (the extra space helps the onions soften evenly) over medium heat until soft and translucent. This quick step builds flavor right from the start.

Step 3: Make the Filling

In a large mixing bowl, combine frozen diced hash browns, melted butter, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cheddar cheese, cooked onion, salt, and black pepper. Stir until everything is evenly coated.

Pro Tip: You do not need thawed hash browns for this recipe… use from frozen.

Step 4: Make the Topping

Melt butter in the skillet, then toss in crushed corn flakes. Toast for about 1 minute. This tiny extra step makes a huge difference. It gives the topping a deeper, buttery flavor and a better crunch.

Step 4: Bake and Serve

Spread everything into your casserole dish, top with the cornflake mixture, and bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes until hot, bubbly, and golden brown. Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Tools You’ll Need

A few reliable kitchen basics make this funeral potatoes recipe come together smoothly and help everything bake up creamy, bubbly, and perfectly golden. Nothing complicated, just the kind of tools that make prep easier and cleanup less annoying.

• 9×13 baking dish – This gives the casserole enough room to bake evenly while creating those perfectly golden edges everyone wants.
• Large skillet – You’ll use this to sauté onions and toast the cornflake topping, which builds flavor in two easy steps.
• Large mixing bowls – A roomy bowl makes tossing everything together way easier and keeps the inevitable cheese avalanche contained.
• Rubber spatula – Helps scrape every last bit of that creamy filling into the pan. Leaving any behind would be deeply unfortunate.

Tips for Success

• Use frozen hash browns straight from the freezer for best texture
• Grate your own cheddar for smoother melting
• Crush corn flakes lightly so you still get crunchy texture
• Season thoughtfully…hash browns can handle more salt than you think
• Let the casserole rest a few minutes before serving for cleaner scoops

What to Serve with Funeral Potatoes

These cheesy potatoes pair well with main dishes like ham, roast beef, or turkey. It’s a great dish for Christmas dinner, Sunday dinner, or any special occasions. Here are a few main dish ideas:

• Smoked Pork Butt – classic main dish for these potatoes
• Oven Baked BBQ Chicken – easy weeknight pairing
• Southern Fried Chicken – talk about comfort food on top of comfort food!
• Easy Oven Baked Ribs – perfect flavor combo
• Prime Rib – A holiday classic that pairs perfectly with cheesy potatoes

Storage and Reheating

Cover leftovers tightly and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

To Reheat: Warm in the oven at 325° F until heated through, or microwave individual portions.

To Freeze: Assemble the casserole without the cornflake topping, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. Add fresh topping before baking.

Make Ahead: Assemble the filling up to 24 hours in advance, refrigerate, then add the topping right before baking.

FAQs

Variations

• Swap cheddar for Colby Jack or pepper jack for extra flavor.
• Use cream of mushroom soup for a vegetarian version.
• Add cooked diced ham or bacon for a heartier dish.
• Try panko breadcrumbs instead of corn flakes for a different crunch.

More Tasty Potato Recipes to Try

• Sausage Hash Brown Casserole
• Mashed Potatoes In Crock Pot
• Perfect Scalloped Potatoes
• Fried Potatoes
• Twice Baked Potatoes

This funeral potatoes recipe is creamy, cheesy, crispy-on-top comfort food at its finest. Make it once, and don’t be surprised when it becomes your most-requested side dish. The printable recipe card is below. Have a wonderful week, friends!

If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.