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Funeral Potatoes are an easy, cheesy potato side dish. This cheesy potato casserole is great make-ahead side dish recipe.
Funeral potatoes may be the most unusual names for a food in the history of food names. I didn’t come across funeral potatoes until I moved to Utah, where they are a staple at potlucks, holiday dinners, family gatherings, and all sorts of other non funeral dinners.
But as unusual as the name may be, the potatoes are the ultimate comfort food! The potatoes are cheesy and creamy, and the entire dish is pure deliciousness.
The recipe makes enough for a large gathering, and it can easily be made ahead of time.
What are funeral potatoes?
They’re shredded potatoes (hash brown potatoes) mixed with a creamy sauce and topped with cheese. Some people call it a cheesy potato casserole, and that’s a pretty fitting description.
Not only are funeral potatoes incredibly easy to make, but they taste so good and are total comfort food. They are creamy and cheesy and work as a side or a main dish.
Everyone’s recipe for funeral potatoes is a little different. Some people like to add a crispy topping like potato chips, bread crumbs, or buttery cornflakes. Others make the casserole without any topping.
I’ve been making these potatoes for years and have varied the recipe as I’ve gone. So, I’ve included some substitutions that I’ve used in the recipe notes.
How to make funeral potatoes
Step 1: Begin by sautéing the onion.
Step 2: Mix the sour cream, cream of chicken soup, salt, black pepper, dry mustard, and 2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese together in a large bowl.
Step 3: Stir in hash browns and onions.
Step 4: Add the mixture to the prepared casserole dish.
Step 5: Bake, and then top with more cheese.
Tips
- Sour cream: I’ve used both lite sour cream and plain, non-fat Greek yogurt. Both work well as substitutions for regular sour cream. I don’t recommend using fat-free sour cream in this recipe.
- Cream of chicken soup: Either regular or 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup will work. You can also make a homemade cream of chicken soup substitute.
- Crunchy topping: You can add a corn flake topping for some crunch. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese over the top of the unbaked casserole. Add 2 cups of corn flakes over the top of the unbaked casserole. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of melted butter over the corn flakes. Bake as directed.
How to make ahead
This casserole can be made through step 7, covered with plastic wrap, and chilled for up to 24 hours prior to baking.
When you’re ready to bake it, set the casserole out while the oven preheats. You may find that you need to increase the cooking time depending on how cold the casserole is.
Complete the meal
These potatoes are commonly served alongside ham on special occasions like Easter and Christmas. I make either these potatoes or my cream cheese scalloped potatoes for every major holiday dinner.
The potatoes are also a great dish to serve with other mains like turkey, pot roast, or roast chicken.
More potato recipes!
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4.91 from 21 votes
Funeral Potatoes
Author Kate @ I Heart Eating
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes minutes
Total Time 1 hour hour
Funeral potatoes are an easy, cheesy side dish.
Equipment
9×13 pan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small white or yellow onion diced
- 16 ounces sour cream
- 10.25 ounces cream of chicken soup
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard optional
- 2 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
- 30 ounce package frozen hash browns thawed
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Melt butter in a skillet.
Add onion, and cook until translucent, stirring as needed.
In a large bowl, stir together sour cream, cream of chicken soup, salt, pepper, dry mustard, and 2 cups of cheddar cheese.
Add hash browns and onions, and toss to combine.
Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Add hash brown mixture to prepared baking dish.
Bake for 45 minutes.
Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
Continue baking for 5-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Video
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”1uaA7xsD” upload-date=”2019-03-16T02:49:28.000Z” name=”FUNERAL POTATOES ” description=”Funeral potatoes (cheesy potatoes) are a quick and easy side dish made with hashbrown potatoes. “]
Notes
- Sour cream: I’ve used both lite sour cream and plain, non-fat Greek yogurt. Both work well as substitutions for regular sour cream. I don’t recommend using fat-free sour cream in this recipe.
- Cream of chicken soup: Either regular or 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup will work.
- Corn flake topping: You can add a cornflake topping for some crunch. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese over the top of the unbaked casserole. Add 2 cups of cornflakes over the top of the unbaked casserole. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of melted butter over the cornflakes. Bake as directed.
- Make ahead: This casserole can be made through step 7, covered, and chilled for up to 24 hours prior to baking. When you’re ready to bake it, set the casserole out while the oven preheats. You may find that you need to increase the cooking time depending on how cold the casserole is.
- Nutrition facts are estimates.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 209kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 311mg | Potassium: 229mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 500IU | Vitamin C: 4.1mg | Calcium: 246mg | Iron: 0.7mg
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Originally published 11/7/16. Last updated 10/29/20.
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Created by Kate
Kate got her first cookbook when she was five years old, and she hasn't stopped cooking since then! Her delicious recipes have been featured on Food Network, MSN, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post, and more. When she's not cooking or baking, she can be found on her mini farm with her husband and her five kids.
Reader Interactions
Love this recipe?
Share your thoughts below and let’s chat! Make sure to connect with me on your favorite social platform below and show me what you made!
LaReta McFarland says
You say po-taAa-toe, I say po-tah-do.. Mox-Nix… It’s yummy no matter what, where, whom Etc…. Ummm ummm good! 😉… ✌️Reply
Kate says
Thanks!
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Carla says
We LOVE these potatoes, they’re creamy, cheesy and such good comfort food.Reply
Kate says
Thank you!
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Linda says
Here in the mid west you will find funereal potatoes at every funeral dinner at the church and every pot luck in town. Except we use mashed potatoes with butter, cream cheese, sour cream and shredded cheese. Then cover with shredded cheese on top. Rarely are there any leftover.
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Nicole Johnson says
I love funeral potatoes I haven’t had them since I was little.. actually at a funeral but they were DELICIOUS!!! I know I have family and friends who have this dish at every potluck and get together but I’ve never made them this is the first recipe I found that looked right and holy crap!!!! They are delicious just how I remembered. Thanks for sharing your recipe!Reply
Kate says
I’m so glad to hear that you liked them! Thanks for commenting!
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Santana says
Would I be able to use the potatoes still frozen?
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Kate says
Hi! I haven’t tried using frozen potatoes. My concern has been that they would put off too much moisture and make the casserole watery.
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Ann G. says
My husband calls these Veterans potatoes because I make them for the pork chop dinner at the veterans club. Ridiculously easy, crowd pleasing.Reply
Kate says
I like that name for them! We love them with ham, but, for some reason, I never think to make them with pork chops. I’ll definitely make them together next time! Thanks for commenting! =)
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Teresa says
I love these as is and also with a slight twist. I add some green salsa verde and green chilis to the mix and swap the cheddar out for pepper jack cheese! It’s delicious!Reply
Kate says
That sounds delicious! I love that you put your own spin on it. Thanks for commenting! =)
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Holly Hunt says
Awesome ?Reply
See Also50 Copycat Restaurant RecipesKate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that you liked them! =)
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Holly says
We were raised on these as “PEO Potatoes.” My mom belonged to an international women’s organization called PEO, in no way associated with the LDS church. As it happens, the PEO’s did serve a lot of funeral dinners: these potatoes with ham and fresh-baked rolls, green beans, and jello salad. Comfort Foods, USA!
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Kate says
Absolutely! Comfort food is comfort food.
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Steve says
These are just so awsome anytime.
I am not sure why we eat these only at funeral. What about weddings? Why discriminate? Unless, . . .
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Kate says
You certainly could have them at weddings, too!
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NiqueNichole Mower says
These are amazing! I have read the comments and its so sad that there is such ugliness. I am not lds or any other specified religion. I have made food from every religion and for many religious people. All I can say is when you have good hearts good food and love any higher power would feel empowered to see the followers creating a bridge by food and companyReply
Kate says
Thank you so much! My family loves these potatoes, and it’s great to hear that other people are enjoying them, too. =) Thank you for commenting!
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Chris Pedersen says
Bake covered or uncovered???
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Kate says
It’s baked uncovered.
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Amanda says
Lovely cheesy potato recipe! Very easy to make and quite delicious. I plan to serve this in place of our usual scalloped potatoes this holiday season. Thank you for the recipe!Reply
Kate says
Thanks! We usually have these potatoes at Easter and/or Christmas. They go really well with ham. =) Thanks for coming back to comment!
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Lauren Baker says
Hi, I’m from South Africa and we don’t get frozen hash browns. Would one the grate the potatoes? Even hash browns are not well known here. Please help. Thanx. Lauren Baker.
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Kate says
This type of hash brown is like a frozen grated potato. I believe I’ve heard from people who have successfully subbed freshly grated potatoes, but I haven’t tried it myself. Good luck, and please let me know if you have any other questions! =)
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Jennifer Johnson says
I’ve always grated potatoes to make funeral potatoes. Hashbrowns are just grated potatoes.
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Kate says
Thank you!
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Lpop says
Your recipe doesn’t explicitly say to do anything with your onions and butter. It’s separate from your hash brown mix and it only says to stir in the hash brown mix. You don’t reference the separate pan of onion and melted butter again.Reply
Kate says
Thanks! They’re added in with the hash browns in step 5. I’ve fixed the instructions to reflect that.
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Tammy L. says
Just a thought on the origin of the recipe. If we all quit eating food that was from a place, family, religion, etc. that we did not care for, we would quit eating and die. How do we know that the Mromons did not pick this up along the way from someone else during travels. Just sayin—-For the record, the word Christian means Christ like and if I remember correctly, he at with tax collectors and sinners, for which the scribes and Pharisees condemned him and his followers. By the way, these taters sound pretty good. Time to start a new tradition.
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Kate says
Thank you! And thank you for your thoughts!
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Dayna says
obviously have never been taught if you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything at all. With that said this is a delicious recipe I’ve been eating it since I was a little kid 40 + years. I got this recipe for my aunt and yes she is Mormon but I am not and here I am surviving for all these years. looky looky. Good Eats carry on. Thank you so much for posting a recipe it is delicious.
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Kate says
Thank you! It’s a favorite at my house, and it’s always fun to hear that other people enjoy it, too! =)
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david polston says
would you serve this as a side for example of pork chops?Reply
Kate says
Sure! We usually serve it with ham, but it would be good as a side dish with pork chops, pork loin, or chicken.
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Carol A. Hogan says
As a Christian, I don’t want to cook something that is usually associated with MORMON funerals; so I changed the recipe and added six small pieces of Canadian ham, cut into smaller pieces. Now it’s not a Mormon funeral, but a Christian pot luck!Reply
Kate says
I’m genuinely sorry that you feel that way. I’m LDS (Mormon), and my life has been so much richer because of everything – food, culture, traditions, etc., – that my friends and family of different faiths have shared with me.
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Kathy says
I agree with you Kate! My family and extended family/friends are all religions and we share all recipes-if someone’s religion doesn’t permit pork or shellfish then they just don’t take the recipe.Reply
Kate says
Thank you! I think that sort of sharing makes life much richer for all of us! =)
kylie says
i’m a devout catholic but love this recipe and love my brothers and sisters on earth, regardless of their faith!Reply
Kate says
Thank you!
LeAnn says
Carol, your comment is the saddest thing I’ve read in quite a while. Preparing a recipe is not equal to converting, nor is it the first step on a slippery slope toward whatever it is you fear.
Make the recipe! Look out the window of your self-constructed prison! Next week, try some Chinese food! I promise you won’t be endorsing communism or become godless as a result.Reply
Morgan says
This a great recipe! You can add so many different veggies. We put crushed corn flakes on top to give it a crunch; and if you want to make yourself feel better by adding 6 little nubbins of cheap ham like Carol, by all means do so. It’s your recipe, you do to it what you want. We also make our own version of vegan “cream” of celery. Carol, you may want to try that, your arteries are begging you.Reply
Glolria Horton says
I am making them for supper. I forgot to buy hash browns so I am making my own.
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Kate says
Good luck! I’ve never made my own hash browns before. =)
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Sharon Kenny says
Funeral PotatoesReply
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