Classic Cheesy Funeral Potatoes
This weird-sounding dish gets its name from the potluck meals that are always held after a small-town funeral. Everyone turns out to pay their respects, and they all bring their very best home-cooked dishes. One particular potato casserole is so popular at these events, it’s come to be known as Classic Cheesy Funeral Potatoes.
This casserole is just about the perfect comfort food for a sad occasion. It’s got shredded potatoes and onions cooked in tons of butter, drowned in a rich sauce loaded with cheese and sour cream, then covered with a crispy, buttery topping of crushed cornflakes and baked until it’s golden and bubbly. I won’t say a mouthful of these warm, cheesy potatoes can completely take away your sorrows, but it can certainly remind you that there are still good things in life.
Now, you may be thinking that it seems like a shame for such a tasty dish is to be reserved for funerals. Well, I’ll tell you a little secret: it’s not. In fact, you can make these Classic Cheesy Funeral Potatoes for any kind of gathering, including Christmas, Easter, and potlucks at any time of year. And if the name just seems wrong for a happy occasion, well, you don’t have to tell anyone.
How to make Funeral Potatoes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place 1 TBSP in a 9×13 casserole dish. Place the dish in the oven as it heats to melt the butter. This butter is what you will use to grease your pan.
- Take 5 TBPS of butter and melt in a large skillet. If you have a large deep one that would be great because by the end of this it will be full! Cook the onion till softened about 3-4 minutes.
- Then sprinkle in the flour, cooking it for an additional 2 minutes so that the flour is not raw.
- Next you will slowly whisk your milk in with your onions, and flour.
- Once you have whisked till there are no lumps, you will add in both cans of cream of chicken soup. Again whisk till there are no more lumps.
- Turn the heat off of your stove and add in the sour cream and cheese. Mix until the cheese is melted and sour cream is incorporated in. Season with salt and pepper and taste.
- Next you will add your hash browns and stir them till they are mixed in the sauce. I did this in two batches to make it a little easier (this is where a nice deep skillet is nice). Now transfer all this yumminess to the greased dish.
- Melt your remaining 2 TBSP of butter and pour it over your slightly crushed corn flakes. Stir till they are all coated. Then sprinkle the cornflakes over your potatoes.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes till the top is golden and the sides are bubbly. Allow to sit for 15 minutes and then enjoy!
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Is this a main course or a side dish?
- Either! It makes a great accompaniment to chicken, turkey, or ham, but it’s also rich and hearty enough to enjoy by itself with just a green veggie on the side. It also makes a great breakfast casserole with a dish of eggs on the side. And don’t forget to pack up any leftovers for lunch!
Can you make this with plain potatoes instead of frozen hash browns?
- Sure – about ten small potatoes, parboiled and diced, can take the place of the hash browns.
Is there something I could put in place of the cream of chicken soup to make this vegetarian?
- Cream of chicken soup is the most traditional, but there’s no real reason a different cream soup wouldn’t work. The flavor of cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup should be perfectly compatible with the rest of the ingredients.
Can this dish be made ahead of time?
- Yes, you can mix up the entire recipe except for the cornflake topping and then store it in the fridge, covered, for up to a day before adding the topping and baking it.
- You’ll need to add five or ten minutes to the baking time if you put it straight into the oven from the fridge. You can also make the recipe up to this point, cover it, and freeze it for up to three months. When you’re ready to bake it, thaw it overnight in the fridge, then add the cornflakes and bake.
Here are some more side dish recipes we love!
Classic Cheesy Funeral Potatoes
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Ingredients
- 1 stick of butter divided
- 30 oz frozen shredded hash browns thawed
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 2- 10.5 oz cans of condensed cream of chicken soup
- 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup of sour cream
- 3 cups of corn flakes crushed
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place 1 TBSP in a 9x13 casserole dish. Place the dish in the oven as it heats to melt the butter. This butter is what you will use to grease your pan. Take 5TBPS of butter and melt in a large skillet. If you have a large deep one that would be great because by the end of this it will be full! Cook the onion till softened about 3-4 minutes.
- Then sprinkle in the flour, cooking it for an additional 2 minutes so that the flour is not raw.
- Next you will slowly whisk your milk in with your onions, and flour. Once you have whisked till there are no lumps, you will add in both cans of cream of chicken soup. Again whisk till there are no more lumps.
- Turn the heat off of your stove and add in the sour cream and cheese. Mix until the cheese is melted and sour cream is incorporated in. Season with salt and pepper and taste.
- Next you will add your hash browns and stir them till they are mixed in the sauce. I did this in two batches to make it a little easier (this is where a nice deep skillet is nice). Now transfer all this yumminess to the greased dish.
- Melt your remaining 2 TBSP of butter and pour it over your slightly crushed corn flakes. Stir till they are all coated. Then sprinkle the cornflakes over your potatoes.
- Now, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes till the top is golden and the sides are bubbly. Allow to sit for 15 minutes and then enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
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Oven temp?
350 degrees F