Cheesy Potato Casserole is a crowdpleaser at any party or holiday gathering. This is a VERY simple, but SO delicious recipe for Funeral Potatoes that has been in my family for over 40 years. My mom makes this dish for most every large family dinner and there’s never leftovers!

taking a forkful of cheesy potato casserole

This cheesy potato casserole is our family’s go-to side dish and the definition of comfort food! Diced hash brown potatoes are coated with a rich and creamy sauce, then baked until warm and delicious.

I can’t count how many times I’ve enjoyed these funeral potatoes at different family gatherings, holiday get togethers and dinner parties. Any potluck that my grandma or mom hosted, these wonderful potatoes were there. We even call them, “Wonderful Potatoes”!

This easy potato recipe is made with just four simple ingredients and you don’t even need to thinly slice or shred the potatoes. It just uses frozen diced hash browns along with cream of chicken soup, sour cream and grated cheese. So easy!

When I made mine I used cream potato soup, sprinkled Parmesan cheese on top. They are delicious!

— Karen
serving cheesy potato casserole out of a baking dish

Ingredients needed

You only really need 4 ingredients and a 9×13-inch casserole dish to make this delicious, no-fail potato casserole recipe! But there are lots of fun variations to make this easy, cheesy baked hash brown masterpiece even more special (keep reading). Listed below are the basic ingredients:

  • Diced hash brown potatoes. You’ll need one 28 to 32-ounce bag of frozen diced potatoes. I use the Ore-Ida brand. I like to let these slightly thaw, just for about 20 minutes, so they are easier to mix with the other ingredients. Note: this is not shredded hash browns, but diced or small cubes.
  • Cream of chicken soup. I use Campbell’s brand. This adds a rich, creaminess to the sauce that coats the potatoes.
  • Sour cream. Gives the potatoes milky rich flavor with a slight tang.
  • Cheddar cheese. We love this recipe with sharp cheddar cheese, but you can also make it with Colby, Monterey Jack or a blend of cheeses.

How to make this recipe

You may have tried other potato casseroles, but this one’s our family favorite! It’s so flavorful and super easy! Here’s the simple process:

  1. Mix ingredients. Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish or other similar size glass baking dish or pan and set aside. Add all ingredients (slightly thawed diced hash brown potatoes, sour cream, canned cream of chicken soup, and cheese) to a large bowl. Stir well to combine.
Adding shredded cheese, canned soup, diced potatoes and sour cream to a large bowl.
Mixing diced potatoes with sour cream, cheese and canned soup.
  1. Bake. Transfer the potato mixture into the baking dish and bake for one hour, and until potatoes are tender. No need to cover these cheesy potatoes while baking – you want the top to get golden brown.
  2. Serve. For a little extra color, you can garnish with diced green onion, parsley or chives. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm and enjoy! I know you will!
Adding potato casserole to a large baking dish.
Baked funeral potatoes in a 9x13 dish.

Not ready to bake it yet? Cheesy potatoes will keep in the refrigerator for up to two days before baking. So make this dish extra easy by taking care of all the prep work a day or so before you plan to serve! When you’re ready to enjoy, simply pop the dish in the oven for an hour and you are ready to enjoy.

Flavor variations

We love this cheesy potato casserole recipe as written, but feel free to experiment and switch up some of the ingredients depending on what you have on hand and what flavors you’re craving. Here are some tasty options:

  • Cheesy Potato Casserole with Bacon. Bacon makes everything more delicious! Toss cooked bacon in with the potatoes, or scatter it over the top to become extra crispy in the oven. I would use about 4 slices and be sure to cook it before adding it to the casserole.
  • With Greek yogurt. Make a lighter version of this recipe and use Greek yogurt to replace some or all of the sour cream.
  • Potato Casserole with Ham. Add diced ham to turn this side dish casserole into the main course. I recommend using 1 1/2 cups diced or cubed ham pieces. This would be a great way to use up leftover ham.
  • With cream of mushroom soup. It’s easy to make this recipe vegetarian with a condensed soup like cream of mushroom, cream of celery, or cream of broccoli.
  • Mexican Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole. Add a small can of green chilies, some ground taco meat, and some sautéed diced red pepper and onion right in with the potatoes for a Mexican twist.

Topping options

While my family recipe does not include a topping, many versions of Funeral Potatoes do include some type of crispy topping. Which actually sounds SO good!

You can use 4 cups cornflakes (nearly 2 cups once crushed). Place cornflakes in a gallon-size resealable bag, seal bag and crush with a rolling pin to roughly pebble-size bits. Add 3 tablespoons melted butter to cornflake mixture, then seal the bag and toss to evenly coat with butter. Sprinkle cornflake mixture evenly over casserole, and then bake.

Don’t have corn flakes? Try any of these other tasty topping ideas: crumbled Ritz crackers, Panko bread crumbs, crushed croutons, crispy fried onions, or crumbled potato chips.

potato casserole with serving spoon

Expert tips

This potato casserole recipe really is a breeze to make, but here are some tips to make sure you serve up perfect potatoes every time!

  • Thaw potatoes. Before starting this recipe, I would recommend giving the frozen hash browns about 20-30 minutes at room temperature to thaw a bit. They don’t have to be completely thawed, but giving them a bit of time to defrost makes them easier to stir with all of the other ingredients.
  • Half the recipe. This casserole feeds a crowd (at least 8 servings), but can easily be halved and baked in an 8 or 9-inch square pan. However, keep in mind that leftovers are fantastic!
  • Cheese. Skip the store-bought shredded cheese and grate your own instead. The bags of pre-grated cheese typically contain preservatives and anti-caking agents, and do not melt as well as freshly grated cheese.
  • Extra cheesy. If you’d like your potatoes to be super cheesy, feel free to add up to a cup more of grated cheese over the top before baking.

Frequently asked questions

Why are they called funeral potatoes?

This dish is sometimes called funeral potatoes because it has become a staple at funeral luncheons. And since it’s so yummy, it’s a side that’s great to have for the holidays with some of our other favorite sides, like broccoli rice casserole and bacon creamy corn. My mom also likes to make this all year long because these potatoes are that good and so simple! Potatoes aren’t just for funeral luncheons! 

Can you make funeral potatoes without cream of chicken soup?

This recipe will not yield the right consistency if canned soup is completely left out. However, you can use other canned soup varieties. You can also make a cream of chicken soup substitute and use that.

Can I use fresh shredded potatoes instead of frozen?

This recipe uses frozen diced potatoes and I think fresh would work just fine. However, it would be a major hassle to cut all of the potatoes to make this recipe. I highly recommend just using frozen bagged diced potatoes from the store.

How many calories are in a potato casserole?

This particular recipe has 260 calories per serving, 22.7 grams of carbs, 11.5 grams of fat and 11 grams of protein. There are 8 servings. More nutrition information can be found in the recipe card.

Make ahead

This is the perfect make-ahead dish! Prepare this hash brown potato recipe up to about two days in advance. You can do this one of two ways:

  1. Not baked. One way is to assemble the casserole and store it, covered, in the fridge until you’re ready to bake it. Let the casserole come to room temperature before baking.
  2. Baked. The second way is to go ahead and bake the casserole. Let it cool completely and then store in the fridge. When you’re ready to serve it, let the casserole come to room temperature and then heat it in the oven at 325ºF for about 15 minutes, and until it is warmed through. (You may want to cover it with aluminum foil before reheating, since it has already been baked.) This potato casserole is great leftover!

Storage tips

  • Storing leftovers. Place any leftover potato casserole in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to about 5 days.
  • To reheat. Pop individual servings in the microwave and heat for 30 second intervals until it’s warm. You can also place the casserole dish in the oven at 325ºF. If using the oven, loosely cover with foil (since it has already been baked) and place the dish on the center rack for 15 to 25 minutes, until warmed through (the larger the serving, the longer the cook time).
  • Freezing. Place leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container or a freezer-safe baggie in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
cheesy potato casserole served with a salad and ham

Once you serve up this potato casserole, your family will be asking you to make it on a regular basis. It’s just that good! Do a trial run for dinner to see for yourself, you WANT these on the Thanksgiving and Christmas menu this year!

More potato recipes

If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.

Forkful of cheesy potato casserole.
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Cheesy Potato Casserole (Funeral Potatoes)

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Cheesy Potato Casserole is a crowdpleaser at any party or holiday gathering. This is a VERY simple, but SO delicious recipe for Funeral Potatoes that has been in my family for over 40 years. My mom makes this dish for most every family dinner and there’s never leftovers!
Author: Kim

Ingredients

  • 1 (30-32 ounce) package Frozen Diced Hash Browns (I use Ore-Ida brand)*
  • 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF. and grease or spray a 9×13" baking dish. Combine slightly thawed potatoes, sour cream, soup and cheese in a large mixing bowl. Stir until completely combined.
    Stirring potatoes, chicken soup, sour cream, cheese in a large bowl.
  • Transfer mixture into casserole dish.
    Potato mixture transferred into casserole dish.
  • Bake uncovered at 350ºF for about 60 minutes. Serve warm.
    baked cheesy potato casserole

Notes

*Allow potatoes to thaw for about 20 minutes. They do not have to be completely thawed. You will just want them thawed enough so that you can stir them with other ingredients easily.
  • Storing leftovers. Place any leftover potato casserole in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to about 5 days.
  • To reheat. Pop individual servings in the microwave and cook for 30 second intervals until it’s warm. You can also place the casserole dish in the oven at 325ºF. If using the oven, loosely cover with foil (since it has already been baked) and place the dish on the center rack for 15 to 25 minutes, until warmed through (the larger the serving, the longer the cook time).
  • Freezing. Place leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container or a freezer-safe baggie in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Photos from Daniela of Mogwai Soup
Author: Kim
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 260kcal, Carbohydrates: 22.7g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 11.5g, Saturated Fat: 7.1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1.1g, Cholesterol: 38.1mg, Sodium: 463.1mg, Potassium: 18.8mg, Fiber: 2.8g, Sugar: 2.7g, Vitamin A: 9.9IU, Vitamin C: 20.6mg, Calcium: 27mg, Iron: 3.4mg

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