Funeral Potatoes, party potatoes—whatever the name, they’re delicious anytime!
In my early twenties, I lived about six hours from home and didn’t get home very often. Almost every time that I did come home, my mom would have dinner ready and more often than not, it was barbecue ribs, coleslaw, and funeral potatoes. Even if I arrived later than expected, this meal was always so good—home cooking just tastes better, especially compared to the ramen and pizza I was subsisting on at that point!
While our family always called this yummy dish funeral potatoes, some people also call it party potatoes, Mormon funeral potatoes, or hashbrown bake. Who came up with it? That’s debatable. Some folks say Utah families in the Mormon Church did, while others say it’s a solidly Southern dish. Whatever its origins, it’s a potluck staple and for good reason.
You will love funeral potatoes because they are easy to make ahead, keep warm well at a potluck or other big gathering, and are super tasty. Comfort food isn’t just meat and mashed potatoes—funeral potatoes are a perfect comfort dish. The creamy, starchy potato layer is topped with crispy, buttered cornflakes and the combo is a 10/10.
Frozen Hash Browns: Not Just For Breakfast
While frozen hash browns are handy to have in your freezer when you need to cook up a big, hearty breakfast, they are great in savory casseroles like this one, too. Not to be confused with home fries (the cubed breakfast potatoes), hash browns are the loose, shredded potatoes that are slightly crispy when fried. The best method of thawing them for this recipe is to set them in the fridge overnight. Open the bag and you’re ready to go to make funeral potatoes!
FAQs & Tips
How To Make Ahead And Store
If you want to make funeral potatoes ahead, the best way to do that is to assemble the casserole as directed through Step 3—do not proceed with the cornflakes and melted butter. Cover your dish and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When ready to bake, start at Step 4 and add the topping. Cooked leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
How Can I Make This A Vegetarian Recipe?
While the main ingredients are all vegetarian, you will have to replace the cream of chicken soup with something. My personal favorite is cream of onion, but you could also use cream of celery or cream of mushroom.
Mixing Hot & Cold
In Step 2, you are mixing a bunch of cold ingredients (thawed potatoes, sour cream) with the warm, melted butter. For best results, ensure the potatoes and sour cream have sat on the counter at room temperature for a while, so the temperature contrast won’t be so great. This way, the melted butter will mix more easily with the other ingredients.
Serving Suggestions
In my family, funeral potatoes go with barbecue. Try them with Easy Oven-Baked Baby Back Ribs or Crock-Pot BBQ Chicken. These potatoes are great for taking to a potluck or outdoor barbecue. You can also serve funeral potatoes at brunch—on your spread, along with fresh fruit, coffee cake, and Corn & Bacon Quiche.
Funeral Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups sour cream
- 1 can 10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter melted
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 pounds frozen hash browns thawed
- 2 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 cups cornflakes cereal crushed
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted for topping
- Freshly chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, combine sour cream, cream of chicken soup, 1/3 cup melted butter, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper. Stir in the thawed hash browns and shredded cheddar cheese until well mixed.
- Transfer the potato mixture to a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
- In a small bowl, mix the crushed cornflakes with 1/4 cup melted butter. Sprinkle evenly over the potato mixture.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly and the topping is golden brown. Sprinkle on fresh parsley for garnish.
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