Funeral Potatoes

Funeral Potatoes are the ultimate comfort food. Shredded potatoes are combined in a creamy cheese sauce, topped with crushed corn flakes, and baked until golden brown and crispy.

What are Funeral Potatoes?

They are a hot and cheesy shredded potato casserole in a creamy sauce with a crispy golden topping. This easy side dish is a delicious way to feed a crowd, so it’s quite popular at potlucks, extended family dinners, and funerals.

While many variations exist, most Funeral Potato recipes online take advantage of shortcut ingredients such as frozen hash brown potatoes and canned cream of chicken soup – but our recipe is mostly from-scratch, using freshly shredded potatoes and our homemade condensed cream of chicken soup recipe. (These are good options if you prefer to mostly avoid processed ingredients in your cooking.) We used a classic corn flake cereal topping, but you can leave that off or swap in crackers instead.

Where did Funeral Potatoes get their name?

This casserole (sometimes called Mormon Funeral Potatoes) is said to have originally gotten its name because it was frequently on the menu at family and friend gatherings after a funeral – particularly among families associated with The Church of Latter-day Saints.

• The combination of cheesy, creamy potatoes with a crispy topping is pure comfort food.
• This recipe can be as “from-scratch” or as “short-cut” as you’d like – we list both options below.
• This casserole is a great option to bring to potlucks, parties, and (as the name suggests) funerals.

• Russet Potatoes – This variety of potato is starchy and low moisture so it will cook up soft and tender without getting soggy. Or – to save some time – feel free to swap in frozen hash brown potatoes.
• Cream of Chicken Soup – While we tend to avoid cooking with canned soup ourselves, you can use canned cream of chicken soup in this recipe if you’d like. For a homemade version – follow this recipe instead. You’ll only use about 1 ½ cups of the recipe (one quarter) – then freeze the rest to use in other recipes (like our delicious Poppy Seed Chicken), or to make some delicious soup.
• Sour Cream
• Unsalted Butter – This will be used in both the casserole base and the topping.
• Onion – We used yellow onion, but for a milder flavor, use sweet onion such as Vidalia.
• Cheddar Cheese – For the best flavor, buy a block of aged cheddar cheese and shred on a box grater. You can also buy pre-shredded cheese as a shortcut. This is used in both the base and the topping.
• Seasonings – Fresh garlic, kosher salt, and ground white pepper.
• Corn Flakes – You’ll want to buy a box of the cereal and crush it yourself to a coarse crumb, rather than buying the crushed corn flakes (those are too finely crushed). We also think that crushed Ritz crackers would be a good substitute for the topping.

1. Make the Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (if making this recipe from scratch).
2. Boil skin-on potatoes. Then peel and shred. (Or thaw frozen hash browns.)
3. Sauté onions and garlic in some of the butter.
4. Mix shredded potatoes, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cooked onions and garlic, salt, pepper, and some cheddar cheese.  
5. Pour potato mixture into a 9×13-inch casserole dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
6. Prepare the topping by crushing corn flakes, then mix with remaining butter and cheddar. Sprinkle over the casserole.
7. Bake for 50-60 minutes until browned and hot and bubbly. (If using frozen hash browns, see Cooking Tips below.)
8. Serve immediately.

• Can I make Funeral Potatoes ahead of time?  Yes, you can assemble the entire casserole, cover, and refrigerate. Be sure to bring back to room temperature before baking. Or you can prepare the individual components like cooking and shredding the potatoes, making the sauce, etc. then assemble and bake when ready. This casserole also reheats nicely – see below.
• How do I store leftovers?   Store leftovers covered and refrigerated for up to four days.
• How do I reheat leftovers? The entire casserole can be reheated in the oven, or microwave individual portions to heat through. Just note that the topping won’t be as crispy when reheating in the microwave.
• Can I freeze?  Yes, this freezes well. Thaw fully before baking or heating.  

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