Funeral Potatoes
on Apr 01, 2024, Updated Sep 17, 2024
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Baked hash browns are bound together with a creamy, cheesy filling, and then finished with a crunchy topping. Perfect for potlucks and big gatherings.
Picture this: a base of potatoes bound together with a creamy filling, made up of three cheeses, frozen hashbrown potatoes, chicken broth, and lots of warm seasonings, then finished with a crunchy topping; it’s hard to imagine a dish more warming and filling. Funeral potatoes are so named because they are a popular dish to bring and serve at post-funeral lunches. They are popular in the West and in the Southern parts of the country in particular. They are comforting, travel well, reheat nicely, and are great for a crowd.
It’s worth mentioning as well that many Funeral Potatos recipes call for cream of chicken soup. I prefer to skip the canned soup and use a combo of broth, milk, sour cream, and cheese instead. Toasting a bit of flour in butter before adding the other ingredients thickens the sauce.
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This potato-based hot dish is perfect for larger gatherings and a great companion to all kinds of main courses, like Pepper-Mustard Strip Steaks or Lemon Rosemary Chicken Thighs. Add a vegetable like Roasted Cauliflower and Carrots with Olive Drizzle or Parmesan Roasted Broccoli.
Table of Contents
Funeral Potatoes: Baked hash browns are bound together with a creamy, cheesy filling, then finished with a crunchy topping. Perfect for potlucks and big gatherings.
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter
- Shredded frozen hashbrowns – Sometimes, the frozen option really is better. No need to painstakingly grate potatoes.
- Onion – Since hashbrowns are always better with onions, adding onions makes a ton of sense.
- All-purpose flour – Thickens the sauce.
- Milk – In this recipe, I like to use whole milk for its richness.
- Chicken or vegetable broth – Preferably low sodium so that the cook (that’s you!) can adjust salt levels to your own liking.
- Monterey Jack cheese – This mild, white cheese melts down smoothly.
- Sharp cheddar cheese – And in contrast, a sharp cheddar adds a bit of a snappy bite.
- Sour cream – For a little bit of tang and a lot of creaminess.
- Cornflakes or potato chips – I like to lightly crush these for the topping. Cornflakes will be a little bit sweeter, and potato chips saltier.
- Parmesan cheese – Our third and final cheese! Parmesan is a complex, nutty cheese that mixes so well with the other two. Three cheese potatoes!
- Sliced chives – An optional garnish.
Variations and Substitutions
- Rather than frozen potatoes, you can also use diced par-cooked potatoes, or you can parboil potatoes and then grate them instead. But if you’re looking for quick and easy, grab that bag of frozen hashbrowns.
- The most classic toppings are cornflakes or lightly crushed potato chips, and those make for a terrific crispy top layer. You could also use Panko breadcrumbs, or crushed Ritz or other crackers.
How to Make Funeral Potatoes
- Prep your oven and pan: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Sauté the onion mixture: Cook the onions in the butter until they start to turn golden and tender. Sprinkle in the flour and stir until the flour has incorporated and started to turn golden. Whisk in the milk and the broth until thick and bubbly.
- Whisk in the cheese: Whisk in the Monterey Jack and cheddar until the mixture is smooth, then whisk in the sour cream. Stir in the potatoes. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
- Create the topping: Combine the cornflakes or potato chips and Parmesan cheese, then stir in the melted butter. Sprinkle the mixture over the potatoes.
- Bake and serve: Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and continue baking for 20 minutes or so, until the edges of the casserole are bubbling and the top is golden brown. Let sit for 10 minutes and sprinkle with chives (if desired) before serving.
FAQ
Funeral potatoes are extremely popular in Utah and are often served at Mormon or Church of the Latter Day Saints gatherings. But they are also served frequently in the Southern states. And, of course, who wouldn’t like a steaming crunchy/creamy potato casserole in any part of the world and for any occasion?
This recipe calls for frozen hashbrowns because they are so convenient and pretty classic in funeral potatoes. Frozen hashbrowns are par-cooked and often contain a bit of oil, salt, and occasionally other seasonings. They crisp up perfectly.
With scalloped potatoes, the potatoes are, as the name implies, scalloped. This means that they are cut into thin slices in the shape of scallops or rounded scallop shells (depending on the shape of your potatoes)! Funeral potatoes generally call for hashbrowns (sometimes diced) or shredded potatoes.
Funeral potatoes might also be called Potato Hotdish, Party Potatoes, or Cheesy Potato Casserole.
Yes! You’ll see in this recipe a combo of flour sautéed in butter and then broth, milk, and sour cream, plus three cheeses. The roux (flour and butter mixture) helps thicken the sauce, as do the cheeses.
Make Ahead and Leftovers
You can make the casserole without the topping and keep it in the fridge for 1 night, then add the topping and bake. If you are baking the casserole from the fridge, add another 15 to 20 minutes of baking time until it’s hot throughout. Or, bring the casserole to room temperature before topping it and baking.
Leftovers can be reheated in a preheated 350-degree oven until hot throughout, about 20 minutes.
What to Serve With Funeral Potatoes
More Comforting Potato Recipes
- Mashed Potatoes
- Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes
- Scalloped Sweet Potatoes
- Roasted Potatoes
- Dutch Oven Idaho Potatoes
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Funeral Potatoes
Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (divided)
- 1 bag (28 to 32-ounce) shredded frozen hashbrowns (defrosted)
- 1 cup diced onion
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk (preferably whole)
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (preferably low-sodium)
- 1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cup cornflakes or potato chips (lightly crushed)
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- Sliced chives (to garnish; optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Melt 6 tablespoons of the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until they start to turn golden and tender. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir occasionally for another few minutes until the flour has incorporated and started to turn golden. Whisk in the milk and stir over the heat for a few minutes. Whisk in the broth, and bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking often, until it bubbles and starts to thicken.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and gradually whisk in the Monterey Jack and cheddar until the mixture is smooth and the cheese is melted. Whisk in the sour cream, then stir in the potatoes. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
- Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan. In a large bowl, combine the cornflakes or potato chips and Parmesan cheese, then pour over the melted butter and stir to combine everything well. Sprinkle the mixture over the potato mixture in the casserole.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and continue baking for 20 minutes or so, until the edges of the casserole are bubbling and the top is golden brown. Let sit for 10 minutes and sprinkle with chives (if desired) before serving.
Notes
- Rather than frozen potatoes, you can also use diced par-cooked potatoes, or you can parboil potatoes and then grate them instead. But if you’re looking for quick and easy, grab that bag of frozen hashbrowns.
- The most classic toppings are cornflakes or lightly crushed potato chips, and those make for a terrific crispy top layer. You could also use Panko breadcrumbs, or crushed Ritz or other crackers.
