Funeral Potatoes Recipe

This comforting funeral potatoes recipe blends creamy sour cream, melted butter, cheddar cheese, and hash browns under a golden buttery corn-flake topping. It’s the ultimate crowd-pleasing side dish—perfect for holidays, potlucks, or cozy family dinners. Easy to make, deeply satisfying, and full of nostalgic flavor.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, Midwestern

Servings 10 Servings

Calories 330 kcal

Ingredients

For the base
2 lb bag frozen hash brown potatoes diced or shredded, thawed — I prefer southern-style diced for a little more texture.
16 oz 2 cups sour cream — adds tang and creaminess.
1 10.5 oz can cream of chicken soup — the traditional shortcut for smooth sauce.
½ cup 1 stick melted butter — rich buttery flavor blends into the sauce.
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese — sharp cheddar gives a punchy flavor.
1 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper — season well.
1 teaspoon dried minced onion or you could use ½ cup finely chopped fresh onion — optional but I like the little pop of onion flavor.
For the topping
2 cups corn flakes cereal crushed — the crunchy golden layer.
6 tablespoons melted butter — to coat the flakes for crispness.

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Spray or butter a 9 × 13-inch baking dish.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, cream of chicken soup, melted butter (½ cup), salt, pepper, and dried minced onion. Stir until smooth and well-blended.
Add the thawed hash browns and shredded cheddar cheese to that bowl. Gently fold together until the potatoes are evenly coated in the creamy sauce.
Pour the mixture into your prepared baking dish and spread it out into an even layer. Press gently so that none of the sauce sits too separately.
For the topping: crush the corn flakes (place them in a zip-lock bag and gently roll a rolling pin or press with your hands) until you have a coarse crumb. In a small bowl, combine the crushed corn flakes with the remaining 6 tablespoons melted butter. Mix so that the butter gently coats the flakes.
Sprinkle this butter-corn-flake mixture evenly over the top of the potato layer.
Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 45-55 minutes (or until the top is golden brown, the sauce is bubbling at the edges, and the center is heated through).
Let the casserole rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Fully thaw and drain frozen hash browns to prevent watery casserole.
Assemble ahead (without topping) and refrigerate up to 24 hours; add topping and bake when ready.
Freeze the unbaked base up to 3 months; thaw overnight, add topping, and bake.
For extra crunch, broil 1–2 minutes at the end—but watch closely.
Swap cream of mushroom or celery soup for variation; use gluten-free corn flakes for GF version.
Let rest 10 minutes before serving for best texture.

Keyword funeral potatoes recipe, cheesy potatoes, hash brown casserole, cream of chicken soup, holiday dinner, corn flakes topping