Today I’m sharing a classic funeral potatoes recipe. It turns out that the classic recipe is popular for good reason; it’s basically already perfect! What could be bad about hashbrowns mixed with sour cream, cream of chicken soup, topped with crunchy cornflakes and melty cheese? It can even be prepped a day ahead of time, for truly headache-free holiday meals! If you prefer a vegetarian version, try my cheesy hashbrown casserole.
Ingredients For Funeral Potatoes
- Frozen hash browns: Diced or shredded frozen hashbrowns both work well, it’s really up to you which to use.
- Cream of chicken soup: Like I said, this is an old school recipe, through and through.
- Sour cream: For extra richness and a little tang.
- Cornflakes: Yep, like the cereal! Any brand is fine.
- Butter: Butter makes it good, there’s no sub!
- Cheese: Shredded cheddar and Parmesan cheese!
- Seasonings: Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder.
How To Make Funeral Potatoes
See the recipe card below for full, detailed recipe instructions.
- Mix the thawed hash browns, sour cream, soup, butter, seasonings and some of the cheeses.
- Spread the creamy hashbrowns in a 9x13 pan.
- Top it with the rest of the cheese.
- Make the crisp topping by stirring a little butter into the cornflakes and spreading that over the cheese.
- Bake for about an hour.
Variations + Swaps
- Use cream of mushroom soup instead of chicken for a vegetarian version.
- Try other cheeses! Sharp cheddar, mild cheddar, colby-Jack, monterey Jack, pepper Jack, or even Gruyère if you want to make it a little fancy.
- If you’re not a fan of cornflakes, use a different crunchy topping! Try crumbled Ritz crackers for a buttery topping, crisp panko breadcrumbs or even French’s fried onions.
- You can easily make this gluten free! Just use a gluten-free brand of cream of chicken soup, and make sure the cornflakes say that they are gluten free.
Why They’re Called “Funeral Potatoes”
Glancing through the ingredients list, you could probably guess that funeral potatoes is a recipe that was born in the mid 20th century, right? Frozen foods, canned foods, sodium like there’s no tomorrow. Delicious! In a Wall Street Journal article about the classic Mormon recipe, Joshua David Stein describes the dish as “Cheesy Casserole to Enjoy While You’re Still Alive,” though they are often served at funerals. Though that may sound a bit morbid, I think of it as proof that funeral potatoes are the ultimate comfort food.
How To Freeze
You can freeze funeral potatoes for up to 3 months! Just be sure to leave the toppings off until you’re ready to thaw and reheat the potatoes, as the cornflakes will get soggy in the freezer.
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