Best Cheesy Hashbrown Potato Casserole {Funeral Potatoes}

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This Cheesy Hashbrown Potato Casserole (or "Funeral Potatoes" as we call it in Utah) is full of melted cheese and so creamy. It also makes an easy freezer meal- divide the recipe in half and freeze one half for another day.

 

 

Cheesy Hashbrown Potato Casserole was one of our favorite side dishes growing up.  In the western United States, they are also referred to as Funeral Potatoes.

We often had them for Sunday dinner and we could polish off a pan in no time.  They are that good.

These potatoes also made an appearance every Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter dinner. They are a family tradition.

Mom would serve these potatoes with Honey Baked Ham and Slow Cooker Green Beans – the best comfort food ever!

How do you make Cheesy Hashbrown Potato Casserole?

This recipe is so easy to make using frozen hashbrowns from the grocery store.  You simply add half of the hashbrowns into the baking dish.

Mix the other ingredients together in a bowl and carefully spoon half of the mixture over the frozen hashbrowns and top with some cheese. Then you simply repeat the layers again. 

Our favorite part is the buttery Ritz cracker topping that you add right before cooking. Bake this dish and it’s ready to serve.

Some people top their Funeral Potatoes with crushed corn flakes mixed with melted butter and that works too! Both ways are delicious.

You can also add in vegetables (broccoli is one of my favorite add-ins!) or bacon bits to make it your own.

Can you use real potatoes instead of Hashbrowns?

You can definitely use real potatoes over hashbrowns.  Russet potatoes work best.

Wash and peel about 9 – 12 small/medium potatoes. Dice them into 1-inch cubes and boil in water until fork tender. Then follow the directions as outlined in the recipe.

How to freeze Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole

To freeze this dish, simply prepare the recipe as directed. I like to use an aluminum pan when I am making freezer meals.

Right before you bake it, cover with aluminum foil tightly and place in the freezer. It should be good for up to 30 days.

Remove it from the freezer 24 hours before you want to bake it and stick it in the fridge to thaw. Bake as directed.

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What to serve with funeral potatoes

Cheesy Hashbrown Potato Casserole can go with so many dinner recipes:

Serves: 12

Cheesy Hashbrown Potato Casserole {Funeral Potatoes}

10 minPrep Time

40 minCook Time

50 minTotal Time

Save RecipeSave Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 (32 ounce) bag frozen shredded hashbrowns (divided)
  • 2 (10.75 ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
  • 2 cups sour cream
  • 1/3 cup onions (chopped)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (divided)
    • Topping
  • 2 cups Ritz crackers (or crushed corn flakes)
  • 1/2 cup butter (melted)

Instructions

  1. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch pan with non stick cooking spray.
  2. Place half of the bag of hashbrowns in the prepared pan.
  3. In a medium bowl combine the soup, sour cream, onions, and salt and pepper.
  4. Gently spoon half of this mixture over the hashbrowns in the pan.
  5. Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese over the soup mixture.
  6. Then add the remainder of the hashbrowns on top, and spoon over remaining soup mixture and the other half of cheese.
  7. Crush the Ritz crackers and combine with the melted butter. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.
  8. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.
7.8.1.2
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https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/cheesy-hashbrown-potato-casserole/
 

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Comment on this Recipe

55 Responses to “Best Cheesy Hashbrown Potato Casserole {Funeral Potatoes}”

  3. Anonymous
    Just saw this recipe and saw what you called it in ( ) I have this same recipe and my husband nicknamed them (funeral potatoes) because when I was working this was a GREAT dish to bring for the dinner after the funeral. I also serve them with Ham and bean casserole. GREAT RECIPE!!!
    October 29, 2011 at 7:39 pm
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  4. Kim
    I've been making these for years except I use southern style hash browns. This one of my most requested recipes to bring to family meals year round. As a matter a fact I believe I got this recipe after it was brought to my "ex" mother-in-laws home before the "funeral" of her mother. But these are not just Funeral Potatoes!!
    January 16, 2012 at 3:25 pm
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  8. Vander Plaats Music Studio
    I made the recipe without the cream of chicken soup and it was FANTASTIC!! For years I had made one similar with the use of cream of potato soup. I didn't have the soup on hand, so I searched for a recipe without and tried this one. My guests this morning raved about (who had had my previous recipes before) and said this one was the best! I loved it too and now make this my go to brunch recipe. We baked a spiral ham with glaze had blueberry muffins and fruit. Delicious! Thanks.
    October 14, 2012 at 10:42 am
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    • Camille
      I just place it in the pan, to it with foil, and place it in the freezer. When I am ready to back, I usually let it thaw in the fridge for about 12 hours, then bake it at the same temperature and for the same amount of time. If you don't allow enough time for thawing, just cook it a little longer (60-90 minutes). Hope this helps!
      December 11, 2012 at 1:01 pm
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    • Camille
      I just place it in the pan, to it with foil, and place it in the freezer. When I am ready to back, I usually let it thaw in the fridge for about 12 hours, then bake it at the same temperature and for the same amount of time. If you don't allow enough time for thawing, just cook it a little longer (60-90 minutes). Hope this helps!
      December 11, 2012 at 1:01 pm
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  14. The life of Joanne
    I make my taters a little different i do not add the onions i add also to mine about two squirts of mayo i do not add the butter or the corn flakes BUT ontop of mine i add french fried onions!!! We first had these at a funeral in Salt Lake City. Of course i only know these as funeral potatoes
    I really liked them but over the years i have added and taken away and what i have is the most moist creamy yummy funeral taters anywhere across the land
    January 8, 2013 at 9:34 pm
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  20. Morgan
    This is the only recipe I found where you don't have to thaw them and I loved that because I decided to make mine last minute. I feel like there was too much chicken flavor in mine so next time ill go lighter on chicken broth but still very yummy.
    July 16, 2013 at 7:17 pm
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  21. Lela
    Greetings I am so happy I found your web site, I really found you by accident, while I was browsing on Digg for something else, Regardless I am here now and would just like to say thank you for a incredible post and a all round enjoyable blog (I also love the theme/design), I don't have time to go through it all at the minute but I have bookmarked it and also added in your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read a lot more, Please do keep up the excellent job. My page; elder scrolls online gameplay (file_links[c#)
    July 19, 2013 at 3:30 am
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  22. Amy
    Six Sisters - If you are making a pan of these to put in the freezer (putting up your freezer meals for baby arrival soon), do you cook the assembled casserole and then cool and place in freezer? Or do you leave uncooked? Thanks!
    July 27, 2013 at 12:31 pm
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  23. Therese
    I like the version with soup,but has anyone made it without the cheese? My boyfriend can't have dairy, and he don't like cheese. please help. I am restocking the freezer for the winter, we live in WY and getting to the store can be a bear.. anymore recipes would be great!! thanks.
    November 14, 2013 at 10:10 am
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  24. Lori
    This is my go to freezer meal. Last week I threw together 8 meals in less than an hour for my freezer cooking group. To make it a main dish I replace the cream of chicken with cheese soup and a can of water. Then add some diced ham. Cover and freeze. Before baking, I top with 1 sleeve Ritz crackers and 1/4 c. melted butter. http://freezermealexchange.blogspot.com/2011/09/ham-cheese-casserole.html
    December 23, 2013 at 2:37 pm
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    • Cyd
      You could use fresh potatoes. You'll want to rinse your freshly shredded potatoes before you cook with them, though; they release a lot of cloudy starch that holds water and might make your casserole a little goopy. You'll need the same amount as you would if they were hashbrowns. A pound of homemade hash browns is about 7 1/2 cups of loose shredded potatoes, or 5 1/3 cups of firmly packed ones. This recipe calls for 26 ounces. Hope this helps.
      September 16, 2014 at 5:49 pm
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        • Cyd
          Hi Karla. We always make this with frozen hashbrowns. Here are a few things I found on the internet about using real potatoes vs hashbrowns. The reviews are mixed, but I'll let you make the call for yourself. We have made a cheesy potato casserole before and we have cut the potatoes into small cubes and boiled them til fork tender. Then we mix it with the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and cheese and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes. Turns out great, not mushy at all. Here are the comments I found on the internet - There's a massive difference in bagged hash browns and fresh grated potatoes, as stupid as it sounds I'm going to disagree and say that frozen hash browns are better. First frozen hashbrowns aren't just frozen shredded potatoes, they're frozen "par-cooked" potatoes which means they're actually already cooked a bit. Second the act of freezing them actually helps them release moisture by creating ice crystals which actually breaks down some of the interior structure of the potato, this moisture converts to steam when cooking and also helps create that crisp on the outside, but soft in the middle type of hash brown you're used to. I've actually had a hard time getting home made hash browns to actually be better then quality frozen hashbrowns. But if you're going to do it, you want to par-cook the potatoes a bit, shred, then let the shreds dry (as others have noted this is key), then do a quick brown prior to using them No difference except the elbow grease and skinned knuckles. You'll want to rinse your freshly shredded potatoes before you cook with them, though; they release a lot of cloudy starch that holds water and might make your casserole goopy and/or keep it from getting crunchy on top.
          December 28, 2015 at 11:42 am
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  27. Jenn Hoff
    Haha! This is so weird! I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone. My mom was best friends with yours for a couple years when I was growing up in Layton. I was getting a recipe off your site when I realized who you all are! Now I HAVE to make this, because when we're sitting down to Easter dinner tomorrow, I can say, "Mom, this is Sister Adamson's recipe!" :) She will love that. What a small world!
    April 3, 2015 at 10:57 pm
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    • Jenn Hoff
      P.S. I think I have another one of your mom's recipes in my recipe box. I also remember that Kristen taught me how to take the food off the fork with just your teeth. That way your lips never have to touch the silverware in case it's dirty. ....We both may have had some OCD issues. :) And my littlest sister, Camille, was named because we loved your Camille's name! What else. Oh, at dinner the other night, we were telling my parents about how we would start up at the top of the hill between your house and Bishop Smith's house, and ride our bikes down that ridiculously steep mountain they called a hill, and then NOT STOP at the bottom, because we wanted the momentum to take us halfway up the hill to our house. Even though there was a very good chance we could be hit by cars. Did you guys ever do that? My parents wanted yours as in-laws. So Ben was supposed to marry.... the one younger than Kristen, I can't remember her name. Then we got a wedding announcement, so we told him he had to marry the next one down. Then we'd get another announcement, and he had to marry the next one. :) After a while he ran out of options, so we let him marry the girl he was in love with. What a bummer.
      April 3, 2015 at 11:04 pm
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    • Cyd
      Hi Jennifer!!! I absolutely love your mom! That is so funny about your memories of the neighborhood! I'll be sure my girls see your comments. I work on the blog with them! Have a Happy Easter and tell the fam the Adamson's say HI!!!!
      April 7, 2015 at 8:42 pm
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  29. Amy
    What happened to the version of this recipe that had an alternate for canned cream of chicken soup? The one where you made your own cream of chicken soup? I have a print out of it some place, and was looking for the recipe online so I could write up my grocery list.
    October 31, 2017 at 3:58 pm
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  31. Liz
    Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole (without Cream of Chicken soup) Potatoes: 3 tablespoons butter 1 large yellow onion, chopped 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 cup milk 1 ½ teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (8 ounces) 26-ounce bag frozen shredded hash browns 1/2 cup light sour cream Topping: 3 cups cornflakes, lightly crushed 2 tablespoons butter, melted Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until the onion is softened and translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about a minute. Combine the chicken broth and milk in a liquid measure and slowly whisk in the mixture. Add the salt, pepper and thyme. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the cheese until smooth. Mix in the frozen hash browns, lifting and folding the mixture until well combined. Finally, stir in the sour cream. In a medium bowl, toss the lightly crushed cornflakes with the butter until evenly combined. Scoop out the potato mixture into a 9X13-inch baking dish and top with the buttered cornflakes. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, until hot and bubbly around the edges.
    April 1, 2018 at 8:39 am
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