Funeral Potato with Real Potatoes

This simple casserole recipe full of diced potatoes, cheese, sour cream, cream of chicken soup and topped with crispy Kellogg's corn flake cereal can not be beat. This funeral potato with real potatoes recipe is easy, cheesy, and delicious. It is the perfect side dish for any meal and so, so easy to make.

Funeral Potatoes are known by many a name ... Cheesy Potatoes, Heavenly Potatoes, or Hash Brown Casserole, just to name a few. Funeral potatoes are a serious comfort food!  

I have always loved these potatoes more than any other kind of potato recipe.  So much so, that I request them every year for my birthday. They are always a holiday dinner staple in our family. I can't even remember a Thanksgiving or Christmas without them.

And if you are planning your whole meal around comfort foods, may I suggest some of our other favorite dishes? Instant Pot Barbecue Chicken, French Dip Sandwiches and Chicken Crescent Roll Ups all pair perfectly with these cheesy and delicious potatoes.

Then round out your meal and add in a sweet dessert like old fashioned chocolate chip cookies or a slice of warm banana bread. Yummm!

Jump to:

• Ingredients for Funeral Potatoes
• What kind of potatoes are best for funeral potatoes?
• How to make Funeral Potatoes
• What topping is best for funeral potatoes?
• 📖 Recipe

Ingredients for Funeral Potatoes

Because Funeral Potatoes have been at nearly every church gathering I've ever been to, I am here to attest that there are several different ways to make this casserole and the difference comes down to one ingredient.

All superior Funeral Potato Casserole recipes are made with real potatoes. However, this dish is rarely done that way.

• Cream of Chicken Soup
• Sour Cream
• Melted Butter
• Green Onions
• Salt
• Cheese - any variety will do, we like to go with a mixed blend to achieve optimal flavor and meltyness.
• Cornflakes - don't skimp here. Those crunchy flakes make for the most delicious topping known to man.
• Potatoes - like we said real potatoes is the way to go here. But if you are in a bind for time or looking for a frozen hash brown variation that's okay, this recipe will do, just swap out the real potatoes for a bag of frozen hash browns instead.

What kind of potatoes are best for funeral potatoes?

Now let's specifically talk potatoes. There are many kinds of potatoes and we have tried them all. Dallin, my husband, likes the texture of russet potatoes best, while I prefer a red potato.  But honestly, either will do.

And if you are even half the potato head I am, you've got to give some of our other favorite potato recipes like Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes and Cheesy Potatoes Au Gratin a go.

How to make Funeral Potatoes

Step 1: Make the Potatoes

First things first, we need to prepare the potatoes. Dice them and add to a pot of boiling water. Allow them to cook until potatoes are just tender enough to pierce with a fork. Be careful not to overcook - they will cook a little longer in the oven later.

Step 2: Prepare the Sauce

While the potatoes are cooking. Melt butter in the microwave and add with chicken soup to a bowl. Stir together. Then add sour cream, chopped green onions, salt and shredded cheese to the mixture. Next combine the sauce mixture until everything is all stirred in.

But be warned, if you are anything like me, this is when your mouth may begin watering in anticipation for the goodness it knows is coming. 

Step 3: Add Potatoes

When cooked, drain the potatoes and add to the prepared sauce mixture.  Stir everything together. Be sure every potato is coated, but at the same time be careful not to stir too much. You don't want the potatoes to break down and your casserole to get mushy.

Step 4: Transfer to Casserole Dish

Spoon your potato mixture into a greased casserole dish and top with the prepared crunchy cereal topping. Place in the oven to bake.

When all melted and bubbly pull from the oven and enjoy. Serve as a delicious side, or join the Ashley's Funeral Potato Fan Club, and eat them as a main dish or midnight treat. Seriously... welcome to my idea of heaven.

What topping is best for funeral potatoes?

This is quite possibly the most important step in the whole process. For this recipe, I've doubled the amount of Kellogg's my mom usually uses.  

And if I am being honest, if I was really treating myself - I'd quadruple the amount of topping. Yes I mean like, double the amount of ingredients called for in the recipe card for the topping.

I've already doubled it once from my mom's original recipe so why not live a little and double it again!  I mean seriously, is it even possible to have too many crispy corn flakes on top of a casserole?  I think not.