Hashbrown Casserole – Funeral Potato Recipe

This hashbrown casserole recipe is cheesy, creamy, rich, and packs the perfect punch. Whether you need the perfect side dish to take to your next holiday gathering or a side dish that the whole family will love, these funeral potatoes are a perfect choice.

WHAT IS HASHBROWN CASSEROLE MADE OF?

Frozen Hashbrowns– You can use fresh if you want, but who has time to peel potatoes (especially A LOT of them) when you’re in the mood for comfort food.

Sour Cream– Helps cut through some of the richness of the other ingredients while ramping up the creaminess of the casserole.

Cream of Chicken Soup– A midwest casserole isn’t a casserole without some “cream of something” soup. This recipe is no exception.

Cheddar Cheese– I prefer sharp cheddar because I LOVE cheese. Sharp cheddar is guaranteed to pack a cheesy punch.

Butter– These funeral potatoes are a guaranteed stick-to-your-ribs recipe and the butter only makes it more indulgent.

Pepper– Adds just a hint of spice to cut through some of the saltiness of the dish.

Cornflakes (optional)- Ok, so I don’t like it with the cornflakes on top, but that’s how it’s typically served. My recipe, my rules. So, I say you can leave them off if you want.

HOW DO YOU MAKE HASHBROWN CASSEROLE?

Step 1: Mix up the goop. I know this sounds really gross, but that’s what I always think of when I mix up all of my creamy ingredients. Combine your softened butter, sour cream, and cream of chicken soup in a large mixing bowl.

Step 2: Mix in the cheese. Add the cheddar cheese into your creamy mixture.

Step 3: Add to the frozen potatoes. This step takes a little elbow grease. Getting the dairy mixture mixed evenly into the frozen potatoes can be hard work, but I promise you’ll need to burn off every calorie you can so you can enjoy the funeral potatoes after they’re done baking.

Step 4: Bake. Throw that casserole in the oven and wait for the magic to happen.

Step 5: Remove from the oven and enjoy! I told you this was a pretty hands-off recipe. Once you mix all of the ingredients together, all you have to do is bake. The only hard part is waiting for them to cool long enough before you take your first bite.

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR MAKING FUNERAL POTATOES

• Mix your butter into the cream of chicken mixture. If you try to drizzle your melted butter over the frozen potatoes, it will refreeze on contact and make it impossible to mix it into your hash browns.
• Sprinkle a little more cheese. Let’s be honest. This recipe isn’t health food by any stretch of the truth. So, go ahead and sprinkle a little more cheese over the top of the funeral potatoes when there is 5 minutes left in the cooking time for a deliciously crispy and cheesy crust.
• Mix things up. I know I said that I preferred to eat this casserole without the cornflakes. If cornflakes aren’t your jam either, try adding other things as a crispy topping.
  • Ritz Crackers
  • Panko Breadcrumbs
  • Traditional Breadcrumbs
  • Crumbled Cheezits

SHOULD I THAW FROZEN HAS BROWNS BEFORE COOKING?

For this recipe, I use frozen hash browns. If you need to speed up the cooking process, you can absolutely thaw your frozen hashbrowns before baking this casserole. If you’re not in a hurry and need a recipe that is pretty quick and easy to throw together without any prep work, tossing frozen potatoes in this dish is completely acceptable.

WHAT TO SERVE THEM WITH

I can honestly say I’ve eaten this hash brown casserole with just about every combination of food under the sun. I’ve had them at just about every family holiday meal, multiple family reunions, weeknight dinners, funerals, and as a midnight snack with nothing else but a spoon.

When the need for comfort food strikes, this hashbrown casserole recipe is there for you.

Here are a few of my favorite things to pair it with:

• Baked Chicken
• Fried Chicken
• Pork Chops
• Ham
• Steak
• Turkey

Believe it or not, it’s also a really great breakfast side dish. Pair it with these breakfast dishes for a complete meal:

• Biscuits and gravy
• Pancakes
• Waffles
• Bacon and Eggs
• Avocado Cream Cheese Bagel

HOW LONG IS HASBROWN CASSEROLE GOOD FOR?

To be honest, I can’t give you a true answer. I’ve never had it last more than 3 days in my fridge before it was completely devoured. If I had to give an educated guess, I would say that it would stay delicious up to 5 days before the dairy would begin to separate and you would need to toss it. However, I can almost guarantee your storage container won’t make it to day five.

Can You Freeze It?

Yes, you CAN freeze hash brown casserole. I will give the same disclaimer that I give for all of my recipes that are rich in dairy. When dairy is frozen and defrosted, it has a tendency to become slightly gritty. So, while the flavors will all still be there, the texture of the dish may be a little different. This may be one of those instances a dusting of cornflakes may save the day (and the recipe).

If you love this hashbrown casserole recipe as much as I do, make sure you share it with your friends so they can try them too. Don’t forget to pin it so you can make them again soon!