Funeral Potatoes (Utah)
intro
Creamy, cheesy hash brown casserole with a crunchy cornflake topping, a beloved Utah comfort food staple served at community potlucks and gatherings for generations.
Ingredients
Steps
Preheat oven and prep pan
Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F), with a rack positioned in the middle. Grease a 23x33 cm (9x13 inch) glass or ceramic baking dish evenly with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter, making sure to coat the bottom and sides to prevent sticking.
Mix the potato filling
In a large mixing bowl, combine thawed, moisture-squeezed hash browns, diced onion, sour cream, condensed cream of chicken soup, 170 g (1.5 cups) of the grated cheddar, 4 tablespoons (56 g) of the melted butter, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Stir thoroughly with a rubber spatula for 2 minutes until every ingredient is evenly distributed, with no dry, uncoated clumps of hash browns remaining.
Add filling to baking dish
Pour the entire mixed potato filling into the prepared greased baking dish. Spread it into a smooth, even, flat layer with the back of the spatula, pressing gently to eliminate trapped air gaps, then sprinkle the remaining 55 g (0.5 cup) of grated cheddar evenly across the top of the potato layer.
Prepare cornflake topping
In a medium mixing bowl, toss the lightly crushed cornflakes with the remaining 3 tablespoons (42 g) of melted butter until every flake is lightly coated in butter; do not over-crush the flakes into fine crumbs, as a coarse, flaky texture creates the signature crunchy topping.
Top and bake casserole
Spread the buttered cornflakes in a uniform, even layer over the cheese-topped potato filling. Place the uncovered baking dish on the middle oven rack, and bake for 45 minutes at 175°C (350°F), until the edges are bubbling vigorously and the cornflake topping is a deep, toasty golden brown.
Rest and serve warm
Remove the baked casserole from the oven using oven mitts, and let it rest for 10 minutes at room temperature to set, which prevents runny scoops and makes the dish easier to serve. Serve warm as a side dish.
Tips
2.Grate your own sharp cheddar cheese from a block instead of using pre-shredded packaged cheese; pre-shredded cheese is coated in anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly into the filling.
3.This casserole can be fully assembled (without the cornflake topping) 1–2 days in advance, covered tightly, and stored in the refrigerator. Add the buttered cornflake topping right before baking, and add 5–10 minutes to the total bake time to account for the cold filling.
OMG I’ve been looking for a recipe that tastes exactly like the funeral potatoes my grandma used to bring to every church potluck and post-funeral lunch back in Salt Lake! The cornflake topping is chef’s kiss, no weird fancy add-ins, just that classic creamy, cheesy goodness I’ve been craving since I moved out of state. Made this for my husband’s football watch party last weekend and every single person asked for the recipe. SO good!
Total game changer for busy weeknights! I prepped this the night before, popped it in the oven when I got home from work, and all three of my kids devoured it without complaining about veggies (wait, there are barely any veggies, duh, that’s why they loved it 😂). Even my picky 4 year old asked for seconds. Will be adding this to our regular dinner rotation for sure.
First time making funeral potatoes and I get the hype now. Brought this to our neighborhood block party and people were scraping the dish clean. Only thing I changed was adding a handful of crumbled bacon on top with the cornflakes because, well, bacon makes everything better. 10/10, will make again.
Made this in my dorm’s communal oven for my floor potluck and even the RA who never eats anything anyone makes went back for three servings. Super easy, didn’t need any fancy equipment, and the ingredients are all cheap at the grocery store by campus. Perfect for when you need to feed a crowd on a budget.
Wait, has anyone tried making this with gluten free cream of chicken and GF cornflakes? I have a celiac kiddo and want to make this for our extended family Christmas dinner but don’t want it to taste weird compared to the regular version everyone expects.
Made this as a side for our annual ribs cookout and it paired so much better than regular baked potatoes. The creamy cheese cut through the smoky rib flavor perfectly. My only note is I would probably add a little extra cheese next time, but that’s just me because I think every dish needs more cheddar.
This recipe is a meal prep lifesaver! I divided the leftovers into single-serve containers and ate them for lunch all week, and they reheated so well in the microwave — no soggy topping or weird texture after a few days in the fridge. 10/10 for anyone who hates making lunch every morning.
Total newbie cook here, almost messed this up because I forgot to thaw the hash browns ahead of time! Tossed them in frozen, added 10 minutes to the bake time, and it still turned out so good that my girlfriend’s mom asked for the recipe at Sunday dinner. Quick question though — has anyone swapped regular sour cream for sour cream and onion dip to mix things up?
I’ve been making funeral potatoes for 40 years for every church function, funeral, and baby shower in my small town, and I have to say this recipe is spot on. The ratio of creamy sauce to potatoes to crispy topping is exactly right, no runny mess like some recipes I’ve tried over the years. My only tweak is I add a little diced onion to the sauce for extra flavor, but that’s just how my mom taught me.
Made these for our Super Bowl party this year and they were gone before the national anthem ended. I set them out next to the wings and queso and people kept coming back for more. Even my cousin who swears he ‘doesn’t eat casseroles’ had two helpings. Easy to make, feeds a ton, total crowd pleaser.
Has anyone had luck making this dairy free? My son is allergic to dairy and I’ve been searching for a dairy free version of funeral potatoes that doesn’t taste like cardboard. We have a family reunion coming up and I want him to be able to eat the same sides as everyone else.
This is so easy I even made it after coming home from a 12 hour shift when I was too tired to cook anything complicated. Only had to dirty one bowl and one baking dish, minimal prep, and the whole house smelled amazing while it baked. Served it with some frozen chicken nuggets and called it a night, 10/10 for low-effort dinners.
I grew up in Georgia and we have similar potato casseroles, but nothing hits quite like this Utah version. The cornflake topping is way better than the fried onion topping I usually use, it gets so much crispier and has that perfect sweet-savory crunch. I’ll be using cornflakes on all my potato casseroles from now on!
Wait — I thought funeral potatoes always had ham in them? This recipe doesn’t call for ham, is that normal? I want to make it for a potluck next weekend but don’t want to show up with the ‘wrong’ version, haha.
Leftovers of these are *insane* for breakfast the next day. I fried up an egg, put it on top of a reheated scoop of these potatoes, and it was better than any breakfast hash I’ve ever ordered at a diner. Don’t sleep on leftover funeral potatoes for breakfast, trust me.
Made this for my sister’s post-funeral reception for her father-in-law last week, and so many people came up to say how much the potatoes reminded them of the ones their own families made for gatherings. Food is so comforting at times like that, and this recipe was easy to make in a big batch while we were all busy with family coming into town. So grateful for a reliable, classic recipe that tastes like home.
I usually skip the potato sides at holiday dinners because they’re always bland or mushy, but my cousin made these for Easter this year and I went back for three servings. The cornflake topping stays crispy even after sitting on the buffet table for an hour, the cheese sauce is perfectly creamy, no weird lumps or weird canned soup aftertaste. Convinced now, I’ll be making these for every holiday from now on.
Made this in my cast iron Dutch oven on a camping trip last weekend, cooked it over the campfire coals for about an hour, and it was the best camp side dish we’ve ever made. Everyone kept asking how we got the topping so crispy over a fire, just kept the lid cracked a little the last 10 minutes so the cornflakes could crisp up. 10/10, will be a camp staple from now on.