Funeral potatoes aren’t just for funerals – they are the ultimate comfort food side dish that is a great accompanying dish for meals of all kind! There are many variations on this popular dish – and this is our favorite family recipe!
I love a good potato side dish – and funeral potatoes are definitely at the top of my list.
I feel like they are just the epitome of comfort food – especially when served with ham and homemade rolls. Oh man – just thinking about it gets me salivating! Something about this meal is just oh-so comforting.
Growing up, we always called these “yummy potatoes”, and I never knew that they were something other people ate. It was just a pretty common staple at our Sunday dinners.
However, when I moved to Utah for school, I realize they were affectionately called funeral potatoes…because they are almost always at a funeral luncheon (at least for Latter-day Saint people!).
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The funny thing about funeral potatoes is that no recipe ever seems to be the same. Some have buttery bread crumbs, others have crunchy corn flakes. Some are soupier than others…but they are always delicious and creamy.
This is the recipe my mom always served to us growing up, though I added in parsley to the panko.
It also usually has onions in it, but I made them without them on Christmas, and it just made the recipe even easier. But if you do want to use onions, feel free to add them in!
No matter how you make them, this cheesy hashbrown casserole is sure to be a hit at every holiday gathering, potluck, and, yes, funeral that you attend!
Oh, and be on the lookout – we have a scrumptious Instant Pot version coming soon!
What to Serve with Funeral Potatoes
This is a great side dish to serve with any comfort food – ham, rolls, turkey, steak…I mean, I can’t think of any meat you wouldn’t want to serve this with!
I always like to have mine with corn or green beans, but other vegetables would be great, too. Here are a couple of vegetable side dishes on Simply Side Dishes you may enjoy with this dish:
Variations
There are many variations for funeral potatoes!
- Shredded Hashbrowns
- Crushed cornflakes instead of panko
- Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- Potato chips
- Freshly diced potatoes
- Extra cheese on top
- Crispy onions
- Add peppers in with the potatoes
You can cook them in your oven, a cast-iron skillet, or even in a smoker/grill!
FAQ
Why is it called funeral potatoes? Because this is something that is often served at funerals – especially funerals put on by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Do I need to defrost the hash brown potatoes? Nope! However, if they are defrosted, decrease the cooking time by 15 minutes.
Can I use shredded hash brown potatoes? You can – I never do, but they should work the same way!
Can I make these the night before? Yep! Just cover it with tin foil and keep in the refrigerator. The next day, you will cook it for 45 minutes instead of 60.
Can this dish be frozen? Yes, it can.
How long do funeral potatoes last in the fridge? Between 3 and 5 days.
Ingredients
- 8-ounce container sour cream
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- Two-pound package frozen Potatoes O’Brien (diced potatoes with red and green peppers)
- 1 cup Kraft Monterrey Jack shredded cheese (add more if you love cheese!)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Pepper
- 1/2 cup panko
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1 teaspoon parsley
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine sour cream, cream of chicken soup, and butter.
Mix in the diced hash brown potatoes, shredded cheese, and salt and pepper. Mix and taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Spread evenly into a 9×13 glass baking dish.
Combine the second batch of melted butter with bread crumbs and parsley. Spread over the top of the potatoes.
Cover with tin foil.
Bake for 60 minutes, or until cooked all the way through. Remove tin foil and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
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