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With Easter just around the corner, I can’t help but daydream about our customary Easter dinner! We usually have a honey-baked ham (though this choice has been the subject of some debate in recent years), but the real star of our Easter feast is actually a side dish—”funeral potatoes!”
If you’ve never heard of funeral potatoes before, you are in for a treat! This cheesy potato casserole (think potatoes au gratin) is all but ubiquitous at social gatherings and occasions here in Utah, including actual funerals.
It’s also an incredibly popular side dish for Easter specifically, though I’m not sure how that came about. But what I am sure about is that if I don’t make an effort to get my shredded potatoes well before Easter, our local grocery stores will get cleared out of them and I’ll be out of luck!
This is not an exaggeration, by the way. A few years ago I went to the store to get my funeral potato supplies, and there was not a single bag of shredded potatoes or hash browns, refrigerated OR frozen, remaining in the entire store! Funeral potatoes are a serious matter around here.
For those who are unfamiliar with this dish, I highly recommend giving it a try. You may just find that it becomes a staple on your Easter table as well! :-)
How To Make “Funeral Potatoes” (Cheesy Potato Casserole)
Ingredients:
- 2 (20-ounce) bags refrigerated shredded hash browns*
- 1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
- 16 ounces sour cream
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/3 cup green onions, finely chopped
- 1 cup corn flakes, crushed + 2 Tbsp melted butter
*Note: If you can’t find Simply Potatoes or another brand of refrigerated hash browns, you can substitute an equal amount of frozen hash browns, but you’ll need to thaw them before using.
Directions:
Melt the butter in a saucepan on your stovetop, then add the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cheese, and green onions. Stir over medium-low heat until the cheese has melted and everything is well combined, then remove from heat.
Spread the hash browns evenly across the bottom of a greased 9″ x 13″ baking dish.
Pour the melted cheese mixture over the top of the potatoes and stir. (Or don’t stir—it’s a matter of preference and probably doesn’t make all that much of a difference in the end.)
In a small bowl, mix together the crushed corn flakes and 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
Sprinkle the corn flake mixture over the top of the potatoes and cream mixture.
Bake the assembled casserole for 45 minutes at 325°F. When the top is golden-brown and the potatoes are hot and bubbly, it’s done!
Remove the baking dish from the oven and let it stand for 15 minutes to allow it to set up a bit (otherwise you’ll have more of a cheesy potato soup.) Then dig in and enjoy! :-)
Cheesy Funeral Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 packages of Simply Potatoes shredded hash browns*
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 16 oz sour cream
- 2 cups cheddar cheese grated
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/3 cup green onions finely chopped
- 1 cup corn flakes crushed + 2 Tbsp melted butter
Instructions
- Melt the 1/2 cup of butter in a a saucepan on your stovetop. Add the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cheese, and green onions to the pan. Stir over low-medium heat until the cheese has melted and everything is well combined. Remove from heat.
- Spread hash browns evenly across the bottom of a 9” x 13” baking dish.
- Pour the creamy, cheesy mixture from the saucepan over the top of the potatoes and stir.
- Stir together the crushed corn flakes and the 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
- Then sprinkle the corn flakes mixture over the top of the potatoes and cream mixture.
- Put the baking dish into your oven, and bake for 45 minutes at 325 degrees. When the top is golden-brown and the potatoes are hot and bubbly, you’ll know it’s done!
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and let it stand for 15 minutes. Then dig in and enjoy!
