Fast and Easy Funeral Potatoes Recipe

Inside: Learn how to make the best, fast and easy funeral potatoes ever with a crunchy corn flake topping.

I have lived in the United States now for a long time, and as a result, my cooking style has evolved quite a bit. Although I will always love Mexican cuisine and that is my specialty, I have also grown to enjoy making recipes that my husband and his family have taught me to make.

One of those recipes is a tasty food that my family calls “yummy potatoes,” but that is more commonly known as “funeral potatoes,” or even “party potatoes.” I have to admit that the first time I saw this, I wasn’t so sure about it, especially because of the name. However, after trying it, I fell in love with this classic side dish.

What are funeral potatoes?

Funeral potatoes is a basically a cheesy potato casserole consisting of diced potatoes, sour cream, melted butter, topped with a crispy topping. The topping varies depending on the recipe that you find. Some people use potato chips, others use breadcrumbs, and the other common topping is crispy corn flakes. It is then baked to golden brown perfection and served as a perfect side dish.

Why are they called funeral potatoes?

This recipe is known as funeral potatoes because it is easy to make and great for serving a large crowd, which often is the case at after-funeral luncheons. With that said, this recipe is not limited to being made at funerals – now you will find it at many other large gatherings, such as holiday dinners, family gatherings, and other special occasions.

How do you make the best funeral potatoes recipe?

Funeral potatoes, which is the ultimate comfort food, is such an easy recipe to make. That is one reason why it is so popular at many special events. To make it, you will start by gathering the following ingredients list:

• Potatoes
• Crushed Corn Flakes
• Can of Cream of chicken soup
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Sour Cream
• Unsalted butter
• Onion powder
• Black peper
• Salt

The base of the recipe is made by cutting the potatoes into small cubes and boiling them until they are softened slightly. You don’t want them to be super soft like when you make mashed potatoes, or they will get too mushy when you bake them. You can use store bought frozen hashbrown or even shredded hashbrowns if you prefer, and in that case, you will skip this first step.

Next, you will add the rest of the ingredients (keeping the potatoes, corn flakes and 1/2 stick of butter aside for now) to a large bowl and mix them until everything is combined and creamy. Then, add the potatoes and mix well before adding the complete mixture to a 9×12 baking dish.

One of the best known characteristics of this delicious recipe is the crunchy, buttery topping. This is made by crushing the corn flakes, and adding some melted butter to it, and then using it to top the potato mixture in the dish before baking for 40-50 minutes.

When it is done baking, it will be very hot and bubbly so you will want to wait a few minutes before serving it as a great side dish or even as a main dish.

What are some different ways to make these cheesy potatoes?

There are some fun ways that you can modify this recipe to mix it up a bit. Some of my favorite variations are the following:

• Add bacon bits to the mixture
• Use breadcrumbs or potato chips for the crunchy topping
• Add a can of cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup instead of chicken.
• Add green onions
• Add cream cheese for a more creamy flavor

You can really use your imagination to make this recipe your own. I would love to hear from you in the comments below. Let me know how it turned out for you and if you have any other ways to make it!