Funeral Potatoes
Funeral Potatoes are so easy, cheesy, and pretty much perfect in every way! Serve this side dish staple on Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any other time you’re craving it. If you do happen to make this potato side dish on a hectic holiday, you’ll love how maintenance it is compared to all of your other recipes!
Funeral Potatoes
I’m sure you’re wondering… Why is this side dish titled something a little morbid? It’s actually exactly what you’d think. This cheesy baked potato casserole recipe first gained popularity by being served at post-funeral gatherings. Thus, the name Funeral Potatoes was born! With that in mind, I seldom (if ever) actually make this recipe for funerals. Instead, it’s one of my go-to holiday side dishes!
There are plenty of potato-based recipes you can choose from when selecting what to whip up on holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas. If you’ve never made Funeral Potatoes before, I definitely encourage you to try them for your next family gathering! Cheesy, creamy hash browns are baked to perfection under a layer of salty, crunchy potato chips. Every bite is seriously addictive.
The best part? This classic side dish is SO easy to make! On crazy busy holidays when you’ve got about a million other things to focus on, relieve some stress by making a simple, trusty side dish like Funeral Potatoes. The ingredients are inexpensive, the steps are easy to follow, and you can always trust that it’ll be the most beloved side dish on the spread! Even your pickiest eater will go back for seconds. I mean, who doesn’t love cheesy potatoes with chips on top?!
How to Make Funeral Potatoes
This classic recipe is seriously easy!
Make the butter mixture. Melt the butter and cornstarch over medium heat in a saucepan. Whisk in the milk and cook until slightly thickened. Stir in the chicken stock, nutmeg, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened, then set aside.
Cook the onions and garlic. Cook the onions and garlic in some olive oil in a pan over medium heat for about 1 minute. Set aside.
Make the potato mixture. Combine the hash browns, sauce, onion mixture, cheese, and sour cream in a bowl. Stir and set aside.
Assemble. Pour the potato mixture into your baking dish. After the potato chips and butter have been combined, sprinkle the mixture evenly over the potatoes and cover with foil.
Bake. Bake the casserole for 20 minutes covered. Uncover and bake for another 20 minutes.
Rest, then serve. Let the hot casserole rest for about 10 minutes, then serve and enjoy!
How long will Funeral Potatoes stay fresh?
In an airtight container, Funeral Potatoes will stay fresh for about 3-4 days. While they do make great leftovers, I recommend serving and eating them the day they’re made! That’s when those chips on top are the crunchiest.
What kind of chips should I use to top these cheesy Funeral Potatoes?
If you can find them, I really like the bold flavor that horseradish cheese potato chips lend the top of this dish. However, really any chips you choose will work well! You can always opt for plain potato chips that will still lend a good salty crunch.
Are Funeral Potatoes the same thing as scalloped potatoes?
While they’re both creamy and cheesy, these two dishes are different. In my Funeral Potatoes recipe, I like to use hash browns instead of thinly sliced (or scalloped) potatoes. Plus, most scalloped potato recipes I’ve seen don’t call for potato chips!
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Get the Recipe: Funeral Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
- 4 tablespoon salted butter
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Vidalia onion, grated
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups grated sharp cheddar
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups crushed Horseradish Cheddar Potato Chips, or your favorite Kettle chips
- 3 tablespoon salted butter, melted
Equipment
- 1 baking dish
Instructions
- Preheat over to 350˚F.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and whisk in the cornstarch until golden.
- Whisk in the milk and continue to cook until slightly thickened. Add the chicken stock, nutmeg, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil, continuing to stir and cook until thickened.
- Remove from the heat and set aside.
- In a small pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic cooking for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the hash browns, sauce, onion mixture, cheese and sour cream. Stir to combine.
- Pour the mixture into a 13×9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray and spread in an even layer.
- In a small bowl, mix together the potato chips and melted butter stirring to combine.
- Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the potatoes and cover with foil.
- Bake the casserole for 20 minutes, covered and then remove the foil.
- Continue to bake uncovered for an additional 20 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.
- Allow the casserole to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.