This cheesy potato casserole with diced potatoes makes the best side dish and is a staple at my holiday tables. I’m amping up the flavor of this classic cheesy potato recipe by adding extra seasonings, including plenty of cheddar cheese, and topping the casserole with crunchy fried onions. Serve these funeral potatoes with mains like roasted chicken, spatchcock turkey, apricot glazed ham, or steaks. It truly goes with anything. And try the crockpot cheesy potatoes for a hands-off version that won’t take up any oven space – same recipe but made in the slow cooker.
This diced potato casserole (sometimes called funeral potatoes!) is made easily with diced potato hash browns (a major kitchen shortcut), and then we’re adding major flavor in the form of cream of chicken soup, butter, sour cream, garlic powder, sharp cheddar cheese, and French fried onions. So yes, it’s still going to taste like the classic easy cheesy potatoes you’re used to, but a tad extra in the best possible way. 😉
If you are looking for more comfort food recipes, be sure to try my chili dip, crockpot chicken thighs with potatoes, slow cooker brats, and homemade chili next time!
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
What is Potato Casserole?
Like any casserole recipe, there are many different varieties with different names! This particular cheesy potato casserole is a classic here in Minnesota and is often served on holidays, especially Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter dinner. Some people know this family favorite as funeral potatoes as it’s a staple at funeral luncheons. The simplest versions are a mixture of diced potatoes or hash browns, cream of chicken soup, sour cream and/or butter, and some seasonings. I’ve added some extra flavor to my version, but it still has the classic feel.
What You’ll Love About this Cheesy Potato Casserole Recipe
- Tons of flavor
- Creamy, cheesy, savory flavor
- Tender potatoes and a crunchy topping
- Made with 8 basic ingredients
- Takes just 10 minutes to prep
- Total time is 60 minutes
- Perfect side dish to almost any main dish
- Classic dish for holiday dinners and family gatherings
Ingredients to Make Easy Cheesy Potatoes
- Diced potatoes – Often times the prepared hash browns and potatoes are in the refrigerated section of stores near eggs and dairy. You can also use the diced hash browns with onions or vegetables. Frozen diced potatoes also work; just make sure to take them out to thaw. You can also dice your own potatoes into about 1/2 inch cubes – try Yukon gold or red potatoes for great color and flavor. If you use traditional russet potatoes, be sure to peel them first.
- Green onions – The green onions give a milder flavor than regular onions would. You could also use chives.
- Cream of chicken soup – Look for a can of cream of chicken soup (condensed), you could also use cream of mushroom soup or some people like to use cream of celery.
- Butter – Use any unsalted butter.
- Sour cream – I recommend full-fat sour cream for best flavor, but use whatever type you prefer.
- Spices – Garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper
- Shredded cheese – I recommend sharp cheddar cheese for these cheesy hashbrowns, but you could also use any cheddar, colby jack, or even pepper jack for a little spice.
- French fried onions – Many funeral potato recipes call for corn flakes, crushed potato chips or ritz crackers, but I think the savory flavor of fried onions adds a boost of flavor and crunch to this potato dish.
How to Make Cheesy Potato Casserole with Diced Potatoes
This is an overview on how to make cheesy diced potato casserole, the detailed instructions can be found below in the recipe card.
FAQs
Is cheesy potato casserole gluten free?
Not as written, but if you use gluten-free potatoes, gluten-free cream of chicken soup, and gluten-free onion straws and it will be. So it can be gluten-free with a few swaps.
Can I make this with shredded hash browns?
While this particular recipe calls for diced potatoes, it will work with shredded hash browns as well. It will take a little less time cooking, so start checking it after the initial 40 minutes.
How many calories in cheesy potato casserole?
The full nutrition stats are below, but there are 359 calories per serving in this particular cheesy potato casserole recipe. It’s a decent-sized serving, but you could also stretch it into smaller servings as well.
What goes with cheesy potato casserole?
This is an Easter cheesy potato casserole recipe at our house, which means it’s perfect with apricot glazed ham but it’s also great with roasted chicken, spatchcock turkey, air fryer turkey breast, steak, or really anytime you need a potato side dish.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
How to reheat
Reheat the leftovers in a microwave or a 375 degree F oven until heated through.
Can you freeze cheesy potatoes?
Yes, transfer casserole to a freezer container and freeze for 2-3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Can you make cheesy potato bake ahead of time?
Yes, you can easily prep this recipe ahead. Make and assemble the potato mixture a day or two ahead and store in the fridge. Bake when ready.
What to Serve with Funeral Potatoes
These cheesy funeral potatoes go with so many main dishes, which is one of the reasons that everyone loves them so much. Try them with one of these main dishes:
More Easy Side Dishes
If you like this recipe for cheesy potato casserole, you might also like some of these other simple side dish recipes:
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Easy Cheesy Potato Casserole
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Side
- Method: Bake
Description
Easy cheesy potato casserole with diced potatoes (aka funeral potatoes) is the BEST side dish, and a staple at holiday tables.
Ingredients
- 40 oz. refrigerated diced potatoes
- 4 green onions
- 1 cup cream of chicken soup (condensed)
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 1/2 cups fried onions
Instructions
- Prep ingredients:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Thaw potatoes if frozen.
Thinly slice green onions. - Melt butter in a large bowl and then add the soup, sour cream, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper. Whisk together until smooth.
- Fold in diced potatoes, green onions, and sharp cheddar cheese. Place mixture into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Sprinkle with fried onions and top with aluminum foil. Cook for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10-15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
Notes
- I used plain Simply Potatoes Diced Potatoes, but you could also use the version with onions and peppers.
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Jen
Cheesy and flavorful!
Emily
Cheesy is right, glad you like it, Jen!
Kristi
My family requests this regularly!
Emily
I like how they think! 🙂
Pam
Turned out perfect!
Emily
YESSSS! Thanks for letting me know, Pam, I really appreciate you leaving a review!
Louise
This was a very easy recipe to make. I doubled everything and added about 8 slices of crispy bacon, crumbled. Made two good sized trays so it was perfect for a party of about 16-20 people. Tasted awesome and everyone loved it.
Emily
Hi Louise, LOVE the bacon addition, yum. Thank you so much for sharing your doubling amount too, so helpful!
Maren
These were really good! I had to make a few substitutions including cream of mushroom soup and diced potatoes with onions and peppers, but it still turned out great! Will definitely make again!
Emily
Hi Maren! I bet the peppers and onions added some great flavor, thanks for sharing!
Shelly
My family requests these potatoes!
Emily
Love hearing that!
Ann
Was a hit at our party, everyone loved them, and so easy to make.
Emily
YAY! Did you make a big pan of them? I should probably add instructions on how to do that, as I think they are big for parties and holidays. (Perfect too as you can assemble ahead.)
Tut
5 stars for these cheesy potatoes ~ our Easter dinner guests had seconds or thirds ~ so glad I planned to make a double batch! We’ll make these again, easy and so pleasing.
TyGuy86
I added two tablespoons of Dijon Mustard and it came out great! Ty!!!
Emily Dingmannn
Nice addition, thanks so much for sharing and leaving a review! 🙂