Cheesy Potato Casserole (Also known as Funeral Potatoes and Party Potatoes) is the perfect holiday side dish! This cheesy hashbrown casserole is so easy to make and perfect for making make ahead freezer meals. Cheesy potato casserole is full of melted cheese and frozen cubed hashbrown potatoes that is always a winner at our dinner table!

Cheesy Potato Casserole

I have been making this Cheesy Potato Casserole for years as a part of our holiday meals for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. I originally shared this recipe back in 2012 and realized recently that it had no photos. With the holidays coming up I thought it was the perfect time to fix up the post and add some photos so you can enjoy this amazing potato casserole at your holiday dinner table this year.

Casserole are a favorite in my house because they are so easy to make and they are filling. I love making me chicken and potato casserole and my loaded chicken and potato casserole for dinners. When I can make a casserole dish as a side dish for a holiday dinner it is my favorite way to go. This cheesy potato casserole is my favorite side dish to make for our holiday dinners.

Easy Funeral Potatoes

When I was talking to a friend of mine about our holiday meal plans and I told her about this potato casserole using frozen cubed potatoes she told me that in her house they call these funeral potatoes.

My friend told me a friend of hers calls them Party Potatoes. I like the name party potatoes much better then calling them funeral potatoes but it is what it is and I will stick to calling them cheesy potato casserole and I don’t think it really matters what you call them because they taste amazing and are easy to make and that is the most important part.

Looking for more holiday side dish recipes? Check these out!

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party potatoes in a dish with a plate of potatoes next to it

What are funeral potatoes?

Since my friend told me she calls this dish funeral potatoes I had to go and research why because it sounded like a totally weird name for a dish. However I learned they are called funeral potatoes because cheesy potatoes are a popular dish that is made for a lunch after a funeral. This dish will serve a large amount of people as a side dish.

Variations of this recipe

Toppings. I know many people say to put corn flakes on top, however I have found a topping that is even better. Ritz crackers! If you don’t have Ritz crackers on hand then just about any cracker will do but I much prefer using Ritz. You can also use panko breadcrumbs.

Soup. I use cream of chicken soup for my potato casserole, but you can also use cream of celery or cream of mushroom soup.

Potatoes. I prefer to use frozen cubed potatoes, you can change them out for shredded frozen potatoes if you want to.

Cheese. Yellow cheddar cheese is my favorite to use but you can also use white cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese or even pepper jack cheese.

Can you make Party Potatoes ahead of time?

Yes! If you are wanting to plan ahead you can totally make this dish ahead of time. If you want to make these party potatoes ahead of time follow the recipe in full until adding the butter and crackers. Cover the baking pan with foil and store in the fridge for up to 2 days before baking. Add the crackers and butter right before placing them in the oven and bake per the directions.

Can you freeze potato casserole?

Yes! Cheesy potato casserole is easy to freeze, I suggest using a tin foil baking pan to make your life easier. When making cheesy potato casserole to put in the freezer follow the recipe in full until adding the butter and crackers. Cover the baking pan with foil and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Before baking, remove the dish from the freezer the night before you want to make them so the party potatoes can thaw. Before putting the potatoes in the oven, add the crushed crackers and butter right before placing them in the oven and bake per the directions.

How to Store Funeral Potatoes?

If you have any left over potatoes just store them in the baking dish with tinfoil or plastic wrap on top or in an airtight container. They will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

How do you make funeral potatoes for 50+ people?

If you are planning on serving a large crowd then this funeral potatoes recipe is perfect, just triple this recipe.

Can I make this recipe for less people?

This recipe makes a large pan of potato casserole, if you are wanting to make it for a weeknight dinner recipe you can cut the recipe in half or you can make the full recipe and then split it between 2 pans. Cook one for dinner and pop the other in the freezer to enjoy at a later time.

Funeral Potatoes on a plate on the counter

What to serve with Funeral potatoes?

If you are wanting to make funeral potatoes as a side dish to a main dish that is not a holiday meal there are lots of other main dishes that go well with this easy potato casserole.

Cheesy Potato Casserole Ingredients

Cubed Frozen Hashbrown Potatoes
Cream of chicken soup (cream of celery will work too)
Sour cream
Sharp cheddar cheese
Onion cut up fine
Ritz crackers
Butter

How to make Cheesy Potato Casserole

Preheat oven to 375.

Dice the onion and add to a large mixing bowl.

funeral potato ingredients in a mixing bowl

Add the Cubed Frozen Hashbrown Potatoes, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese to the onion and mix well.

Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray.

Pour the potato mixture into the baking dish and smooth out until evenly distributed.

Randomly place the pieces of butter on top of the potato mixture.

Place the crackers in a ziplock bag and seal shut, using a spoon smash the crackers into tiny pieces.

Sprinkle remaining shredded cheddar cheese on top.

Sprinkle smashed crackers on top of the cheese.

Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes, remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Easy Casserole Recipes

Make The Holiday Easier!