Crock Pot Funeral Potatoes

Crock Pot Funeral Potatoes

Crock Pot Funeral Potatoes are creamy, cheesy, and topped with a crunchy layer of cornflakes and French fried onions. This easy slow cooker funeral potatoes recipe is a simple, crowd-pleasing side dish made with refrigerated hash browns, sour cream, cheese, and a few pantry staples. Just mix, dump, and let your slow cooker do the work!

Whether you’re making a holiday dinner, feeding your family on a busy weeknight, bringing a meal to a friend, or serving a crowd, these cheesy slow cooker potatoes are comfort food at its best.

What Are Funeral Potatoes?

Funeral potatoes are a classic comfort food, especially here in Utah, where they’re a staple at potlucks, holiday gatherings, family dinners, and funeral luncheons. The name comes from the tradition of friends, neighbors, and church members bringing comforting dishes to families who have lost a loved one.

You might also know this dish as cheesy potato casserole or cheesy hash brown casserole. Whatever you call it, it’s hard to go wrong with creamy potatoes, melted cheese, and a crispy topping!

Making funeral potatoes in the Crock Pot is an easy alternative to baking them in the oven. You get all the familiar cheesy goodness with less hands-on work and one less thing to worry about when you’re preparing a big meal.

Why You’ll Love These Slow Cooker Funeral Potatoes

There are so many reasons to keep this easy funeral potatoes recipe in your meal rotation:

• Easy prep: Simply mix the ingredients, add them to your slow cooker, and let it do the work.
• Creamy and cheesy: Tender hash browns combine with a rich, cheesy mixture for a comforting side dish.
• Crunchy topping: Cornflakes and French fried onions add a delicious contrast to the creamy potatoes.
• Perfect for a crowd: This recipe is great for potlucks, holiday meals, family gatherings, and church dinners.
• Minimal hands-on time: No peeling, shredding, or standing over the stove.
• Easy to customize: Add diced ham to turn these cheesy potatoes into a heartier meal.

Ingredients for Crock Pot Funeral Potatoes

One of my favorite shortcuts for this recipe is using refrigerated hash browns. They make these slow cooker funeral potatoes even easier to prepare!

• Refrigerated hash browns: Simply Potatoes hash browns are a convenient option because they’re fresh and ready to use. Look for them in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, usually near the eggs and dairy products.
• Cheese: Adds that classic cheesy flavor and creamy texture.
• Sour cream: Helps create the rich, creamy base.
• Creamy soup: Helps bind the ingredients together and gives the potatoes their comforting casserole texture.
• Seasonings: Bring everything together with extra flavor.
• Cornflakes: Create a crunchy topping that contrasts with the creamy potatoes.
• French fried onions: Add extra crunch and savory flavor to the top.

Use the exact ingredient amounts listed in the recipe card below for the best results.

How to Make Funeral Potatoes in the Crock Pot

One of the best things about this Crock Pot funeral potatoes recipe is how little work it takes. There’s no need to pre-cook the potatoes or assemble a complicated casserole.

1. Prepare the slow cooker. Spray the inside of your Crock Pot with nonstick cooking spray to help prevent sticking.
2. Mix the potato mixture. Stir together the hash browns and the remaining casserole ingredients until everything is evenly combined.
3. Add to the Crock Pot. Spread the potato mixture evenly in the prepared slow cooker.
4. Cook until hot and bubbly. Cover and cook on HIGH for about 4 hours, or until the potatoes are heated through and tender.
5. Add the crunchy topping. Sprinkle the cornflakes and French fried onions over the top.
6. Finish cooking. Cover and cook for another 30 minutes to warm the topping and finish the potatoes.
7. Serve and enjoy! Serve warm as a cheesy side dish with your favorite main course.

For an extra-crispy topping, transfer the potatoes to an oven-safe dish and briefly broil them, watching closely so the topping doesn’t burn.

Tips for the Best Slow Cooker Funeral Potatoes

A few simple tricks help make this easy potato casserole even better.

• Use refrigerated hash browns for convenience. They save you the work of peeling and shredding potatoes.
• Spray the slow cooker well. This makes serving and cleanup easier.
• Keep the crunchy topping until the end. Adding the cornflakes and French fried onions during the final 30 minutes helps preserve their texture.
• Reduce excess condensation. If your slow cooker manufacturer permits it, place a clean paper towel under the lid, keeping it securely away from the food and heating elements. The towel can absorb some condensation and help prevent a soggy topping. Replace it if it becomes saturated.
• Watch the cooking time. Slow cookers vary, so check the potatoes for tenderness and make sure the center is thoroughly heated before serving.

What to Serve with Crock Pot Funeral Potatoes

These cheesy potatoes pair well with so many main dishes, making them a versatile addition to your dinner table.

Try serving them with:

• Ham: A natural pairing for holiday dinners, Sunday suppers, or family gatherings.
• Roast beef: Serve alongside tender beef and roasted vegetables for a comforting meal.
• Slow cooker chicken: An easy way to create a hearty dinner without spending all evening in the kitchen.
• Grilled or baked chicken: Pair with a green salad or steamed vegetables for a simple weeknight meal.
• Turkey: Add these potatoes to your Thanksgiving or holiday menu.
• Pulled pork: The creamy potatoes balance the savory flavor of slow-cooked pork.

You can also stir diced cooked ham into the potato mixture before cooking to turn this side dish into a more filling meal.

Can You Make Funeral Potatoes Ahead of Time?

Yes! You can mix the creamy potato ingredients ahead of time and refrigerate them until you’re ready to cook. Keep the mixture covered and chilled, and add it to the slow cooker when you’re ready to start cooking.

For food safety and more even cooking, avoid putting a very cold ceramic slow cooker insert directly into a preheated environment, and follow your slow cooker’s manufacturer instructions for refrigerated ingredients and cooking times.

For the best texture, wait to add the cornflake and French fried onion topping until the final 30 minutes of cooking.

How to Store and Reheat Leftover Funeral Potatoes

If you have leftovers, these cheesy potatoes are easy to save for another meal.

• Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator within 2 hours of cooking.
• Reheat: Warm individual portions in the microwave or reheat a larger portion in an oven-safe dish until heated through.
• Keep in mind: The crunchy topping will soften as the potatoes sit. A quick trip under the broiler can help restore some of that crisp texture.

For food safety, refrigerate leftovers promptly and use them within 3 to 4 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you cook funeral potatoes in a slow cooker?

Absolutely! The slow cooker is a convenient way to make funeral potatoes, especially when you’re preparing other dishes for a holiday meal or potluck. Cook the potato mixture on HIGH for about 4 hours, then add the crunchy topping and cook for another 30 minutes.

Are funeral potatoes the same as cheesy potato casserole?

Yes, they’re very similar. Funeral potatoes are a type of cheesy potato casserole traditionally served at gatherings and funeral luncheons, particularly in Utah and surrounding areas. Names and ingredient variations differ from family to family.

Can I add ham to funeral potatoes?

Yes! Diced cooked ham is a delicious addition. Stir it into the potato mixture before cooking to make the dish heartier and turn it into an easy slow cooker meal.

How do I keep the topping crunchy?

Add the cornflakes and French fried onions toward the end of cooking rather than at the beginning. For an even crispier finish, briefly broil the potatoes in an oven-safe dish.

Easy Crock Pot Funeral Potatoes for Any Occasion

If you need an easy, cheesy side dish that feeds a family or a crowd, these Crock Pot Funeral Potatoes are a great choice. They’re creamy, comforting, simple to prepare, and topped with just the right amount of crunch.

I love recipes like this because they make getting a meal on the table a little easier. Mix everything together, let the slow cooker do the work, and spend your time on the people and things that matter most.

Serve these slow cooker funeral potatoes at your next holiday dinner, potluck, or family meal, and don’t be surprised when everyone asks for the recipe!

Crock Pot Funeral Potatoes

Creamy, cheesy, slow cooked potatoes, perfect for feeding a family or a crowd.

5 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cheesy, crock pot, funeral potatoes

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours hours

Total Time: 4 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 196kcal

Author: Rachael

Equipment

slow cooker

Vegetable Chopper

Spatula Set

Ingredients

Potatoe Mixture

• 1 Package Simply Potatoes hashbrowns
• 1 10.5 ounce Can of Cream of Chicken Soup
• 3/4 cup Sour cream
• 3/4 cup Shredded cheese
• 1 Small onion chopped small
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
• Green onions Garnish

Topper

• 3/4 cup French Fried Onions
• 3/4 cup Corn Flakes

Instructions

• Mix together Simply Potatoes hashbrowns, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cheese, chopped onions, and salt and pepper.
• Spray a 6-8 quart Crockpot with cooking spray
• Dump potatoes into crock pot, and using a spatula, smooth the potatoes out.
• Put lid on, and cook on high heat for 4 hours.
• Mix together French fried onions and Corn Flakes, and sprinkle them over the top. Cook 20-30 more minutes
• Broil for 2-3 minutes in an oven to crisp up top (optional)
• Garnish with chopped green onion.

Nutrition

Calories: 196kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 375mg | Potassium: 412mg | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 555IU | Vitamin C: 2.4mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 1.2mg

Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.

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