Sides / Potatoes & sweet potatoes
Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole with a From-Scratch Sauce
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Wrapped in a dish towel, riding on a lap in the back seat, this one arrives still bubbling. Sharp cheddar, sour cream, a quick homemade sauce, and a buttered cornflake top that crunches. Bring a big spoon.
The short version
Thaw and blot a bag of diced hash browns, make a quick sauce of butter, onion, flour, stock and milk, stir in sour cream and cheddar, fold in the potatoes, and top with buttered cornflakes. Bake in a 13×9 at 350°F for 45 to 55 minutes, about 1¼ hours in all. Dry the potatoes well.
What makes ours better
why ours wins the argument at dinner
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Make the sauce from scratch. Canned cream soup is salty, gluey and tastes faintly of the can. Butter, flour, stock and milk take ten minutes on the stove and give a creamy sauce that tastes of onion and cheese, holds up when you reheat it, and lets you control the salt.
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Thaw the hash browns and blot them dry. Frozen potatoes carry ice crystals that melt into the sauce and thin it out. Thawed and patted dry, they stay creamy-coated instead of sitting in a watery puddle.
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Sharp cheddar shredded from the block. Sharp cheddar has enough bite to stand up to all that potato and sour cream, and freshly shredded cheese melts smoothly where bagged shreds, coated in anti-caking starch, turn grainy.
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Toss the cornflakes in butter. Buttered flakes bake into a crunchy, golden lid that stays crisp. Dry ones just toast and fall off the spoon.
What you need
the stars of the show
- Frozen diced hash brown potatoes32 ounces
- Unsalted butter4 tablespoons
- Yellow onion1 medium
- All-purpose flour¼ cup
- Low-sodium chicken stock1 cup
- Sour cream1½ cups
- Sharp cheddar2½ cups
- Cornflakes2 cups
Casserole
Topping
yes, all of the butter
Steps
go slow. the good part can’t be rushed.
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Thaw and dry the potatoes
Thaw the hash browns overnight in the fridge or on the counter for about 2 hours. Spread them on a towel-lined sheet pan and blot the tops with more towels until they feel dry to the touch.
Partly frozen is fine, but blot off any ice. Water is what makes this casserole soupy.
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Heat the oven
Heat the oven to 350°F and butter a 13×9-inch baking dish.
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Cook the onion
Melt the 4 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring now and then, until soft and translucent, 5 to 6 minutes.
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Make the sauce
Sprinkle the flour over the onion and stir for 1 minute, until it smells toasty but hasn't browned. Slowly pour in the stock, whisking, then the milk. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking often, until the sauce coats a spoon thickly, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper and garlic powder and take the pan off the heat.
Add the liquid gradually and keep whisking, and you won't get lumps.
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Add the cheese and sour cream
Let the sauce cool for 5 minutes, then stir in the sour cream and 2 cups of the cheddar until smooth. Taste; it should be well seasoned, since the potatoes add none of their own.
Sour cream added to a boiling sauce can curdle. A few minutes off the heat prevents it.
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Fold in the potatoes
Add the hash browns to the pan, or tip everything into a large bowl, and fold until every piece is coated. Spread evenly in the buttered dish and scatter the remaining ½ cup of cheddar on top.
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Top with cornflakes
Toss the crushed cornflakes with the melted butter until evenly coated and sprinkle them over the cheese.
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Bake and rest
Bake at 350°F until the edges are bubbling, the topping is deep golden, and a knife in the center comes out hot, 45 to 55 minutes. Let it rest 10 minutes so the sauce settles before you scoop.
About 45 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
Good to know
things I learned the hard way, so you can skip that part
- Shredded frozen hash browns work too; the casserole bakes up softer and more uniform. Squeeze them dry in a towel after thawing.
- Make ahead: assemble without the topping, cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. Add the buttered cornflakes right before baking and add 10 to 15 minutes to the bake.
- Topping swaps: crushed butter crackers, kettle potato chips or panko, tossed with the same butter. For gluten-free, use gluten-free flour and a gluten-free corn cereal or chips.
- Use vegetable stock to make it vegetarian. For a smaller batch, halve everything and bake in an 8-inch square dish for 35 to 45 minutes.
- Storage. Refrigerated, covered, 4 days. Freezes baked for 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat covered at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, uncovering for the last 10 to re-crisp the top.
Questions, answered
asked and answered at the kitchen counter
Why are they called funeral potatoes?
Because they're the casserole people bring to the gathering after a funeral, especially in Utah and across the Midwest. It's easy to make in quantity, travels well and comforts everybody.
Can I make hash brown casserole without canned soup?
Yes, that's how this one works. A quick sauce of butter, flour, stock and milk takes about 10 minutes and tastes better than the can.
Do I have to thaw the hash browns?
Yes. Frozen potatoes release water as they bake, which thins the sauce and keeps the center cold longer. Thaw them and blot them dry.
Can I make hash brown casserole the night before?
Yes. Assemble it without the topping and refrigerate it covered. Add the buttered cornflakes right before it goes in the oven and bake 10 to 15 minutes longer.
Why is my hash brown casserole watery?
Wet or still-frozen potatoes, almost every time. Blot them well after thawing, and make sure the sauce has simmered until it's thick before the cheese goes in.
From the table
Made it? Tell me everything. Especially if somebody said it was better than their mother’s. I’ll keep your secret.
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Published October 26, 2026.