Learn how to make hash brown casserole with Corn Flakes, filled with cheesy shredded potatoes and a crispy topping. This quick and easy side dish recipe is perfect for breakfast, family dinner, or a holiday spread. Feed a crowd and watch them go back for seconds!
Back in the day, I remember many a church potluck where someone would bring the most flavorful hash brown casserole ever. That potato casserole with Corn Flakes was always one of my favorite things about potlucks!
Thumbing through my family cookbook, I realized my aunt added her recipe for cheesy hashbrown casserole. And let me tell you, this casserole brings back so many delicious memories.
Now some might call this funeral potatoes. My aunt calls it sour cream potatoes. I'm just calling it like it is… a cheesy hashbrown casserole.
What You'll Love about This Side Dish
- My goodness, how cheesy delicious it is.
- And easy to make too, kinda like my favorite mashed potato bar!
- I love using my slow cooker to make this casserole too. CrockPot funeral potatoes are the ultimate comfort food.
- It's the perfect cheesy potato casserole for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and that one Easter side dish everyone will love!
What Is Hash Brown Casserole Made Of?
Hash brown casserole is a potato dish that's very cheesy and has delicious flavor, thanks in part to the sour cream. But it also has a mix of ingredients like soup, onion, and butter that give it tremendous flavor, as well.
It's a side dish served at church potlucks, family get togethers, holiday dinners, and funerals too, hence the name funeral potatoes. Cracker Barrel even serves this delicious casserole on their menu.
Ingredients and Substitutions Notes:
- Frozen Hash Browns – Be sure to thaw them beforehand; just follow the instructions on the packaging, and allow ample time for thawing. You can use shredded or cubed hash browns, but I highly recommend shredded for the texture they give the casserole.
- Salted Butter
- Salt and Pepper
- Minced Garlic – You can either mince up garlic cloves or use already minced garlic found in most produce sections.
- Cream of Chicken Soup – You can also use cream of mushroom if you prefer, but it will change the flavor just a bit.
- Yellow Onion – While we prefer to use yellow onion for its less sweet flavor and to give a little kick to every bite, you can also use a sweet onion.
- Sour Cream – I recommend whole sour cream rather than low fat.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese – I actually prefer to use extra sharp cheddar cheese for added flavor (and it's usually what I have on hand).
- Corn Flakes
How to Make Hash Brown Casserole with Corn Flakes
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the hash browns, melted butter, salt, pepper, minced onion, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and shredded cheese.
- Spread the mixture in a greased 13×9 baking dish.
- In a smaller mixing bowl, mix together the slightly crushed Corn Flakes and melted butter.
- Sprinkle the Corn Flakes over the hash brown mixture in the baking dish.
- Bake uncovered at 350° F for about 1 hour.
And that's it! When it's done, it's ready to serve while warm.
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ's
To quickly crush the Corn Flakes, just put them in a quart sized plastic bag, and seal the bag, making sure there's no air left in it. Then just crush the cereal with your hands, or with a rolling pin. For this recipe, they just need to be slightly crushed, so no need to spend a lot of time on this.
Sadly, regular cream of chicken soup is NOT gluten-free. And you may want to watch which hash browns you use too, because some have a coating that makes them not gluten-free, as well. BUT there is hope for all of us gluten-free peeps. There are gluten-free hash browns; just read the labels on the packaging before purchasing. AND there are options for gluten-free cream of chicken soup, as well. So you can make this a gluten-free hash brown casserole if needed.
Yes, you can make this casserole the night before, the day before, etc. You can even freeze hash brown casserole. Just be sure to store it in an airtight container so it doesn't get freezer burn.
The answer is that you likely didn't thaw the hash browns beforehand. This is why it's so important to allow adequate time for thawing before mixing and baking.
What Goes with Corn Flake Casserole?
Potato casserole with Corn Flakes pairs well with these delicious side dish recipes:
- Cranberry Sauce with Orange Zest
- Jiffy Corn Casserole
- Honey Glazed Cooked Carrots
- Instant Pot Green Beans
- Homemade Dinner Rolls
More Potato Recipes You May Enjoy:
If you love this Corn Flake casserole, you'll love these side dishes too…
- Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
- Creamy Homemade Mashed Potatoes
- Baked Potato Bar with Toppings
- Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham Casserole
Join the Friendsgiving Virtual Potluck!
I've joined up with a bunch of blogger friends for a Friendsgiving Virtual Potluck! Be sure to check out the recipes below for wonderful Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving recipe and craft ideas!
AppetizersBaked Brie with Honey & Walnuts from Kelley of Mountain Mama Cooks
Reindeer Bacon Cheddar Cheese Ball from Julie of Julie Blanner
Salads
Sauteed Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad with Cranberries and Walnuts from Shashi of Savory Spin
Creamy Brussels Sprouts Salad from Faith of An Edible Mosaic
Main Dishes
Savory Vegetable Crisp from Bree of Baked Bree
Rosemary Lamb Steaks from Danyelle of The Cubicle Chick
Turkey Pot Pie from Kelly of Eat Picks
Side Dishes
Fried Brussels Sprouts from Erin of The Almond Eater
Cheesy Horseradish Mashed Potato Casserole from Renee of Kudos Kitchen by Renee
Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip from April of April Golightly
Cornbread Stuffing with Chorizo from Isabel of Isabel Eats
Bacon Brussels Sprouts from Kara of Kara J. Miller
Crockpot Sweet Potato Casserole from Jennifer of Show Me the Yummy
Amazing Gluten Free Thanksgiving Stuffing from Sommer of A Spicy Perspective
Pumpkin Caramelized Onion Gratin from Denise of Chez Us
Crockpot Mac & Cheese from Leanette Fernandez of Funtastic Life
Cheesy Brussels Sprouts au Gratin from Rachel Gurk of Rachel Cooks
Drinks
Spiced Pumpkin Margarita from Sharon of Cupcakes and Cutlery
Breads
Sourdough Pull Apart Rolls from Erica of Buttered Side Up
How to Make Homemade Butterhorn Rolls from Mel of Flour on My Fingers
Sweet Dinner Rolls from Jocelyn of Grandbaby Cakes
Parker House Rolls from Irvin of Eat the Love
Desserts
Sugar Pie from Julie of The Little Kitchen
Oatmeal Apple Crisp from Julie of Peanut Butter Fingers
Pumpkin Pie Milkshake from Eden of Sugar and Charm
Strudel Pastry from Justine of The Typical Mom
Tahini Hawaij Pumpkin Pie from Amy of What Jew Wanna Eat
Turkey Cookies from Meaghan of The Decorated Cookie
Mini Apple Pie Bites from Lynsey of MoscatoMom
Kabocha squash pie from Hilah of hilahcooking
Pecan Pie Cupcakes from Courtney of Pizzazzerie
Coconut Cream Pie from Schnelle of Brooklyn Active Mama
Chocolate chip cheesecake from Jeannette of Hispana Global
Chocolate Pecan Pie from Kate of I Heart Eating
Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes from Chelsea of Someday I'll Learn
Turkey Donut Race Cars For Thanksgiving Treats from Theresa of Chewable Structures
Crafts and Centerpieces
Cinnamon Stick Holiday Candle Place Setting from Alli of Made with HAPPY
Metallic Pumpkin Luminaries from Amy of As The Bunny Hops
Easy centerpiece that will stun + party favor from Noelle of Oh Happy Play
If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And subscribe to my email list too!
Hash Brown Casserole with Corn Flakes
Ingredients
- 30 ounces frozen hash browns thawed
- 1/2 cup salted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup yellow onion minced
- 10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup
- 1 pint sour cream
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
Corn Flake Topping:
- 2 cups Corn Flakes slightly crushed
- 1/4 cup salted butter melted
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350° F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the hash browns, melted butter, salt, pepper, minced garlic and onion, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and shredded cheese.
- Spread the mixture in a greased 9×13 baking dish.
- In a smaller mixing bowl, mix together the slightly crushed Corn Flakes and melted butter.
- Sprinkle the Corn Flakes over the hash brown mixture in the baking dish.
- Bake uncovered at 350° F for about 1 hour.
- Serve while warm.
Question! I have a thanksgiving potluck at work tomorrow! If I mix it all together tonight and put it in the pan, should I put it in the freezer or the refrigerator? I will be putting it in the oven first thing in the morning and then transferring it to a crockpot!
Samantha, I apologize for being so late on this, but it would be fine to just place it in the refrigerator overnight!
Made this again today and this time I used gluten free cream of mushroom soup, added bacon bits (real), garlic and herb seasoning and it was amazing! This recipe has not failed me yet!
I’m so glad you liked the recipe, Rene! Thank You for the awesome feedback.
Calm down, Molly. It’s not that serious.
I love this recipe! Easy peasy! I made it without the corn flake topping, I used panko breadcrumbs..
That’s a great idea!
I have made this several times and it is always delicious. I have two son-in-laws that are big eaters and it’s the first item they scoop up. I’ve made it with and without the Panko on top. I never know when the grandkids will want to try it.
I have made two small pans and froze one after I baked it.
That’s awesome, Donna! I’m so glad you like it.
wonderful recipes
Thank you!
If I freeze this, any ideas about how long I should cook it and at what temp?
Hailee, I would cook it as the recipe says. Once it’s cooked and cooled, it will store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Heavens! Is it too much skin off to just answer the man without forcing him to scroll through the volume of non/sense and ads equivalent to the Congressional Record ? Really!! Scroll it yourself looking for that elusive recipe card!! Get a grip. Is your purpose sharing recipes or trying to find people to jump thru your hoops? Make a penny or two if this guy follows your suggestion that he scroll more than he already has? Count me out and hopefully this guy too!
Molly, what’s so “elusive” about the recipe card? My purpose is sharing recipes. For the sake of efficiency, I shared the recipe in the recipe card, as I state in the post. If you’re commenting, you’ve already scrolled right past it. It’s not small, nor is it hard to see or read….It’s right at the bottom of the post in its own blue box. You can’t make this recipe without first reading the recipe card. Otherwise, you’re not following the recipe; you’d be making it up. It has way more info than just cooking time. I’m sorry if this is an inconvenience to you, but it’s just how I’m sharing my recipes at this moment in time. If the card is giving you trouble for any reason, e.g., not showing up, I’d be happy to help.
Just hit jump to recipe! You can skip the rest of her story!
Thank you for posting this! What do you think about using a combination of yellow onions and adding some fresh chives? Do think either/or, or reduce the yellow onion amount? Also what about using crushed potato chips for the topping? Interested to hear your feedback.
Stephanie, I think that’s a great idea. You could even use the chives as a garnish after baking. I would substitute the potato chips 1:1 for the corn flakes.
How long do I cook it in the slow cooker?
Cindy, I would follow this recipe to bake it in the slow cooker.
This is a fantastic breakfast! Would highly recommend 👍👍
Thanks so much, Gary!
Looks sooo good, Mel!!
Thank you so much, Julie!