Easy Funeral Potatoes with Buttery Ritz Cracker Topping
These easy funeral potatoes are creamy, cheesy, and topped with buttery Ritz crackers. A classic comfort-food casserole for potlucks and family dinners.
There are some recipes that just feel like they belong in a church fellowship hall, and funeral potatoes are certainly one of them. Creamy, cheesy, comforting, and made to feed a crowd, this old-fashioned hash brown casserole has been showing up at gatherings for generations.
Despite the slightly somber name, funeral potatoes aren't reserved for funerals. They're the sort of casserole people bring to church potlucks, holiday dinners, family reunions, and just about any occasion where a big pan of cheesy potatoes might be welcome. And let's face it: when aren't cheesy potatoes welcome?
If you love the old-fashioned dishes that have been passed around church fellowship halls and family tables for decades, be sure to check out our Church Potluck Recipes, Southern Recipes, and Vintage Recipes Grandma Used to Make collections. Funeral potatoes fit right in with all three.
What Are Funeral Potatoes?
Funeral potatoes are a creamy, cheesy potato casserole traditionally made with frozen hash brown potatoes, condensed cream soup, sour cream, cheese, and butter. They're usually finished with a crunchy topping such as cornflakes, potato chips, breadcrumbs, or buttery crackers.
They're especially associated with funeral luncheons and gatherings where friends, neighbors, and church members provide food for a grieving family. Over time, the casserole became known as “funeral potatoes,” but you'll find essentially the same dish served at everything from Easter dinner to Christmas lunch.
Think of them as the ultimate cheesy hash brown casserole—simple ingredients transformed into something warm, rich, and wonderfully comforting.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
This is one of those dependable recipes every home cook needs. It uses inexpensive grocery-store ingredients, can be assembled ahead of time, feeds a crowd, and pairs with almost any meat you can think of.
I'm using buttery Ritz crackers for the topping instead of the traditional cornflakes. They give the casserole a salty, buttery crunch that should be especially delicious against the creamy potatoes underneath.
And perhaps best of all, you can put the entire casserole together the night before. Just leave off the cracker topping, refrigerate the potatoes overnight, and add the freshly crushed buttery crackers right before baking.
Ingredients
You'll find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here's what you'll need to make these easy funeral potatoes. These are simple ingredients available at any grocery store.
- 1 bag (30–32 ounces) frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
- 2 cans (10.5 ounces each) condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- ½ cup finely diced onion, optional
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
For the Ritz Cracker Topping
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
- ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) butter, melted
A printable recipe card with complete instructions can be found at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Funeral Potatoes
Start by thawing the frozen hash browns. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and set it aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the condensed cream of chicken soup, sour cream, ¼ cup melted butter, diced onion, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt. Stir until smooth.
Add the shredded cheddar cheese and mix well.
Fold in the thawed hash browns until all of the potatoes are coated in the creamy cheese mixture.
Transfer the potatoes to the prepared baking dish and spread them into an even layer.
Crush the Ritz crackers and combine them with the remaining ¼ cup melted butter.
Scatter the buttery cracker crumbs evenly over the potatoes.
Bake at 350°F for approximately 45–55 minutes, or until the casserole is hot and bubbly and the cracker topping is beautifully golden.
Allow the casserole to rest for about 5–10 minutes before serving.
Make-Ahead Funeral Potatoes
One of the best things about this recipe is that you can assemble it ahead of time. Here's how you're going to do it:
Prepare the potato mixture and spread it into your greased baking dish. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. Do not add the Ritz cracker topping yet. The crackers will absorb moisture in the refrigerator and lose that wonderful crunch.
When you're ready to bake, remove the casserole from the refrigerator while the oven preheats to 350°F. Crush the Ritz crackers, toss them with melted butter, and scatter them over the top.
Because the casserole is starting cold, allow approximately 50–60 minutes for baking. If the cracker topping begins browning too quickly, loosely cover the casserole with foil for the remainder of the baking time.
What to Expect from These Funeral Potatoes
First, let me add my thoughts about how easy this one is. Wow! It's another one of those dump-and-go meals and I think we've already established just how fond we are of those, here at Backyard Texas Grill.
These potatoes are a fantastic way to feed a crowd. Best of all, they're delicious. They're creamy, and loaded with flavor from the cheese, cream of chicken soup, and those amazing Ritz crackers on top.
If you're looking for a one-pot casserole that's creamy without being soupy, cheesy without completely overwhelming the potatoes, and topped with a crisp, buttery layer of cracker crumbs. . . well, you've come to the right place.
What to Serve with Funeral Potatoes
Funeral potatoes are rich and creamy, which makes them a natural partner for simple, savory meats. And you know we have those in spades here at Backyard Texas Grill.
Whether you're smoking your meat today, baking it in the oven, or frying it in a skillet, these potatoes are going to be the perfect side dish. They're particularly good with ham, brisket, chicken, meatloaf, or steak.
For a true Southern comfort-food supper, try serving them alongside our Grandma's Southern Meatloaf. They would also be terrific with pulled pork, smoked chicken, grilled pork chops, or your favorite barbecue.
And if you happen to love Chicken-Fried Chicken with Cream Gravy I'm thinking we've found its potato. These cheesy potatoes, crispy chicken, cream gravy, and a simple green vegetable would make one heck of a comfort-food plate.
More Potato Recipes from Backyard Texas Grill
If potatoes are your love language, we've got plenty more where these came from.
Try our Rustic Mashed Potatoes when you want a simple, old-fashioned side dish, or dress things up with Loaded Mashed Potatoes packed with sour cream, cheddar, and bacon.
For something crispier, our Cast Iron Ranch Potatoes make a terrific side for burgers, barbecue, grilled meats, and sandwiches.
A Recipe Made for Sharing
There's a reason dishes like funeral potatoes have survived for generations. They're inexpensive, uncomplicated, easy to transport, and capable of feeding a lot of people.
More importantly, casseroles like this have long been one of the ways we take care of each other.
When a family is grieving, recovering from an illness, welcoming a new baby, or simply going through a difficult season, sometimes the most useful thing you can do is show up with dinner. A pan of cheesy potatoes might seem like a small gesture, but it means someone doesn't have to think about what they're going to feed everybody that night.
That's the heart behind so many of the recipes you'll find in our Church Potluck Recipes collection. You'll also find more old-fashioned favorites in our Vintage Recipes Grandma Used to Make and plenty of down-home dishes in our Southern Recipes collection.
Variations
Once you've made the classic version, there are plenty of ways to change things up.
You can substitute cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup for the cream of chicken soup. Try another cheese or combine cheddar with Monterey Jack. For the topping, traditional crushed cornflakes work beautifully, as do potato chips or breadcrumbs.
You could also add diced ham or cooked bacon, although at that point you're moving away from the classic side dish and toward a main-dish casserole.
For this version, I'm keeping things simple: potatoes, cheese, creamy sauce, and buttery Ritz crackers.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover funeral potatoes tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.
Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave, although the Ritz topping will soften. For a crisper topping, reheat the casserole in the oven until warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
The name comes from the casserole's association with meals served to grieving families and at post-funeral gatherings. It's an inexpensive, comforting dish that feeds a crowd and can easily be transported.
They're very similar. Both typically contain frozen hash browns, condensed soup, sour cream, cheese, and butter. Funeral potatoes are particularly known for having a crunchy topping.
For this recipe, yes. Thawing the potatoes helps the casserole cook evenly and makes it easier to combine them with the creamy ingredients.
Absolutely. Assemble the potato portion, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Wait until immediately before baking to add the buttery Ritz cracker topping.
Yes. The texture will be different, but frozen diced potatoes can be used in a similar casserole.
Crushed cornflakes are one of the most traditional options. You could also use potato chips, breadcrumbs, or another buttery cracker.
Yes. For best results, freeze the assembled casserole without the crunchy topping. Thaw it in the refrigerator before baking, then add the cracker topping just before it goes into the oven.
Ham is a classic choice, but they're also delicious with meatloaf, chicken, pork chops, brisket, pulled pork, steak, or other grilled and smoked meats.
Not at all! They're popular for church potlucks, family reunions, holidays, Sunday dinners, and other gatherings. They're simply a classic cheesy potato casserole with a memorable name.
Final Thoughts
Funeral potatoes might have a peculiar name, but there's nothing complicated about why they've remained popular for so long. They're warm, cheesy, filling, easy to make, and designed for sharing.
Whether you're taking a casserole to someone who needs a little looking after, heading to a church potluck, or simply putting Sunday dinner on the table, this is the kind of old-fashioned comfort food that always seems to have a place.
And that buttery Ritz cracker topping certainly doesn't hurt.
Thanks for Stopping By
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Funeral Potatoes
These classic Funeral Potatoes are creamy, cheesy, and loaded with tender hash browns, then finished with a buttery Ritz cracker topping. This easy old-fashioned casserole is perfect for church potlucks, holiday dinners, family gatherings, or anytime you're craving serious comfort food.
Ingredients
- 1 bag (30–32 ounces) frozen hash browns, thawed
- 2 (10.5 oz) cups condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Salt to taste
