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Scooping out a spoonful of cheesy funeral potatoes

Cheesy Funeral Potatoes {Au Gratin Potatoes}

Yield: 8 Servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

Potatoes:

  • 3 tablespoons salted butter
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon if you want more thyme flavor
  • 2 cups (228 g) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 5-6 large russet potatoes, peeled, cooked and shredded or small diced or a 26-ounce bag frozen shredded hash browns (see note)
  • ½ cup (113 g) light or regular sour cream

Topping:

  • 3 cups (106 g) cornflakes, lightly crushed
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  • Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until the onion is softened and translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about a minute. Combine the chicken broth and milk in a liquid measure and slowly whisk in the mixture. Stir in the salt, pepper and thyme. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
  • Take the pot off the heat and stir in the cheese until smooth. Add the sour cream and mix until combined.
  • Mix in the frozen hash browns or cooked and shredded potatoes, lifting and folding the mixture until well combined.
  • In a medium bowl, toss the lightly crushed cornflakes with the butter until evenly combined.
  • Evenly spread the potatoes into the prepared 9X13-inch baking dish and top with the buttered cornflakes.
  • Bake for 40-45 minutes, until hot and bubbly around the edges. If baking the potatoes with a ham (my ham recipe bakes at 300 degrees), bake the potatoes for 90 minutes at 300 degrees then crank the oven to 400 degrees and bake the potatoes for 10 minutes more.
  • Let the potatoes rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Potatoes: My preference is to use cooked potatoes for this, but frozen hash browns definitely work in a pinch. As noted in the ingredients, I use 5-6 medium russet potatoes (about 30 ounces). I peel them, boil them (the Instant Pot makes quick work of this; high pressure for a 4-ish minutes with enough water/broth), drain, and let them cool completely (if I have time to chill them, even better, as it makes shredding or dicing so much easier without them falling apart). 
Make ahead: these potatoes do very well being made ahead of time. I often make them 1-2 days ahead of time, covering and refrigerating (storing the cornflake topping separately in a bag). If chilled, I bake the potatoes, covered with foil, for 15-20 minutes, then uncover, top with the cornflake mixture and bake for another 30-35 minutes until hot and bubbly. I have not tried freezing them, but I believe many in the comments have done so (read through for their experiences).