Cheesy Potatoes with Corn Flakes is a classic potato casserole side dish with diced hash brown potatoes baked in a cheesy, creamy sauce. It's a family-friendly potato recipe with a crunchy, buttery topping made with corn flakes. Oh, and it's incredibly easy to make too.
Enjoy with No Ketchup Meatloaf for dinner, Green Chile Egg Casserole, or Cougar Gold Cheeses Quiche for breakfast or brunch.
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⭐ Why You'll Love Cheesy Potatoes
This potato casserole, much like Twice-Baked Mashed Potatoes, is delicious and comforting for any occasion, even holidays!
Cheesy Potatoes with Corn Flakes might remind you of a popular comfort food side dish known as "funeral potatoes," which is a potato casserole recipe that got its name because someone, somewhere must have noticed it was often enjoyed at post-funeral meals, especially in the West and Midwest. Somehow, the name just stuck.
It's easy to make. There's no slicing or dicing the potatoes or onions. This recipe starts with frozen, diced hash brown potatoes and dried onion flakes.
This potato side dish is incredibly versatile and I've found it especially complements chicken recipes. Yum. Try it with everything from Crusted Chicken Romano and Buttermilk Chicken Tenders to Chicken and Stuffing Casserole.
🧀 Ingredients to Have on Hand
Frozen Hash Browns: Use any variety of hash browns that you prefer. Diced or shredded work just fine.
Cream of Chicken Soup: This adds such creamy richness to the sauce that coats the hash browns. Just remember, not to add any water to the soup. Spoon it out from the can and it's good to go.
Cheddar Cheese: Mix and match any type of cheese that your family enjoys. Cheddar is classic in potato casserole.
Corn Flakes: You can use boxed, crushed corn flakes from the cereal aisle in the grocery store or corn flake crumbs located near the grocery store's baking ingredients. Either option will add that buttery, slightly sweet flavor of corn flakes.
Scroll to the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
🥔 Substitutions for Cheesy Potatoes
There are lots of great ways to spice up Cheesy Potatoes or make this potato casserole recipe your own by adding extra ingredients your family enjoys.
Diced Veggies: Chop a bell pepper, any variety or color, a cup of diced green beans or broccoli and add it to your ingredients before baking. The fresh vegetables will add extra flavor and texture.
Potatoes O'Brien with Onions & Peppers: Swap plain, frozen hash browns for Potatoes O'Brien, a variety of hash browns that include onions and peppers. You may want to cut back on the dried onions that the recipe calls for. Reduce those to about ¼ cup instead of ½ cup so it's not too oniony.
Panko Crumbs: Replace corn flake crumbs with panko crumbs, which are a sturdy and very crunchy breading. Just be sure to add the melted butter.
Crushed Potato Chips: If you swap the corn flake crumbs for crushed potato chips, you can leave out the melted butter. Potato chips have plenty of oil.
📋 How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Grate ½ cup of Cheddar Cheese and set it aside. (Photo #1)
Step 2: Melt the butter in a 2-cup glass measuring cup and pour ¼ cup of the butter into a smaller bowl. We'll use the reserved ¼ cup butter to mix with the corn flake crumbs to make that delicious, crunchy topping. (Photo #2)
Step 3: Place the frozen hash browns in a large bowl. (Photo #3)
Step 4: Add the Cream of Chicken Soup, dried onion flakes, sour cream, grated Cheddar Cheese and melted butter. (Photo #4)
Step 5: Place the blended ingredients into a 13" x 9" baking dish and spread out evenly. (Photo #5)
Step 6: In the small bowl with the reserved ¼ cup of melted butter, add the corn flake crumbs and stir to create a buttery, crumbly topping. (Photo #6)
Pro Tip: You can make corn flake crumbs using boxed Corn Flakes, the breakfast cereal, instead of buying Corn Flake Crumbs. Measure 1 ½ cups of the cereal into a zipped-top plastic bag, close the top and use a rolling pin or bottle to crush the flakes. Blend with butter and top the potatoes as directed in the recipe. The topping is very crunchy this way, but it's my family's favorite.
Step 7: Spread the corn flake crumb topping across the top of the potato ingredients in the baking dish. (Photo #7)
Step 8: Use a spoon to create an even layer of the crumb topping across the top of the potato casserole. (Photo #8) Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for an hour.
💭 Recipe FAQs
While the name may sound a bit somber, it refers to a consistently delicious potato side dish that is often served at family gatherings.
The recipe can vary slightly depending on where you live or your family's preferences. But the ingredients almost always include hash brown potatoes, a cheesy and creamy sauce and a buttery, crunchy topping. The ultimate potato casserole.
Yes. I've made this recipe with unsalted butter and it's very tasty, plus lower in sodium. Keep in mind that salted butter adds great flavor, which is why I recommend using it.
Sure can! Assemble it following the recipe then cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. This is especially helpful when I serve this for breakfast or brunch. Let the dish sit at room temperature on the kitchen counter for about 30 minutes before baking.
Yes, replace the 2-pound bag of frozen, diced potatoes with 2 pounds of peeled, sliced Russet potatoes. The result will likely remind you of a classic au gratin potato recipe.
🥘 What to Serve with Cheesy Potatoes
Cheesy Potatoes with Corn Flakes is a hearty and comforting side dish that goes well with a wide variety of main dishes, other side dishes and various meals. You can serve this any time of day!
Chicken: As I mentioned earlier in this recipe post, these potatoes go great with chicken. Pick your favorite savory and delicious chicken recipe and enjoy!
Pork or Ham: The sweet and slightly salty flavor of ham complements the creamy and cheesy potatoes. As an option, go with the smoky flavor of pulled pork and your favorite BBQ sauce.
Vegetables: Whether grilled or oven-roasted, a serving of veggies adds wonderful flavor and great texture. Mix and match everything from carrots to asparagus, broccoli or balsamic-glazed Brussels sprouts.
Other Sides: For a holiday-inspired meal, stick with a casserole theme and serve your potatoes alongside Elegant Green Bean Casserole and Orange-Spiced Sweet Potato Casserole.
Soup: A cozy soup is a delicious match for a potato casserole. Homemade Tomato Basil Soup goes great with these potatoes on the side with a salad.
🥣 Leftovers and Storage
Store leftovers covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They'll stay fresh and delicious for 3-4 days.
Pro Tip: To reheat leftovers, sprinkle a few teaspoons of water across the top of Chessy Potatoes after removing the dish from the refrigerator. The added moisture will help soften the potatoes as they reheat. Either cover the dish with foil and bake at 325°F for 20-30 minutes or cover the baking dish with waxed paper and microwave for 5 minutes at half power, or until heated through.
To freeze, assemble the potato casserole according to the recipe in a freezer-safe baking dish. Cover with two layers of foil and seal tightly. When you are ready to bake, remove the dish from the freezer one day in advance and let it defrost in the refrigerator. Keep in mind the baking time may be slightly longer since all of the ingredients will be fully chilled.
🥔 Other Recipes with Potatoes
Cheesy Potatoes with Corn Flakes include frozen, diced hash browns. But if the recipe has you in the mood to cook with fresh potatoes - and as an Idaho food blogger I hope it does - here are a few more recipes you will enjoy!
If you tried Cheesy Potatoes with Corn Flakes or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below.
Recipe
Lathiya says
My family loves potato..I can't wait to try this casserole. Will let you know how it turned out.
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
I bet your family will enjoy this, keep me posted. 🙂
jcp says
I grew up eating something very similar. thank you for posting this recipe! I really liked using the cubed hashbrowns.
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
I'm glad you enjoyed these country potatoes! I agree, the diced hash browns are a winner.
DK says
I haven't heard of Country Potatoes before, but looking at this recipe, it looks delicious! As a fan of hash browns and cheese, this dish hits the spot for me!
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
Glad to hear it! This recipe is classic comfort food. 🙂 I'm a big fan of hash browns too.
Jacqueline Debono says
This is such an easy recipe to make and I love how it goes well with so main kinds of meat. I would like to serve it with ham as you suggest!
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
That's one of my favorite ways to serve this potato casserole, with ham. Enjoy!
nancy says
We made this over the weekend and it was an instant hit. Everyone loved this potato casserole and its crispy topping!
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
Thanks for the five star rating Nancy! I'm glad you enjoyed it. The crunchy, buttery topping is a favorite of mine too.