So what’s funeral chicken and potato casserole? Take those cheesy funeral potatoes everybody’s aunt makes, stir a few cups of shredded chicken in there, and suddenly the side dish is dinner. Underneath it’s hash browns in a creamy cheddar sauce. On top, buttery cornflakes that go all crunchy. My 9×13 pan feeds 10, maybe 12 if people behave, and it’s in the oven about 50 minutes at 350°F (175°C).
The first time I ate one was in a church basement after a service for my friend’s grandma. Paper plates, everyone a bit quiet, and this pan going empty faster than anything else on the table. Somebody’s aunt made it. I went home and figured out my own the next week.
It’s having a big moment right now too. Google Trends showed searches for “funeral chicken and potato casserole” up about 800% over the week ending November 3, 2026. Makes sense, it’s casserole season, Thanksgiving is November 26, and this one travels really well.
Quick Facts
- Serves: 10 to 12 (one 9×13-inch pan)
- Total time: about 1 hour 20 minutes (20 prep, 50 bake, 10 rest)
- Skill level: easy, mostly stirring
- Key ingredients: frozen shredded hash browns, cooked chicken, sour cream, sharp cheddar, cornflakes
- Make ahead: yes, assemble up to 1 day ahead or freeze it unbaked
If somebody you know is going through a hard week, honestly, this is the pan to bring.
What Is Funeral Chicken and Potato Casserole?
Start with funeral potatoes. They’re a cheesy hash brown bake with a crunchy cornflake top, and they come out of Utah, where Latter-day Saint Relief Society groups have been bringing them to funeral luncheons for generations. The funeral potatoes page on Wikipedia lists a bunch of other names too, like party potatoes in Iowa, or Texas potatoes. Kinda depends where your family’s from.
Toss in chicken and boom, it’s a meal. You still get the gooey potatoes, there’s just enough protein now that all you’d add is maybe a salad. That’s why people bring it to grieving families, new parents, neighbors after surgery. One pan, done.
The name sounds a little grim, I know. But nobody’s sad when this comes out of the oven, trust me.
Ingredients for Funeral Potatoes With Chicken
Most recipes go straight to two cans of cream of chicken soup. That works fine and I’ll tell you how below. But I make a quick homemade sauce with butter, flour, broth and milk. Takes about 8 minutes and the casserole tastes less salty and more, I don’t know, like actual food.
For the base you need a 30-ounce (850 g) bag of frozen shredded hash browns, thawed, and 3 cups (about 420 g) of shredded cooked chicken. Rotisserie chicken is my go-to here. Plus sour cream, a stupid amount of sharp cheddar (2 cups, don’t argue), green onions, and a little onion and garlic powder. Topping’s even easier, cornflakes tossed in melted butter.
No cornflakes? Or someone’s gluten-free? Here’s what swaps in, and what you’ll notice:
| Ingredient | Swap | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Homemade cream sauce | 2 (10.5 oz) cans cream of chicken soup | Faster, saltier, a bit thicker; skip the added salt |
| Sour cream | Plain Greek yogurt (full fat) | Tangier, slightly lighter |
| Shredded hash browns | Diced (Southern style) hash browns | Chunkier bite, add 5 to 10 min to the bake |
| Rotisserie chicken | Leftover turkey | Great after Thanksgiving, same amount |
| Cornflakes | Crushed Ritz crackers or potato chips | Richer, saltier crunch |
| Sharp cheddar | Colby Jack or Gruyère | Milder and melty, or nutty and fancy |
Gluten-free crowd? Cornstarch does the thickening job fine, use about half the amount of flour. And watch out with cornflakes, the regular ones have barley malt in them, so grab a gluten-free brand. Read the hash brown bag too.
Equipment
You’ll want a 9×13 dish (that’s the 3-quart size), a saucepan, and the largest bowl you own. I mean it. I tried a medium one once and there were hash browns on the floor. Giving it away? Get one of those foil pans with a lid from the grocery store, then nobody’s stuck returning your dish.
How to Make Funeral Chicken and Potato Casserole
All the exact amounts are in the recipe card below. Here’s what each step should look like.
- Thaw the hash browns. Overnight in the fridge is easiest. Forgot? Me too, half the time. Dump them on a sheet pan for 30 minutes, then press a towel on them. Soggy potatoes = soupy casserole.
- Make the sauce. Butter in the pan (4 tablespoons), flour in, whisk for a minute. Broth and milk go in slow while you keep whisking. Couple minutes of bubbling and it’ll coat a spoon. Pull it off the heat.
- Mix it all. In the big bowl stir the sauce, sour cream, most of the cheese, green onions, seasonings and chicken. Then fold in the potatoes gently so they don’t turn to mush.
- Top it. Into the greased pan it goes, leftover cheese on top. Crunch up the cornflakes a little with your hands, toss them with melted butter, scatter.
- Bake. No foil, 350°F (175°C), somewhere between 45 and 55 minutes. Edges bubbling, top golden, and if you poke a thermometer in the middle it should say 165°F (74°C).
- Rest it. 10 minutes on the counter before cutting. It firms up and stops sliding all over the plate.
First time making a casserole for someone else? Don’t stress. This one’s really hard to mess up, and it forgives a lot.
Funeral Chicken and Potato Casserole Recipe
Funeral Chicken and Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter 57 g
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 42 g
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 360 ml
- 1/2 cup whole milk 120 ml
- 1 1/2 cups full-fat sour cream 345 g
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese 8 oz / 226 g, divided
- 4 green onions sliced, 2 tbsp reserved for garnish
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt skip if using canned soup
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken about 420 g, rotisserie works great
- 1 (30 oz) bag frozen shredded hash browns 850 g, thawed and patted dry
- 2 cups cornflakes 60 g, lightly crushed
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter 42 g, melted
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute, until bubbly and smelling slightly nutty.
- Slowly whisk in the broth, then the milk. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes, whisking, until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon. Remove from the heat.
- In a large bowl stir together the sauce, sour cream, 1 1/2 cups cheddar, green onions (except the reserved 2 tablespoons), onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper and chicken.
- Gently fold in the thawed hash browns until evenly coated. Spread the mixture in the prepared dish and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar.
- Toss the lightly crushed cornflakes with the melted butter and scatter evenly over the top.
- Bake uncovered 45 to 55 minutes, until the edges bubble, the top is golden and the center reads 165°F (74°C).
- Let rest 10 minutes, sprinkle with the reserved green onions, then cut and serve.
Nutrition
Notes
- Canned soup shortcut: replace the homemade sauce with 2 (10.5 oz / 298 g) cans cream of chicken soup and leave out the salt.
- Make ahead: assemble without the topping, cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Add the cornflakes and bake 10 to 15 minutes longer.
- Freeze: freeze unbaked (topping separate) up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bake 60 to 70 minutes until 165°F (74°C) in the center.
- Gluten-free: thicken with cornstarch and use gluten-free cornflakes; check the hash brown label.
- Nutrition is an estimate per serving (1/10 of the pan) using the homemade sauce.
Private Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Taking It to a Grieving Family (What Actually Helps)
When you bring food to a family that just lost someone, the kindest thing is making it zero work for them. Throwaway pan. What’s in it, written on top. Reheat directions taped to the lid. They’re exhausted, they won’t remember your instructions from the doorstep.
Here’s my little checklist, from a few too many of these drop-offs over the years:
| Do this | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Use a foil pan with a lid | No dish to wash or give back |
| Write the date, the name of the dish and allergens on the lid | Fridges get crowded fast after a loss |
| Tape on reheating steps: 350°F, covered, 30 to 40 min until 165°F | Nobody has to look anything up |
| Ask before you go, or drop it on the porch with a text | Some families don’t want visitors yet |
| Bring it a week or two later | That’s when the meals usually stop coming |
Bringing it hot? Keep it at 140°F (60°C) or above, or get it in their fridge within 2 hours. Those are the standard numbers from FoodSafety.gov, and the casserole should hit 165°F (74°C) when it’s reheated too. Wrapping the pan in a couple of towels inside a cooler bag works great for a short drive.
And if you’re putting together a whole meal, a pot of my Irish funeral soup goes beautifully next to it.
Why Funeral Chicken Casserole Is Trending Now
Funeral potatoes go way back. The Deseret News history of funeral potatoes traces them through decades of Relief Society cookbooks. They even ended up on a souvenir pin at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. NPR once called them a carb-heavy meal for the end of the world, which, fair.
The chicken version is the newer twist. Allrecipes posted a video of it on TikTok back in April 2026 and it got passed around a lot. Then this fall it took off again: Google Trends had “funeral chicken and potato casserole” up around 800% in the week before November 3. My guess? Cold weather, potluck season, and Thanksgiving coming up fast. People want one pan that feeds a crowd.
Most recipes floating around use canned soup and nothing else. Mine gives you both options, plus the real-life stuff, like how to drop it off and reheat it. That’s the part nobody seems to cover.
Common Mistakes (and Easy Fixes)
The Casserole Comes Out Watery
Almost always the hash browns. If they’re still icy or wet, all that water ends up in the pan. Thaw them fully and pat them dry. Also, don’t use low-fat sour cream, it breaks and gets thin in the oven.
The Top Gets Soggy
Did the cornflakes sit on there overnight? That’s it. They soak up moisture and go soft. Keep them in a baggie and throw them on just before it bakes.
It’s Too Salty
Rotisserie chicken is salty. Cheddar is salty. Canned soup? Super salty. Stack all three and whoa. Going the canned route, leave out the salt from the recipe, and taste before the potatoes go in.
The Middle Is Still Cold
Classic make-ahead problem, the pan’s coming out of a cold fridge. Mine usually needs 15 or 20 more minutes when that happens. I lay a sheet of foil on top so the cornflakes don’t burn and keep checking till the thermometer reads 165°F (74°C).
Five Ways to Change It Up
Chicken Bacon Ranch
Stir in 6 slices of crumbled cooked bacon and a tablespoon of dry ranch seasoning. Leave out the onion powder. Kids go nuts for this one.
Broccoli Cheddar
Steam 2 cups of little broccoli florets and fold them in. Tastes kind of like a bowl of broccoli cheese soup, except you can cut it.
Green Chile
One 4-ounce can of diced green chiles and Pepper Jack instead of cheddar. Crushed tortilla chips on top in place of cornflakes.
Leftover Turkey
The weekend after Thanksgiving, use 3 cups of chopped turkey instead of chicken. Leftover gravy can stand in for part of the broth too.
Slow Cooker
Mix everything except the topping in a greased 6-quart slow cooker and cook on LOW about 4 hours, until it’s 165°F (74°C) in the middle. Toast the buttered cornflakes in a skillet and add them right before serving. If you like slow cooker casseroles, my slow cooker chicken stuffing casserole is another easy dump-and-go.
What to Serve With It
Since it’s heavy, I want something crunchy and sharp next to it. Green salad with a tangy vinaigrette, some green beans, roasted carrots, whatever’s around. And rolls, because, rolls.
At a holiday table it sits right next to the turkey. I’d put it alongside a sweet potato casserole with pecan topping so there’s something cheesy and something sweet.
Make Ahead, Storing and Freezing
This is where it really shines. I’ll put the whole thing together Saturday night, plastic wrap on, and Sunday it just goes in the oven. Cornflakes last minute, like I keep saying. It’ll need maybe 10 to 15 minutes longer since it’s cold.
Storage times below line up with the FoodSafety.gov cold storage chart (casseroles, cooked chicken):
| How | Fridge (40°F / 4°C) | Freezer (0°F / -18°C) | Reheat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assembled, unbaked | Up to 1 day | Up to 3 months | Thaw overnight, bake 350°F 60 to 70 min |
| Baked leftovers | 3 to 4 days | 2 to 3 months | 350°F covered 20 to 30 min, or microwave single portions |
| Single slices | 3 to 4 days | 2 to 3 months | Microwave 2 to 3 min, stir or flip halfway |
Microwave or oven, doesn’t matter, just make sure the middle is back up to 165°F (74°C). One heads-up: if you freeze it after baking, the potatoes come back kinda soft. I’d rather freeze it raw, topping bagged separately.
Funeral Chicken and Potato Casserole FAQ
Why are they called funeral potatoes?
Pretty simple, really. In Utah, Latter-day Saint families brought this dish to the lunch after funerals for years and years. Cheap to make, feeds a crowd, survives a car ride. So the name stuck, even though now you’ll see it at Easter and Christmas too.
Do I need to thaw the hash browns first?
Please do. Otherwise you get a pan full of water, crusty dry edges and a middle that’s still kinda frozen. Night before, stick the bag in the fridge. Pat them dry in the morning.
Can I use raw chicken?
I wouldn’t. Raw chicken tucked inside all that cheesy potato won’t cook through evenly, and I’m not playing guessing games with chicken. Grab a rotisserie bird or poach a couple breasts first.
Can I make funeral potatoes with chicken the night before?
Yes! Honestly that’s my favorite way. Build it in the pan, cover, fridge, up to a day. Cornflakes stay in their own bag till baking. Cold pan means a longer bake, so give it another 10 or 15.
How do I keep it warm for a potluck?
Old church-lady trick: lid on, wrap it in two bath towels, into a cooler. Stays hot about an hour that way. Waiting longer than that? Low oven, 200°F (95°C), or a slow cooker on WARM.
Can I use fresh potatoes?
You can. Boil about 3 pounds of peeled russets until just fork-tender, cool them, then shred or dice. It’s more work, but the texture is really nice. Don’t fully cook them or they’ll go mushy.
What can I use instead of cream of chicken soup?
The homemade sauce in this recipe. It’s just butter, flour, chicken broth and milk, and it takes about 8 minutes. You get the same creamy texture with less salt and no canned taste.
Bring It to Someone This Week
Last tip: make two. One for the family that needs it, one for your own freezer. It’s the same amount of work, and you’ll be so glad later. If you make it, leave a star rating on the card and tell me in the comments who you made it for. Pin it so it’s ready next time someone needs a meal.
