funeral potatoes

last updated on October 29, 2026

For day 9 of my 12 Days of Thanksgiving Recipes we are making funeral potatoes! If you’ve never heard of funeral potatoes, it’s a potato dish that is cheesy and filling and traditionally topped with cornflakes.

My grandma loved to make funeral potatoes. She would always have them in her fridge so whenever we went to her house, that was my first stop. However, later in her life she started to get Alzheimer’s disease. When the disease was ramping up and she was getting more forgetful, she started adding Honey Bunches of Oats to the top of the funeral potatoes instead of cornflakes. We were all a little thrown off at first, but after taking a bite we realized her brilliance. The Honey bunches of oats adds a slight sweet bite that pairs so perfectly with the salty potatoes. But don’t worry, if adding Honey Bunches of Oats freaks you out, you can just add cornflakes instead.

ingredients needed

• 5-6 potatoes
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 sweet onion 
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups sour cream 
• 2 cups cheddar cheese
• 4-5 potatoes, shredded
• 2 cups honey bunches of oats (or cornflakes)
• 1/4 cup butter

other recipes you will love

• pumpkin mac and cheese
• butternut squash with tahini dressing
• hot honey harvest salad
• the perfect dinner rolls

funeral potatoes

[category] Side Dish

[published] November 16, 2023

Print recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

• 5-6 potatoes i like russet
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 sweet onion
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups sour cream
• 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
• 2 cups honey bunches of oats or cornflakes
• 1/4 cup butter melted

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the potatoes (whole with skin on) and cook until soft and fork tender, about 15-20 minutes. When the potatoes are done, transfer them to a bowl to cool off so they are easier to handle.
2. While the potatoes cool, begin on the sauce. Add the butter to a large pan over medium heat. While the butter is melting, dice the onion into small pieces then add to the pot. Stir while the onion cooks for about 4-5 minutes. Mince the garlic and add to the pot and cook for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes to let the raw flour cook off. Slowly add the chicken broth and whisk to combine. While continuing to whisk, add the milk. The mixture should be thick but smooth.
4. Turn off the heat and add the salt, sour cream, and shredded cheese.
5. Preheat the oven to 350F. Carefully peel and shred the cooked potatoes using a box grater. Add the shredded potatoes to the pan and gently stir to combine.
6. Transfer the potato mixture to a 9×13" pan. Add the 1/4 cup of melted butter and honey bunches of oats (or cornflakes) to a bowl. Stir until the cereal is evenly coated in butter. Sprinkle the cereal on top of the potatoes and transfer to the oven.
7. Cook for 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the cereal is golden brown. Enjoy!