Funeral potatoes recipe:
What do you do when you want a cozy casserole, but don’t want leftovers for 17 days? You come to me, don’t you? Most casserole recipes make enough to fill a 9x13” pan, which is 3.75 quarts. I’ve even seen ‘deep-dish’ casserole pans with the same dimensions but much deeper to total 6 quarts in capacity. I’m all for feeding a crowd lots of delicious food, but what about those of us who cook for two? Don’t we deserve the warmth of a cozy casserole without being forced to eat it as leftovers for 2 weeks? Typically, when I come across a casserole recipe that I want to make that calls for a 9x13 pan, I halve the recipe and bake it in an 8x8” dish. An 8” square pan is the same pan you use to make brownies in. Well, if you make brownies for two, you use a loaf pan, but I’m digressing.
Hash brown casserole recipe:
Ok, can we talk about the title of this recipe yet? If you’re from the South, you’re familiar with a dish called ‘Funeral Potatoes.’ It’s basically a comforting casserole made with hashbrowns, condensed soup (don’t worry, we’re skipping it here), sour cream, cheese, and a cornflake topping. The full-size recipe for funeral potatoes uses a can of cream of chicken soup. That’s great, but a mini casserole for two doesn’t need an entire can. So, I set out to make it from scratch. However, I have a strong theory that small recipes should create even smaller dirty dish piles. We’re going to make a small batch of cream of chicken soup in the microwave in just 60 seconds! If, however, you lack a microwave, just follow the instructions for the recipe in a small saucepan, like below. The only super important part is dissolving the cornstarch in COLD milk first. The mixture will come together and thicken into homemade cream of chicken soup as soon as it comes to a boil on the stove. Well, my husband decided we could improve upon it by stirring in fried onions and making our own quick condensed soup. Then, we collectively agreed that cornflakes don’t belong on your dinner plate (unless you’re using them to make my baked breaded chicken strips), and decided to go big or go home. We use sour cream and cheddar ruffled potato chips on top of the casserole. The hash brown casserole dish is EPIC. You might feel your arteries tighten as you eat it, but I just serve it with a kale salad and my guilt vanishes into thin air, hah!
OTHER PANS YOU CAN USE FOR THIS FUNERAL POTATOES RECIPE:
The one-quart casserole dish in the photos is so adorable that I couldn’t resist buying it. My kitchen is stocked with all sorts of ‘small batch’ bakeware, but if you don’t want to add to your dish collection, I have ideas for you! If you don’t have a 1-quart casserole dish, I recommend: -2 10-ounce ramekins. They will be filled to the brim. A 10-ounce ramekin is much larger than a typical creme brulee ramekin, heads up. -2 6” mini pie pans. So cute for my mini apple pies, but so great here, too. -9” bread loaf pan. Did you know a standard bread loaf pan holds 1.5 quarts? Now you do! If after one bite of this delicious, creamy shredded potato casserole makes you want to scale it up to share with friends, I have good news: just multiple the ingredients by 3 and bake it in a 9 x 13 x 2” dish. On the left is the full size recipe in a 9x13" pan that holds 3.75 quarts; on the right is a 1-quart mini casserole dish. I highly recommend these potatoes for a Thanksgiving for two celebration. Notes: to make this recipe in a 9x13" pan, use the recipe in the card with the following amounts. For condensed soup: 1 cup milk, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 ½ tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon chicken bullion powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, and ⅛ teaspoon parsley flakes. For the funeral potatoes casserole: 30 ounces hash browns, 2 cups sour cream, condensed soup recipe from above, 8 tablespoons of butter (divided), 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, ½ can of fried onions, 2 cups shredded cheddar, and 1 cup of cheddar and sour cream chips. *If you have garlic salt, it usually has parlsey flakes in it. In this case, use ½ teaspoon of garlic salt, and omit the salt, garlic powder, and parsley from the recipe. Notes: to make this recipe in a 9x13" pan, use the recipe in the card with the following amounts. For condensed soup: 1 cup milk, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 ½ tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon chicken bullion powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, and ⅛ teaspoon parsley flakes. For the funeral potatoes casserole: 30 ounces hash browns, 2 cups sour cream, condensed soup recipe from above, 8 tablespoons of butter (divided), 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, ½ can of fried onions, 2 cups shredded cheddar, and 1 cup of cheddar and sour cream chips.
Ruffles Cheddar and Sour Cream (24.3 oz.) (pack of 2) French's Crispy Fried Onions, 24 oz 1 Quart Rectangular Baking Dish
