Loaded Cheesy Potato Casserole
This potato casserole is cheesy, creamy, comforting potato side dish that the whole family will love. It’s impossible not to love the combination of diced hash brown potatoes slathered with cheese sauce, bacon, and green onions. No canned soup needed, the sauce is so easy and takes just a few minutes to prepare.
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These cheesy potatoes in particular are my husband’s favorite because it tastes like a loaded baked potato. I don’t mind this version myself. Who could resist anything with bacon?! There is bacon throughout the whole dish, mixed into the potatoes and sprinkled on top. A generous addition of green onion is a must for the best baked potato flavors.
Loaded potato casserole will definitely beat out the classic version. Classic cheesy potato dish is also referred to as “funeral potatoes,” it’s a very popular potato casserole dish in the Midwest region.
So this dish can be thought of as a loaded potato version of funeral potatoes. It is the same basic premise of diced hash browns mixed with cheesy cream sauce and baked until bubbly. There are couple of things that I do differently from the tradition through. First of all, I make my own cream sauce instead of using canned cream of chicken soup. It’s so easy and tastes much better.
I also add a little cream cheese for extra creaminess in the sauce. And of course, I add a pound of bacon and a generous amount of green onions for a pop of delicious flavor.
How To Make Cheesy Potato Casserole
PRO TIP: Before you start to cook the potato casserole, make sure that hash browns are thawed!
PRO TIP: Don’t take bacon out of the refrigerator until ready to cook. It’s a lot easier to cut cold bacon.
PRO TIP: It’s always best to prepare and measure all of the ingredients first so everything is ready and close by while cooking.
Cheesy Sauce:
Sauté half pound of bacon until it’s half way cooked and add onion. Sauté together until softened and add in garlic. Sprinkle flour all over bacon and onions and stir until completely incorporated throughout.
Slowly pour in chicken stock while whisking until smooth. Slowly pour in milk immediately and chicken stock and keep whisking. Keep whisking slowly until sauce starts to thicken. Season with salt and pepper and stir in cream cheese and sour cream. Add grated cheddar, one handful at a time.
When the cheese is melted, take the sauce off heat and stir in diced green onion.
In a separate cooking pan, sauté remaining diced bacon for the topping. Don’t make it too crispy because it will continue to cook on top of the casserole.
Prepare The Casserole:
Pour diced hash browns into a large mixing bowl and add the cheesy sauce. Mix it all together and transfer into a greased 9×13 baking dish. Spread some more cheese and the other half of bacon over the top and bake at 350°F for about 40 minutes.
Sprinkle some more diced green onion on top and enjoy this cheesy, delicious food for your heart and soul.
Ingredients Tips and Substitutions
Hash brown potatoes – use frozen diced hash brown potatoes but make sure to thaw them completely first.
Bacon – you will need bacon for the cheese sauce to mix in with potatoes and some for the topping. If you wish, you can substitute turkey bacon instead.
Flour – use all purpose flour and if needed, substitute with gluten free all purpose flour to make this potato casserole gluten free.
Whole milk – whole milk will give you creamier, richer sauce than low far options. If you need a lactose free options, you can use lactose free whole milk. For dairy free option, use almond milk or soy milk. (Note that oat milk is an option but it does tend to me sweet.)
Cream cheese and sour cream – use full fat cream cheese and sour cream, it will make the sauce extra creamy and rich. If you need a lactose free substitution, there are plant based versions for both. Personally, I use the brand called the Green Valley Creamery for sour cream, cream cheese, and butter. It tasted remarkably like the regular versions of the product (although, it does contain dairy). For dairy free options, there are plant based products on the market for sour cream and cream cheese, but note they do taste quite different.
Sharp cheddar cheese – use yellow or white cheddar cheese and choose sharp or extra sharp for a rich flavor. Note that aged cheeses are naturally lactose free but check the nutritional value. The label will either outwrite say “0 lactose” or have 0 next to sugars. You can choose to use vegan or plant based cheese if you wish, but note it does taste quite different.
Make Ahead Instructions
You can very easily prepare this potato casserole a day ahead and bake it when ready. Prepare the casserole completely up to the baking step, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate overnight.
Make sure to cover the prepared casserole dish air-tight before putting it in the fridge. (Discard plastic wrap or foil cover before baking.)
Pull the casserole dish out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake the casserole per the recipe. You may been to add about 5 extra minutes since the casserole starts out cold.
Storing and Reheating Instructions
Store your leftovers in the refrigerator. Store it in the original casserole dish or transfer into a food storage container. Either way, make sure to cover it air-tight. Properly stored, it should last 3-4 days.
You can use a microwave to reheat individual potions of potatoes or reheat the whole pan in the oven. To reheat larger amount, you can do it in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F and reheat just until hot throughout.
More Comforting Side Dishes To Make
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Loaded Cheesy Potato Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 32 oz diced hash browns thawed
- 1/2 lb raw bacon diced
- 1 yellow onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour* use gluten free if needed
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 cups whole milk can use 2%
- 4 oz full fat cream cheese
- 1/2 cup full fat sour cream
- 1/3 cup diced green onion
- 8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- salt
- cracked black pepper
Topping:
- 1/2 lb raw bacon diced
- 6 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2-3 tbsp diced green onion
Instructions
Cheesy Sauce:
- Preheat oven to 350° and grease a 9×13 casserole dish.
- Preheat a large sauce pot over medium heat and saute 1/2 lb of diced bacon until most of the fat is rendered and it starts to crisp.
- Add diced onion and saute until softened. Press garlic and stir it into the bacon and onion mixture.
- Sprinkle flour all over bacon and onions and stir until completely incorporated throughout.
- Slowly pour in chicken stock while whisking and mix until flour is incorporated.
- Pour in milk, keep whisking slowly, and let it cook until sauce starts to thicken. Season with salt and pepper and stir in cream cheese and sour cream.
- Stir until cream cheese is incorporated and add shredded cheese. Keep stirring slowly until cheese is melted and take off heat.
- Stir in diced green onions.
Potato Casserole:
- In a another cooking pan (or wash the original one), sauté remaining diced bacon for the topping. (Don’t make it too crispy because it will continue to cook on top of the casserole.)
- Pour diced hash browns into a large mixing bowl and add the cheesy sauce. Mix it together until evenly incorporated throughout.
- Pour potato mixture into a greased 9×13 baking dish.
- Spread more cheese over the top and cooked bacon pieces over cheese. Bake for about 40 minutes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in December 2019.
All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
Loved this recipe. I used half the recommended bacon amount because my family isn’t used to the loaded version of cheesy potatoes. And I thought that was the perfect amount of bacon. I loved that it did not call for any creamy soups. The cream cheese, sour cream and cheddar cheese were the perfect combination. I’ve tried several cheesy potato recipes and ill definitely use this one going forward. Served it for Christmas to rave reviews.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful review! I’m so glad to hear you and your family enjoyed the recipe. I agree, the cream cheese, sour cream, and cheddar really do make such a creamy and flavorful combination without needing any canned soups. It’s wonderful to know it was such a hit for your Christmas celebration! 🎄😊 Thank you for making this recipe part of your holiday, and I’m thrilled it’s a keeper for you!
Hi, loved the cheesy potato casserole..absolutely the best I have ever had… thanks for sharing ..definitely 5 star!!
Can you still add the cornflakes to the top? That crunch is my favorite part of funeral potatoes?
Sure, if you like the flavor and crunch of it go for it!
Can this be put in a crock pot?
Yes, I would cook it on high for about 2 hours or low 3-4 hours but I think high would work best.
LOVE this cheesy sauce!
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I love this casserole! I have made it a ton, but my poor hubby was making it and just going by the walkthrough. He got a little flustered but it does not have where to add the sour cream. I never noticed, it was kind of funny.
Do you think this would still taste good without onions ? I’m allergic
Hi Tory,
Absolutely, just leave them out! I hope you like enjoy it!
This recipe was such a hit! Thanks for posting so much deliciousness!
You are welcome, Alice! I am so glad you liked the recipe!
The directions mention cream cheese but no amount is specified in the ingredients list?
How much cream cheese do you recommend?
I’m so sorry! I just noticed it and fixed it. It’s 4 oz of cream cheese and 1/2 cup of sour cream. So sorry about that!