Lightened-Up Funeral Potatoes (Printable version)

Cheesy shredded potatoes blended with Greek yogurt and a crunchy cornflake topping.

# Ingredient list:

→ Potato Base

01 - 1 (28 oz) bag frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
02 - 1½ cups (6 oz) reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
03 - ½ cup (2 oz) diced yellow onion
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - ½ teaspoon kosher salt
06 - ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

→ Lightened Sauce

07 - 1½ cups (13.25 oz) plain Greek yogurt (2% or nonfat)
08 - ¾ cup (6 fl oz) low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
09 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
10 - 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
11 - ½ teaspoon onion powder
12 - ½ teaspoon garlic powder

→ Topping

13 - 2 cups (1.75 oz) cornflakes, lightly crushed
14 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

# Step-by-step guide:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook until softened, approximately 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute longer.
03 - Sprinkle flour over the onion mixture and stir constantly for 1 minute to combine.
04 - Gradually whisk in chicken or vegetable broth until smooth and thickened, approximately 2-3 minutes.
05 - Remove from heat and stir in Greek yogurt, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix until creamy and fully combined.
06 - In a large bowl, combine thawed hash browns, shredded cheddar cheese, and the yogurt sauce. Stir until well integrated.
07 - Spread the potato mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish.
08 - In a small bowl, toss crushed cornflakes with melted butter. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the casserole.
09 - Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown on top.
10 - Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • It tastes indulgent and creamy without the heavy cream that usually leaves you feeling stuffed.
  • The crispy cornflake topping gives you that textural surprise that makes people ask what you did differently.
  • You can make it ahead and just pop it in the oven when guests arrive, which is honestly the dream for any dinner party.
02 -
  • If you skip thawing the hash browns, they'll release water into the casserole and make everything soggy instead of creamy—I learned this the expensive way.
  • The yogurt sauce will look thin when you first make it, but it thickens both from the flour roux and from baking, so don't panic and add more flour.
  • Cornflakes burn easily, so if your oven runs hot, check the casserole at 35 minutes to avoid a topping that's charred instead of golden.
03 -
  • Use a whisk when adding the broth to avoid lumps, and don't skip the roux-making step—it's what keeps everything silky instead of separated.
  • If you're cooking at altitude or your oven runs cold, your baking time might stretch to 50 minutes, so start checking around the 40-minute mark for doneness.
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