Old fashion cheesy potato casserole like grandma would make using raw potatoes and other fresh ingredients. One of our favorite side-dishes and is worth the little extra work for the delicious results.
Introduction
A great side dish for BBQ, ham, or almost anything else. No special family meal is complete without this delicious potato casserole. Just follow these easy step-by-step photo instructions.
Cheesy potato casserole has been a standard on holiday table for 40 plus years and is a recipe everyone must-have. It is that good. This is similar to recipes called Funeral Potatoes or Crack Potatoes. Think of this as the original version.
Almost all the newer versions use frozen potatoes. Please, please, please don't do that. Cooking your potatoes will take this recipe from good to fight over the leftovers great. Also, cream of X soup seems to have found at's way into many recipes—just say no.
Simply boil some potatoes. Shred. Mix with sour cream, cheddar cheese, chopped green onion, salt, and pepper. Bake. Sometimes the simple ones are the best.
My Rating
My wife has declared this as part of her absolute favorite meal. Combined with my Easiest Oven Baked Kansas City BBQ Beef Brisket and you have her in heaven.
🥔Potatoes
I'm not too fond of frozen potatoes of any type here. There are texture issues. It is ok with frozen, but it is fantastic with cooking your own potatoes. I believe the issue with frozen potatoes is that they are "undercooked" in most versions of these potatoes making the results less creamy.
We use Russet potatoes that we always have on hand. But they do require peeling after cooking. If you choose thin-skinned potatoes like Yukon gold, you can skip the peeling. But any potato type will do for this recipe.
A full recipe uses about 3 pounds of potatoes but is a casserole, so you don't need to be that exact. That is about 6 medium-large size Russet potatoes.
✔️Tips
The baking dish size for a full recipe is 9X13 or a bit smaller. It will also just fit a 2 ½ quart dish.
A half recipe fits in a deep 8-inch round or a 6X9 dish. It will cook a bit faster. But I highly recommend making a full recipe for leftovers.
Adding bacon is a good touch to make them "crack" potatoes.
Easy to make ahead, cover tight, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. It can come out of the refrigerator directly to the oven but may take a few more minutes to bake.
After baking, store leftovers refrigerated for up to 4 days. Or you can freeze for 3-4 months.
I always make this as written, which is cooking for leftovers, which are oh so good. An easy recipe to cut in half from the current version (but why would you do that?)
📖Casserole Recipes
Crock Pot Cheesy Potatoes from Raw Potatoes
Old Fashion Scalloped Potatoes
🖼️Step-by-Step Instructions
In a large pot, add enough water to cover the potatoes and bring to boil over high heat.
Scrub about 3 pounds of potatoes. I always use Russet, but others should do. A medium Russet is 7-8 oz. Poke each potato a few times with a fork. This will help them not break apart in the pot. They may still split some but not as bad.
Add potatoes to the boiling water. Turn the heat down to low, so you don't boil all the water off and cover. Cook until fork-tender. That is when you can stick them with a large fork, and it will go all the way through—about 40 minutes. Time may vary some due to the potatoes.
Remove from the water and place it in the refrigerator to cool for a couple of hours. Peel the potatoes. After they have cooled, the skin comes off easily with scrapping. Shred the potatoes. Here I'm hand shredding, but a food processor would be fine. I'm too lazy to get it out and clean it.
Clean and slice six green onions. To the potatoes, add 2 cups sour cream, 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and the green onions.
Mix well. Spray a larger baking pan with PAM and add the mixture. Smooth top. At this point, you can cook or cover and refrigerate for a day before cooking.
Preheat oven to 350° convection (375° conventional). Bake until golden brown. 35-40 minutes. A little more if cold from the refrigerator or a little less if a half recipe or a thinner pan.
📖 Recipe
Old Fashion Cheesy Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 pounds potatoes - about 6 medium large Russets
- 2 cups sour cream
- 6 green onions
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese - shredded
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In a large pot, add enough water to cover the potatoes and bring to boil over high heat.
- Scrub about 3 pounds of potatoes. I always use Russet, but others should do. A medum large Russet is about 8 oz. Poke each potato a few times with a fork. This will help them not break apart in the pot. They may still split some but not as bad.
- Add potatoes to the boiling water. Turn the heat down to low, so you don't boil all the water off and cover. Cook until fork-tender. That is when you can stick them with a large fork, and it will go all the way through—about 40 minutes. Time may vary some due to the potatoes.
- Remove from the water and place it in the refrigerator to cool for a couple of hours. Peel the potatoes.
- After they have cooled, the skin comes off easily with scrapping. Shred the potatoes. I usually hand shredding, but a food processor would be fine. I'm too lazy to get it out and clean it.
- Clean and slice six green onions. To the potatoes, add 2 cups sour cream, 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and the green onions.
- Mix well. Spray a larger baking pan with PAM and add the mixture. Smooth top. At this point, you can cook or cover and refrigerate for a day before cooking.
- Preheat oven to 350° convection (375° conventional). Bake until golden brown. 35-40 minutes. A little more if cold from the refrigerator or a little less if a half recipe or a thinner pan.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Use the potatoes you want but I suggest Russets and then scrap the skin off after cooking. If you use a thinner skin potato, you don’t need to peel.
- The exact amount of potatoes can vary a little. No need to weigh them.
- A full recipe needs about 3 pounds of potatoes. One medium-large Russet is about 8 oz.
- A full recipe fits in a 2 ½ quart casserole dish or a 9X13 dish or a bit smaller.
- A half recipe fits in a deep 8-inch round or a 6X9 dish. It will cook a bit faster. But I highly recommend making a full recipe for leftovers.
- You can make this up and store refrigerated for about 2 days before cooking. You can also freeze it uncooked for 3-4 months.
- Done is when the top is nicely brown. There is nothing in this casserole that needs to reach a set temperature to be safe to eat.
- Leftovers are good refrigerated for 3-4 days and frozen for 3-4 months.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition
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Editor's Note: Originally published October 5, 2013. This recipe was in my top 10 recipes of 2013. I have repeated this dish hundreds of times. Please enjoy one of our favorite dishes. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Maureen McGeown
Onions does not have an apostrophe!
Beka
Do you have to use Green Onion's or can you use any kinds
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Beka,
Welcome to the blog.
The green onion has a milder distinctive taste. I did substitute once and was not very happy but I probably used too much. So if you do, then a small amount, but my wife will probably be unhappy with me if I do it again.
Dan
Tammy
We love this recipe. I wanted to make this quick one night so I used hashbrown potatoes that you have to hydrate. Followed the rest of the recipe exactly and it came out petfectly. My husband who does not normally eat a lot of potatoes had three helpings. He's excited that I’m making them tonight.
DrDan
Hi Tammy,
Welcome to the blog.
This is my wife's must have side dish for any special meal.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Wendy
This has been on our holiday meal menu for many years my Mom made it now I make it for my family. One thing that we do is use block cheese cracker barrel tastes the best we melt the cheese with a stick of butter until creamy. Take off the heat and mix with the sour cream. Yummy.
Arlene Bartolino
I can't wait to try this recipe. I find your recipes are straight-forward, simple and always giving great tips. I am not a very good cook, and forever looking for help.
Thanks, DrDan. I did the oven baked drummies tonight and they were so good. Couldn't find a link for a reply, so I am replying along in this message.
Keep 'em coming!
Arlene
Laurajay
Dr Dan, yummmmmm. These are a better version of a cheesy potato recipe my family has made for years, that we always called party potatoes. I can't to try your version.
Mark
No time tonight to do it but it looks good. I'll save it to do with chicken.
DrDan
Hi Mark,
I'm doing this for the weekend with our ham. We almost always do this with ham.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Lara
I have a small smoked ham on the dinner menu and this would pair perfectly. Can't wait to give this a try!
DrDan
Hi Lara,
We are planning this for Easter Sunday with our ham.
Thanks for the note
Dan
Suzanne
I loved this casserole! The taste is wonderful, but my favorite thing is the flexibility. I have physical issues so being able to wait a day to bake is awesome. This recipe is actually almost identical to one I grew up on, but my mom's doesn't have the step which chills the potatoes. It makes a big difference since potatoes shred neatly. Hers tastes wonderful, but the texture is more chunky. I like this one better.
DrDan
Hi Suzanne,
This continues to be a go-to recipe at our house featured at many family holidays. As you know there is some work to this recipe and I have a smaller easier crockpot version you may like. https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/crock-pot-cheesy-potatoes/
Thanks for the note
Dan
steve roth
My oh my. I'm headed to the store!
DrDan
Thank for the note and rating. This is just so good.
DrDan
Mellissa
We run our potatoes thru a ricer. Would this be an ok texture for this dish? Or would shredded work better? Thanks!
DrDan
Ricer should be fine... I want one and will put it on my Christmas list...
Dan
Apu
Goodness!! Can't stop looking at this dish!!
Dan Mikesell
I wish I had "taste-o-vision" since the picture does not do justice to the taste...
Chris
I'm going to try something risky with this one. I don't have two cups of sour cream but I do have 2 cups of sour cream based chipotle cream sauce leftover from our fajitas. I think that will taste good used in this recipe but might be too strong.