Lightened-Up Funeral Potatoes (Printable view)

Cheesy casserole with shredded potatoes, Greek yogurt sauce, and a crispy cornflake topping.

# What You Need:

→ Potato Base

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

→ Lightened Sauce

07 - 1 ½ cups plain Greek yogurt (2% or nonfat)
08 - ¾ cup 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 cornflakes, lightly crushed
14 - 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

# How To Make:

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, about 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
03 - Sprinkle flour over the onion mixture and stir constantly for 1 minute.
04 - Gradually whisk in chicken or vegetable broth until smooth and thickened, about 2–3 minutes.
05 - Remove from heat and stir in Greek yogurt, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix until creamy and combined.
06 - In a large bowl, combine thawed hash browns, shredded cheddar cheese, and the yogurt sauce. Stir until well mixed.
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 - Let cool for 5–10 minutes before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Greek yogurt swaps in for heavy cream without sacrificing that cozy, creamy texture—it's one of those sneaky moves that actually makes the dish better.
  • The cornflake topping gives you that satisfying crunch in every bite, and it toasts up golden and buttery in the oven.
  • It feeds a crowd without requiring hours in the kitchen or a complicated ingredient list.
02 -
  • Thaw and dry those potatoes thoroughly, or your casserole becomes a soggy, watery mess instead of creamy and thick—I learned this the hard way at a family dinner.
  • Don't skip whisking the broth into the roux slowly, or you'll get lumps that ruin the smooth sauce texture.
03 -
  • Make it the day before and refrigerate it unbaked—it actually tastes better after the flavors meld overnight, and you just pop it in the oven the day of the gathering.
  • If the top is browning too fast but the center isn't bubbly yet, loosely tent the dish with foil for the last 15 minutes to slow down the browning and let the middle cook through.
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