Lightened Up Funeral Potatoes (Printable)

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

# Ingredient List:

→ 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

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.
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 more.
03 - Sprinkle flour over the onion mixture and stir constantly for 1 minute to form a light roux base.
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 until creamy and fully combined.
06 - In a large bowl, combine thawed hash browns, shredded cheddar cheese, and prepared yogurt sauce. Mix thoroughly until well incorporated.
07 - Spread the potato mixture evenly throughout the prepared baking dish.
08 - In a small bowl, toss crushed cornflakes with melted butter until evenly coated. Sprinkle the mixture uniformly over the casserole.
09 - Bake uncovered for 40–45 minutes, until the casserole is bubbly and the topping is golden brown.
10 - Allow the casserole to cool for 5–10 minutes before serving to set the layers.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Greek yogurt does something sneaky here: it makes the sauce richer while cutting the guilt, so you don't have to choose between indulgence and feeling good.
  • The cornflake topping stays crispy even after sitting on a table for an hour, which means it tastes as good at the end of the meal as it does fresh from the oven.
02 -
  • If you skip thawing the hash browns, the excess ice releases into the casserole and makes it watery; take them out of the freezer about 20 minutes before you start cooking.
  • Don't stir the yogurt sauce constantly once it's off the heat; gentle folding preserves its creaminess and keeps it from breaking or getting grainy.
03 -
  • Lightly crushing the cornflakes by hand—not in a food processor—keeps them from turning powdery and gives you a more interesting, varied texture on top.
  • If your yogurt is very thick (Greek yogurt styles vary), whisk it with a splash of the broth before folding it in so it incorporates smoothly without lumps.
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