Lightened-Up Funeral Potatoes (Printable)

Cheesy shredded potatoes with a creamy yogurt sauce and crunchy cornflake topping for cozy dinners.

# What You’ll 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 Steps:

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 Hints:

01 -
  • Greek yogurt keeps everything creamy while cutting calories in half compared to traditional versions.
  • The cornflake topping gets genuinely crispy and golden, not soggy like some casseroles that sit around.
  • It's vegetarian, easy enough for weeknights, but fancy enough to bring to gatherings without apologies.
02 -
  • Squeeze excess moisture from thawed hash browns or your casserole becomes a soggy mess—this is the one non-negotiable step.
  • Never add cold Greek yogurt to a hot pan; let the sauce cool slightly first or the yogurt will break and look grainy instead of creamy.
03 -
  • Crush the cornflakes by hand right before tossing with butter so they stay crunchy instead of getting soggy from sitting in the mix.
  • If your casserole seems watery after baking, you likely didn't squeeze enough liquid from the hash browns—this is the most common fix.
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