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This cheesy potatoes recipe makes perfectly creamy and comforting potatoes that are loaded with cheddar! They’re so simple to prepare and will feed your entire family.
You may also like my Funeral Potatoes or Easy Tater Tot Casserole.
Why you’ll love it
These party potatoes are the best side dish for a gathering, potluck, Sunday supper, or even special occasions like Thanksgiving, Easter, or Christmas to feed a crowd during the holidays. They’re my favorite cheesy potato casserole next to my Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes recipe since they’re so easy to make.
This cheesy potato bake reminds me of the flavors and toppings you’d put on a baked potato. I’m not sure about the exact origins of this American classic, but it’s one of those beloved dishes that’s been passed down through families, and now it has the Salt & Lavender twist on it! It’s all-around comfort food for your dinner menu.
Ingredients for it
- Potatoes – we prefer using Russets, but if all you have is cubed hash browns, that’s fine, but cooking time may vary. And we like using real potatoes!
- Cream of chicken soup – who doesn’t enjoy a time-saving shortcut every so often? I actually did test this recipe using ingredients from scratch, and it wasn’t as good and took too long!
- Sour cream – I prefer using full fat for ultimate creaminess
- Butter – for more creamy flavor
- Scallions – they’re a mild green onion for a pop of freshness
- Garlic powder and onion powder – to enhance the savory flavor
- Cheese – we’re using both cheddar and parmesan to take it over the top
How to make cheesy potatoes
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Peel, cube, and then boil the potatoes until they’re just cooked. Drain them well, then add them to a 9×13 baking dish. In a bowl, add the cheesy sauce ingredients and mix until combined.
Pour the cheese mixture over top of the potatoes, and toss gently to combine.
Spread the potatoes out in an even layer, then top them with the remaining cheese, and bake uncovered until hot and bubbly. Let them sit for a few minutes prior to serving.
How to make it ahead
- Prep up until just before the baking step, and then cover the casserole dish tightly with foil and store for up to a day ahead in the refrigerator.
- You may need to bake them for a bit longer if they’re starting out cold from the fridge.
- If you need to transport these cheesy potatoes, transfer them to a Crockpot and leave them on the “keep warm” setting until it’s time to eat.
Pro tips
- I recommend grating your own cheeses for the best flavor, and it’ll melt better too. I use this grater for the cheddar and this grater for the parmesan. I always keep a wedge in my fridge.
- Cheddar can sometimes get a bit oily when it’s baked (this is why it’s often not the first choice for pizza), so if you notice a bit of extra oil has been released, you can simply dab it off with a piece of paper towel or a tissue if you want. The potatoes will taste great either way!
Substitutions and variations
- You can try making a Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup if you prefer not to buy a canned one or you’re watching your sodium intake. Also, you can use whichever “cream of” variety is your favorite.
- If you’re feeling creative, try another good melting cheese like Gruyère to change it up.
- Try adding in some cooked crumbled Oven Bacon or ham. You could even add in some cooked chicken to make it a meal in itself.
What to serve with cheesy potatoes
- These would go with any number of main courses, anything from this Easy Roast Chicken (Lemon & Herb) to these Garlic Butter Steak Bites! They’re also great with baked ham.
- Pair it with an Easy Roast Turkey and all my favorite Holiday Side Dishes for Thanksgiving.
- Make it a meal and pair these potatoes with a main and a side salad with mixed greens and homemade Italian dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- These cheesy potatoes will keep for 3-5 days in the fridge in a tightly covered container.
- Reheat on the stove in a covered saucepan over a low heat. You can also warm them in the oven.
- We don’t recommend freezing leftovers because of the cheese factor. Dairy generally isn’t the same after thawing.
Questions about these baked cheesy potatoes? Did you make them? Talk to me in the comments below!
Easy Cheesy Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Russet potatoes peeled & diced
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick) melted
- 1/3 cup scallions chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Pepper to taste
- 2 cups grated sharp cheddar divided
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan divided
Instructions
- Prep the potatoes and then boil them until just tender. Drain thoroughly, then add them to a greased 9×13 casserole dish. Preheat oven to 350F and move the rack to the middle position.
- Meanwhile, add the condensed soup, sour cream, melted butter, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and half of each cheese to a prep bowl. Stir it together until smooth.
- Pour the mixture over the potatoes then toss (I use two spoons) and smooth them out in an even layer.
- Top the potatoes with the remaining cheeses and then bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
- Let it sit for 5-10 minutes prior to serving.
Notes
- You may use frozen cubed hashbrowns instead (or even the shredded kind). Cooking time may slightly vary.
- Serves 6-10 depending on serving size.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Amazing potatoes! As a vegetarian I use cream of garlic and herb condensed soup rather than chicken, also I replace half to sour cream with cream cheese. It’s always a huge hit at the potluck!
Yay!! Thanks, Sierra!
I’ve had a lot of different versions of cheesy potatoes, but I’ve never had any as delicious as these. I made them following the recipe exactly. I used eight russet potatoes, because they were on the small to medium size. It was worth the effort to use fresh potatoes and grate the sharp cheddar. These got rave reviews. Thank you for the fantastic recipe. 😊
That’s awesome!! I’m so happy it was a hit, Robby!
I would like to make these for a grad party in a Saturday, but we also have a wedding all day on the Friday before. Have you ever prepped ahead of time and frozen them for a few days? Or, how long might these be good if I made them on a Wednesday or Thursday for a Saturday night event?
Hi Jennifer! There’s some make ahead tips in the blog post. I haven’t tried making them that far ahead. I am a bit worried the potatoes may discolor if you leave them more than a day, so freezing them (before baking them) may be your best bet.
Haven’t made them yet, but going to try as a side to help a friend going through chemotherapy. Can you give me a ballpark time for how long you cook the cubed potatoes until “just tender?”
Hi Laura! That’s nice of you! Let’s see… it really depends how big you cut them, but I’d say to give them a taste after 15 min or so. If they’re a bit “al dente” then you should be good to go. I just don’t recommend turning them to mush, basically, as they still need to cook in the oven.
Hands down the BEST cheesy potatoes I have EVER tasted!
Yay!! That’s great! Thanks for letting me know, Rhonda. 😀
I’ve made this recipe twice. Once for a neighborhood pitch-in (pot luck) picnic and the second for a knit club Christmas party. Loads of compliments and requests for the recipe each time. The second time I substituted whole milk plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream since that’s what I had on hand. Turned out great.
I’m so glad to hear that, Ann!! 😀 Thanks for letting me know!
This has become a house fav!!! Thank you for sharing.
That’s great! Thank you!
I could not find hash browns potatoes, so can I use diced potatoes for cheesy potato casserole recipe? Instead of using crock I hope I can just put in oven. Which I have before but never used the diced potatoes.?
Hi JoAnn! I am not sure what you’re asking. The recipe uses Russet potatoes that you’d cut up yourself. And it’s an oven recipe… not a Crockpot recipe. Please read through the entire blog post (including the step-by-step photos) as it’ll help you. 🙂 Hope you enjoy them.
Can I prepare this the night before and refrigerate, and then bake it the next day?
There’s a “how to make it ahead” section in the blog post that explains how. Hope you enjoy the recipe, Dan!
How many cups of shredded hash browns is 2 cups?
Hi Deb! I’m not sure what exactly that works out to, but I’d probably do 3 cups or so. Let me know if you try. If there seems to be waaay too much sauce in comparison to the potatoes, I’d just add more potatoes.
Hi there! What oven temp is required for this recipe?
350F. I can’t believe I missed that. Thanks for pointing it out! I hope you enjoy the recipe, Ginny. 🙂
I actually made it last night and guessed it was 350. My family loved it!! Thank you!
Good guess, and I am so happy to hear that they enjoyed it. I really appreciate you returning to let me know! 🙂