• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Howe We Live logo

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
    • By Category
      • Appetizers
      • Breads & Muffins
      • Breakfast/Brunch
      • Christmas
      • Desserts
      • Drinks
      • Main Courses
      • Sides
      • Soups/Salads
    • By Cooking Method
      • Air Fryer
      • Instant Pot
      • Meal Prep
      • One Pan
      • Sheet Pan
      • Slow Cooker
    • By Ingredient
      • Beef
      • Eggs
      • Pasta
      • Pork
      • Poultry
      • Seafood
      • Vegetarian
  • Resources
    • Book Recommendations
    • Cookbook Recommendations
    • Balanced Eating As a Family
    • Kitchen Hacks & Tips
    • Lifestyle
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • All Recipes
  • Resources
  • Shop My Favorites
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Christmas » Cheesy Potato Casserole Recipe

    Cheesy Potato Casserole Recipe

    Published: Oct 29, 2020 · Modified: Jan 17, 2023 by Andrea Howe · This post may contain affiliate links.

    35 shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This cheesy potato casserole recipe is the perfect holiday side dish. It’s hearty and creamy, without being rich or heavy. And by making your own cream of chicken soup and using a potato ricer or food processor, you’ll get the tastiest dish that is both comforting and healthy-ish.  

    spoon scooping up cheese and potato casserole in a gray dish

    I first tasted this casserole years ago at my in-laws annual holiday party. Of course like any good church party, it was pot-luck style, and the same woman brought the same casserole every year. It was so popular that one year she began bringing 2 of this cheesy potato goodness. My mother-in-law eventually tracked down and gave me the recipe, and I was thrilled to discover how relatively easy it was to throw together. Let’s get cooking, shall we?

    Ingredients

    • Potatoes – Yukon golds will work just fine, but I prefer a waxier potato like a yellow or red potato. Their skins are thin and easily peel off and they hold up quite well to boiling and mashing. Or in our case, ricing.
    • Sour cream or Greek Yogurt
    • Cheddar cheese
    • Grated onions – You can finely dice your onion, but grating in a boxed grater is really quite easy and makes for a finer texture.
    • Cream of chicken soup – canned is fine, but I find it can be a bit too salty for some tastes. If you have time, I recommend making your own cream of chicken soup. It’s actually pretty easy to make, is healthier than canned, and you can adjust the flavoring to your family’s preference.
    • Melted butter and bread crumbs – a popular version of this casserole uses corn flakes as the topping, but today we’ll be using good ol’ bread crumbs.

    If you plan to make your own cream of chicken soup, you’ll also need:

    • Chicken broth
    • Flour
    • Milk
    • Seasonings – onion and garlic powder, salt & pepper

    potatoes and other ingredients on a wooden board, for a casserole recipe

    Preparation

    Begin by boiling your potatoes till they are fork tender but not totally cooked through. They should hold up to being riced or grated through the food processor without turning into mush. Once done cooking, strain and let cool.

    When cool enough to handle, run each potato through the potato ricer, into a large bowl.

    riced potatoes in a wooden bowl, sitting next to a used potato ricer

    While the potatoes are boiling, combine the grated onions, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, half of the melted butter, and cream of chicken soup in a blender. Blend on low till just combined; you don’t want a totally smooth texture. It should be a little chunky.

    Add the creamy cheese mixture to the riced potatoes, and mix gently till combined and potatoes are totally covered. Spoon into your favorite casserole dish.

    cheese, cream of chicken soup, onions and sour cream in a blender

    Combine the bread crumbs with the remaining melted butter, and mix with a fork till combined. Sprinkle all over cheesy potato mix, then bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

    Serve immediately, or cover and store in the fridge up to 3 days in advance. Reheat in a 300 oven till warmed through, about 20-30 minutes.

    uncooked cheesy potato casserole in a casserole dish ready to go in the oven

    What is a potato ricer and how do you use one?

    A potato ricer a kitchen gadget used to process potatoes or other food by forcing it through a sheet of small holes, which are typically about the diameter of a grain of rice. It is relatively inexpensive and is often thought to be a one trick pony in the kitchen, but it does have multiple uses.  Use it to squeeze extra water from foods like zucchini or frozen spinach. It can also be used to puree baby food! When using a ricer for potatoes, you wind up with the creamiest, totally lump-free potatoes. Riced potatoes can be used to make casseroles or good old fashioned mashed potatoes.

    Using a potato ricer is really easy! Simply boil your potatoes then place one at a time in the ricer, and squeeze through. One of the best things about using a ricer is there’s no need to peel the potatoes before boiling. It easily separates the peel from the potato as you squeeze it through the sieve.

    Ricing takes about 30 seconds per potato, and is actually much quicker than mashing them by hand.

    potato ricer ricing yellow potatoes into a bowl

    How to rice potatoes without a ricer

    If you have a food mill, you can certainly use it here. Mills are a little more aggressive than ricers, so your potatoes may turn out a bit more mashed, but that’s okay.

    You can also use the grater attachment of a food processor. If you are using a food processor, I recommend parboiling the potatoes. If you overcook them and they are really soft, they will fall apart in the food processor.

    bowl of riced potatoes with a wooden spoon

    One quick tip I wanted to share is to refrigerate your riced potatoes for a bit, before you mix them with the cheese mixture. This will make the potatoes a little more sturdy so when you’re mixing them with the cheese sauce, they hold their structure. Of course if you don’t have time to refrigerate, that’s fine too!

    Cheesy potato casserole set on a beige kitchen towel next to a silver serving spoon

    What to serve with this Cheesy Potato Casserole Recipe

    I love this dish during the holidays. It just screams good potluck food to serve alongside a baked ham and green bean casserole for Christmas parties. Small ones with your bubble this year of course. 😉 Or it’s great as an alternative to mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving. For non-holidays though, it would taste great with a pot roast or baked chicken cutlets.

    small white plate with cheese and potato casserole served on it, next to a silver forkCheesy potato casserole recipe

    spoon scooping up cheese and potato casserole in a gray dish

    Cheesy Potato Casserole

    This cheesy potato casserole recipe is creamy and flavorful, without being overly rich and heavy. The perfect side dish for the holidays!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour
    Servings: 8 people
    Author:Andrea

    Equipment

    • Potato Ricer

    Ingredients

    • 6 Medium Potatoes Boiled with skins on
    • ¼ cup Butter Melted & divided
    • 1 pint Sour cream Or Greek yogurt
    • ¼ cup Onions Grated
    • 1.5 cups Cheddar cheese Shredded
    • 1 can Cream of chicken soup or make your own
    • ½ cup Bread Crumbs

    Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup

    • 2.5 cups Chicken broth
    • 1.5 cups Milk
    • ¾ cup Flour
    • 1 tsp Onion powder
    • 1 tsp Garlic powder
    • Salt & Pepper to taste
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350
    • Boil the potatoes till just fork tender but not cooked all the way through; about 10-12 minutes depending on the size of your potatoes. Strain and set aside to cool
    • While potatoes are boiling, combine the sour cream, grated onions, cheddar cheese, cream of chicken soup and half of the melted butter to a blender, and process till just combined.
    • When potatoes are cool enough to touch, push them through the ricer, food mill or food processor, into a large bowl.
    • Stir in the creamy cheese mixture to the potatoes, and gently mix in till just combined. Place in a casserole dish.
    • In a small bowl, combine the remaining melted butter with the bread crumbs, then sprinkle on top of the casserole.
    • Bake for 30 minutes, till heated through and crust is golden brown.

    To make homemade Cream of Chicken Soup

    • Combine the chicken broth and ½ cup of milk to a sauce pan and heat till you achieve a gentle boil.
    • While broth and milk are warming, in a small bowl, whisk the flour and seasonings into the remaining 1 cup milk until a smooth, thick mixture forms.
    • Pour the flour and milk mixture into the saucepan with the broth mixture and stir over low heat till the mixture simmers. Continue to simmer and stir until the mixture is smooth and thick, about 5 minutes.

    Notes

    You can find potato ricers at most home goods stores, including Williams Sonoma, Bed Bath & Beyond, and of course Amazon.
    You can swap out crushed corn flakes for the bread crumb topping.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cup | Calories: 488kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 844mg | Potassium: 816mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 902IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 310mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @Howe.We.Live or tag #HoweWeLiveRecipes!
    « Chicken Cutlets In the Air Fryer
    Instant Pot Pumpkin Puree (and steamed pumpkin too!) »

    About Andrea Howe

    Andrea Howe is the recipe developer and photographer of Howe We Live. She is also a seasoned home cook of over 20 years, for her family of 5. Andrea has spent over 10 years in the food industry, writing for various publications including Babble and Disney. Her work has appeared in Real Simple, Taste of Home, Yahoo, Buzzfeed and ABC News.

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Caucasian women sitting on a kitchen counter smiling, holding a glass of white wine

    Welcome to Howe We Live. I’m Andrea, a passionate home cook and mother of 3. I’ve been cooking and writing about healthy eating for almost a decade, and my number one goal here is to help you develop the tools needed to throw together a great meal at home that is both delicious, and healthy-ish. All eaters are welcome here! Read More

    Latest Posts

    • 6 Sweet and Savory Cottage Cheese Toast Ideas
    • Miso Butter Salmon – Quick & Easy!
    • Nourishing Fiesta Salad Recipe
    • Easy Creamy Protein Hummus
    • Creamy Spicy Ranch Dressing
    • Homemade Air Fryer Taquitos

    Top Posts

    • picture of 2 glasses filled with coconut pineapple margarita
      Coconut Pineapple Margarita Recipe
    • white plate with top sirloin steak tips and potatoes served on top, with a fork set to the side
      Beef Sirloin Tip Steak With Garlic Butter Potatoes
    • brown rice and turkey meatballs in a cast iron skillet
      Skillet Turkey Meatballs & Rice
    • A piece of chicken cutlet cooked in air fryer dipped in ranch dressing
      Chicken Cutlets In the Air Fryer

    As Featured In:

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy
    • About

    Newsletter & Contact

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates
    • Contact

    Notable Links

    • Recipes by Category
    • Shop Clean Beauty

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 · Howe We Live · Privacy Policy