Jalapeño Cheddar Funeral Potatoes

My aunt brought this to a funeral luncheon years ago, and honestly, I went back for thirds without even thinking about it. The casserole dish showed up half-empty, and nobody seemed to care about the ham on the table. What struck me most was how the jalapeños kept surprising you—just when you thought it was a regular cheesy potato thing, there'd be that warm kick that made you want another bite. She never told anyone there were peppers in it, which made the reactions even better when people figured it out on their own.

I made this for my partner's office holiday thing, and the funny part was watching someone load up their plate and then immediately come back asking if I could write down what was in it. Turns out comfort food with a little personality wins people over faster than the expected version ever could.

Ingredients

• Frozen shredded hash browns (32 oz bag, thawed): Using frozen saves you from the mess of shredding potatoes and keeps everything consistent.
• Sharp cheddar cheese (2 cups, shredded): Skip the mild stuff here—sharp has the flavor that actually stands up to the cream and jalapeños without disappearing.
• Sour cream (1 cup): This is what keeps things creamy and rich, and it mellows out the heat from the peppers beautifully.
• Condensed cream of chicken soup (1 can, 10.5 oz): It sounds old-fashioned, but this is what binds everything together and adds savory depth that's hard to replace.
• Unsalted butter (1/2 cup melted, plus 1/4 cup for topping): Melting it first ensures it distributes evenly through the mixture and the topping.
• Whole milk (1/2 cup): This loosens the consistency so it's creamy baked casserole, not dense potato slab.
• Fresh jalapeños (2 medium, seeded and diced): Seeding them takes out about 80% of the heat, so don't skip this step unless you want actual fire.
• Yellow onion (1/2 cup, chopped fine): Onion softens into invisibility but leaves behind a savory sweetness that makes people ask what that flavor is.
• Garlic powder (1/2 teaspoon): Fresh garlic will burn in the oven, so powder is actually the move here.
• Kosher salt and black pepper (1/2 teaspoon and 1/4 teaspoon): Taste as you go because the soup already has salt hiding in it.
• Cornflakes (2 cups, lightly crushed): Don't pulverize them into dust or you'll lose that textural contrast on top.

Instructions

Set the stage:

Heat your oven to 350°F and get a 9x13-inch baking dish ready with a light spray of nonstick cooking spray. This matters because the edges need room to bubble without sticking.

Build the creamy base:

Dump your thawed hash browns into a big bowl along with the cheddar, sour cream, soup, melted butter, milk, jalapeños, onion, and seasonings. Stir everything together until you can't see any streaks of white or patches of unmixed cheese—about a minute of actual stirring, not just swirling.

Transfer and spread:

Pour the whole mixture into your baking dish and use a spatula to push it into an even layer. Uneven spots will cook differently, so take a breath and actually smooth it out.

Toast the cornflakes:

In a separate small bowl, toss your crushed cornflakes with the quarter cup of melted butter until every piece is coated and glistening. Dry cornflakes on top will stay hard and sad.

Top and bake:

Sprinkle that buttery cornflake mixture evenly across the top, then slide everything into the oven for 40 to 45 minutes. You'll know it's ready when the top is golden brown and the edges are bubbling up around the sides.

Rest before serving:

Let it sit for 10 minutes after coming out of the oven so it sets up enough to scoop cleanly and not fall apart on the plate.

Save

What made this dish feel special was realizing that comfort food doesn't have to be boring. The jalapeños turned it into something people actually noticed and talked about instead of just eating quietly.

The Heat Level Question

I've made this for crowds where some people are heat-sensitive, and the trick is knowing that those seeds do almost all the work. When you dice the jalapeños, get a knife under those little white seed chambers and scoop them out first—it takes 30 seconds and cuts the spice by a huge amount. If you want actual heat instead of just flavor, leave some seeds in or dust the whole thing with a tiny bit of cayenne before baking. The beauty here is you control it entirely, so there's no reason someone has to suffer through it if they don't want to.

Timing and Make-Ahead Magic

You can build this entire casserole the night before and just cover it with foil in the fridge. Pull it out in the morning, let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes while your oven preheats, then bake it just like normal. That cornflake topping is better added fresh though, so if you're prepping ahead, make the casserole base but keep the topping in a separate container and add it right before the oven. One thing I discovered: if you've refrigerated it overnight, add about five extra minutes to the baking time because it's coming in cold.

Variations That Work

Once you understand how this casserole is built, you can riff on it without breaking anything. Panko breadcrumbs work perfectly instead of cornflakes if that's what you have, though you'll want to toss them with a little extra butter so they toast instead of stay pale. For a vegetarian version, cream of mushroom soup is your friend and it honestly tastes just as good. Some people add crispy bacon bits stirred into the base and diced ham on top, which turns it into something completely different but equally beloved.

• Try mixing half sharp cheddar with half pepper jack if you want real heat without the fresh jalapeño texture.
• A handful of fresh chives or green onions stirred in at the end adds brightness that cuts through all that richness.
• If you're making this for a crowd with dietary needs, note that this specific version has dairy and gluten unless you substitute the soup and cornflakes.

Save

This casserole proves that a simple side dish can become something people remember. Make it once and you'll be the person bringing it everywhere.

Recipe Guide

→ Can I adjust the spice level in this dish?

Yes, you can control the heat by adding more or fewer diced jalapeños, or by including some seeds for extra kick. A pinch of cayenne pepper is another option.

→ Is there a vegetarian alternative for the soup used?

For a vegetarian version, substitute the cream of chicken soup with cream of mushroom soup ensuring the cheese source is suitable.

→ What can I use instead of cornflakes for the topping?

Panko breadcrumbs make a great alternative, providing a crunchy, buttery topping similar to cornflakes.

→ How do I achieve the best texture in this casserole?

Combine ingredients thoroughly and spread evenly in the baking dish. The buttered topping should be spread well to get a golden, crisp finish after baking.

→ Can this dish be made ahead and reheated?

Yes, prepare in advance and refrigerate before baking. Reheat in the oven until bubbly and golden to maintain texture and flavor.