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Aunt Bee’s easy potato casserole includes shredded potatoes, sharp cheddar cheese, and rich sour cream for a simple and flavorful make-ahead side dish!
Table of Contents
We love this recipe! It’s simple, tasty, and comforting, and perfect for gluten-free eaters. Thank you!
– Basia
How to Make this Easy Potato Casserole | 1-Minute Video
Who knew that 3 simple ingredients could come together in such a magical way?! If you’re planning your holiday menu, or even if you just need a new easy side dish for your next weeknight dinner, I hope that you’ll add this cheesy potato casserole to your list!
What to Know Before You Get Started
- Red potatoes work particularly well in this dish because they keep their shape — giving the casserole that great shredded hash brown texture — but they also provide a creamy consistency. Red potatoes are low in starch and high in moisture, so they’re perfect when boiled. Other good options include white potatoes or russet potatoes.
- Extra sharp cheddar is our preference for maximum flavor, but you can substitute with a mild cheddar or even a combination of cheddar, American, mozzarella, Gruyere, Colby, or Pepper Jack. Use a block of cheese that you grate by hand.
- Use thick, rich, full-fat sour cream. Don’t water down your casserole with low-fat varieties that lack flavor and texture.
Directions
Perfect for holidays, entertaining, or cozy Sunday suppers, the baked cheesy potatoes go well with beef, ham, chicken and pork! It’s a staple on our Christmas dinner table, and it seriously couldn’t be easier. Best of all, you can make the entire dish in advance and just bake it off when you’re ready to enjoy. We could all use simple, reliable, baked cheesy potatoes during a busy holiday season! I’ve included the detailed instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Boil the potatoes, but don’t over-cook them. Keep an eye on them and boil them just until they’re fork-tender (this will typically take about 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes). Overdone potatoes will have a wrinkly skin and the insides will appear gummy.
- Once cool enough to handle, coarsely shred the potatoes with the large holes on a grater. They should be the texture of hash browns.
- Combine the potatoes, cheese, and sour cream. Make sure that the sour cream and cheese are at room temperature. This will help the ingredients combine smoothly and easily with the potatoes.
- Transfer to a baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake!
Serving Suggestions
Pair the easy potato casserole with slow cooker pulled pork, smoked turkey breast, Dutch oven chicken, pork sirloin roast, pineapple glazed ham, Mississippi pot roast, or a Dutch Oven Pot Roast.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead Instructions: This casserole is the perfect stress-free option for a big holiday meal because you don’t have to worry about last-minute prep when you’re busy with everything else on the menu. Simply assemble the casserole as instructed, but do not bake. Cover and refrigerate the dish for up to 24 hours. When ready to bake, allow the dish to sit on the counter at room temperature for about 1 hour before baking in a 350°F oven for 25 minutes. If the dish is still cold when it goes into the oven, you will likely need to increase the baking time to make sure that the potatoes are completely warmed through.
- How to Store: Leftover potatoes will keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. I do not recommend freezing these potatoes, as the sour cream may “break” when thawed and the potatoes may have a gummy, mushy texture.
- How to Reheat: Warm individual portions on a covered plate in the microwave for about 30-60 seconds. To reheat a larger dish of potatoes, cover and bake in a 350°F oven for about 20-25 minutes.
I made this tonight but added 1 small very finely cut onion. Delicious
– Cherrie
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Easy Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 6 large red potatoes (about 2 – 2 ½ lbs. of raw potatoes, or about 7 cups of loosely packed cooked and shredded potatoes)
- 3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 16 ounces sour cream (about 2 cups total)
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley; chives; dash of paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 1 ½ – 2-quart baking dish or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook potatoes until fork-tender (about 10-15 minutes).
- Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool. When cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes and coarsely shred on the large holes of a grater.
- Place grated potatoes in a large bowl. Stir in 2 ½ cups of the cheese and all of the sour cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer potato mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining ½ cup of cheese on top.
- Bake, uncovered, for approximately 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are heated through.
- Garnish with parsley, chives, or a dash of paprika just before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Cheesy Potato Casserole Recipe Variations
- Instead of sharp cheddar cheese, use a different good melting cheese (or a blend of cheeses). Nice options include Velveeta, Gruyere, Swiss, Colby, Colby Jack or Pepper Jack.
- Instead of the red potatoes, try white potatoes, Russet potatoes, or Yukon Gold potatoes.
- Add grated onion, crispy bacon, or browned sausage to the casserole. A touch of garlic powder would be nice as well. You can also use sliced green onions and crispy bacon as a nice garnish at the end.
- Add Corn Flakes on top! To do so, toss together 1 cup of crushed Corn Flakes cereal with 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Sprinkle on top of the casserole before baking.
More Easy Potato Casserole Recipes
Easy Au Gratin Potatoes Recipe
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Party Potatoes
1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
This post was originally published in November, 2017. It was updated in October, 2024.
You had me at three ingredients! I can never resist potatoes, especially the cheesy kind. I just want to dig into that dish! I bet this would be so fun to jazz up too. Love the ease of this dish, which is just what I need for the holidays!
Thanks, Gayle! You’re right — these could totally be jazzed up, but I still think that the simple original is the best! 🙂
Hi, Marjie! I don’t care for sour cream on its own or as a garnish on dishes like tacos, but I love these potatoes. You might be pleasantly surprised! 🙂
I have no idea if the Greek yogurt would work as a substitute. It would definitely change the taste and texture of the dish, but maybe that would still be okay for your tastebuds?
Hi, Teresa! I agree — there are certain pre-shredded cheeses that don’t melt well. The Horizon cheese melts and works perfectly in this recipe!
I always chuckle, whenever you post a recipe of your aunt “BEE’S”! Is her ‘real name’ “Beatrice”? If so, her nick-name should be spelled “BEA”, NOT “Bee” (as in bumble-bee!), unless she also raises bees which produce honey, and she’s known by that moniker locally, and also on numerous websites & blogs.
Nope, her name isn’t Beatrice. Her real name is actually Blossom, but she has been known by her nickname, “Bee” her whole life. 🙂
“BEE” could be the phonetic spelling of the letter “B”, short for any name beginning with the letter “B”.
Does it really matter how she spells it?I’m sure it’s spelled “BEE” for a reason and I m pretty sure she knows the difference between “BEE” and “BEA”
Yes, it’s definitely NOT soupy after cooking, Gloria! 🙂
I made this tonight but added 1 small very finely cut onion. Delicious
That’s great, Cherrie! I bet the onion was a tasty addition! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
Can you peel the potatoes prior to boiling?
Hi, Lesli! No, I don’t recommend peeling before boiling. Peeled potatoes will absorb more water while boiling, which can result in watery, grainy potatoes (not a great texture, in other words). You want to preserve that starch in the potato. Plus, peeling after boiling is easier because they slide right off. 🙂
These sound wonderful. Could you use frozen cubed potatoes? I love all your recipes!
Thank you
Darlene
Hi, Darlene! I don’t know. I worry that the cubed potatoes will not give it the same thick texture that it has with the shredded potatoes. It might work, it will just be different. Let me know if you give it a try! 🙂
What about frozen shredded potatoes? Do you think they would hold up? I want to make this tonight!
Hey, Cherie! 🙂 Yes, I think those would work fine!
Could you use 1/2 greek yogurt in addition to 1/2 sour cream?
Hi, Melinda! Yes — I think that the Greek yogurt would work fine as a substitute for half of the sour cream. Enjoy!
Thank you for the quick response. Taking to our family Christmas Eve dinner. Will let you know how it works out!
Awesome! They’re on our Christmas menu, too. Enjoy! 🙂
well I could not find the recipe that I wanted to do but I winged it I used onion and lots of different cheeses but added Frozen California Vegetable mix and can of cream of Chicken and then I saw this recipe …I was way off ,,wish me luck
Can I substitute heavy cream for the sour cream? How much should I use?
Hi, Melissa. I suppose you could, but it will give the dish a different flavor and texture, since the sour cream is much thicker (more like a Greek yogurt) and has a tangy texture. The sour cream also helps to hold everything together in a way that the heavy cream will not. I’m not sure of the measurements since I haven’t tried it myself. I would start with a small amount, and then stir everything together until it looks moist but not runny.
Can any other kind of potato be used? frozen hash browns?
Can any other kind of potato be used? frozen hash browns? I have not previously asked
Hi Joy,
We haven’t tested it, but we think frozen hashbrowns would work with this recipe!
The recipe looks like it may be good, but I got tired of fighting all the pop up advertising.
We love this recipe! It’s simple, tasty, and comforting, and perfect for gluten-free eaters. Thank you!
Thank you, Basia!
Hello, I’ve never had the cheesy potato casserole but am excited to try a new recipe! It sounds absolutely delish! Like, how can one go wrong with cheese & sour cream? But, to throw a potato into that combination has to be outta the world delish!
I’m sure I’ve missed something along the way but, my concern is with shredding the potatoes. Once tey are mixed with the other 2 ingredients are they not going to be more like a mash d potato rather than a hash brown potato? If I’ve overlooked something in the recipe please forgive because that’s a distinct possibility! Any advice would greatly be appreciated, as my plans are to have this beautiful dish on our Thanksgiving table! Christmas too, maybe, who knows!
Happy Blessed Holidays & Merry Christmas to you & your family!
Hi, Gail! You haven’t missed anything. 🙂 I’d say the texture is like a cross between hash browns and mashed potatoes — not as smooth as mashed potatoes, but not crispy like hashbrowns. You still get a bit of texture from the shredded potatoes, though (it’s just soft). I hope that makes sense. It’s a favorite on our Christmas table each year, too!
Made this last night, first time… VERY nice… to pair with your roasted whole chicken recipe… along with a carrot and parsnip puree and some nutmeg… On the again list…
Thank you, Scott! I’m so glad to hear that! Your meal sounds amazing…