Substitute for cream of chicken soup in cheesy potatoes

10 ingredients + 10 minutes of prep time mean you can get these Baked Cheesy Potatoes in the oven for dinner even on the busiest of weeknights! It's easy. It's cheesy. And it's topped with crispy, crunchy, crushed potato chips. And the best part is...there's NO CONDENSED SOUP!

You Will Love This

• Tender diced potatoes. Ooey gooey cheese. Crispy, crunchy potato chips. What more can I say? Your family is going to LOVE LOVE LOVE this quick and easy side dish.
• There's NO CONDENSED SOUP in it! Skip the sodium-laden cream of chicken soup and opt for a homemade roux! Sounds fancy, but it's really just butter and flour! And it's the perfect way to thicken your casserole and give it that classic creamy texture.
• It's comfort food at it's finest! Few things are more comforting than sharing a pan of piping hot cheesy potatoes with the ones you love. And nothing will bring your family to the dinner table as quickly as the smell of homemade cheesy potatoes wafting through the house!

Instructions

Heat butter in a large saute pan over medium low heat.

Once melted, add onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. 

Add flour and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. 

Pour in milk and stir until well combined. 

Remove from heat and stir in sour cream until well combined. 

Stir in salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and shredded cheese. 

Add potatoes.

Stir until they are well coated with the mixture. 

Top with crushed potato chips. Cover and bake for 45-50 minutes or until everything is melty and bubbly and the potatoes are fork-tender. 

Broil potatoes for 1-2 minutes or until the potato chips get dark golden brown, keeping a close eye on them so the chips don't burn. 

Garnish with fresh parsley if desired and enjoy!

Tips

• Test the potatoes in the casserole around the 40-minute mark. Use a fork to carefully spear a couple pieces and taste them to see if they are cooked through. You want them to be fork tender but not mushy. All ovens cook differently and sometimes even the baking dish can make a difference so I like to start checking around 40 minutes and then check every 5 minutes or so after that. 50 minutes is usually the sweet spot for my oven and this enameled cast iron pan.
• Try topping the casserole with different flavored potato chips for a little twist on the old classic. Jalapeno cheddar chips would give it a little spice but keep with the cheesy theme. Salt and vinegar chips will add a little tang that would balance out the creaminess of the dish really well. Barbecue chips would add a sweet and smokey spicy to the dish as well!
• If you don't have a pan that can go in the oven, just transfer the cheesy potato casserole mixture to an oven-safe baking dish. That's why I love my enameled cast iron pan because it can easily go from stovetop to oven to the dining room table!

Make in the Crock Pot

• To make these cheesy potatoes in the crock pot just follow the instructions below, but transfer the cheesy potato mixture to a medium/large crock pot.
• I like this crock pot because it's basically a 9x13 pan but in crock pot form!
• Cook on high for 2-2.5 hours or on low for 4-5 hours. Stir potatoes halfway through and then top with the crushed chips and continue cooking. Test the potatoes throughout to make sure they don't overcook!

How do you make cheesy potatoes from scratch?

This easy cheesy potato recipe starts with a simple roux made of butter and flour along with sautéed onion. Then you add milk and sour cream which makes for a SUPER creamy base. Then you mix in frozen potatoes, spices, and plenty of shredded cheese, and pop it in the oven. That it's - cheesy potatoes with no condensed soup!

Why are they called funeral potatoes?

Cheesy potatoes are a common staple dish that has been served at funerals across American for decades. Don't wait until you need to have a funeral to enjoy these potatoes though. They're something worth making right away!

Can you use shredded hash browns instead of diced breakfast potatoes?

You sure can! Follow the instructions in the recipe card, just replace the diced breakfast potatoes with 32 oz. of shredded hashbrowns instead.

Do I have to top it with potato chips?

No, you don't! Feel free to top with extra cheese if desired or just leave it plain Jane. I like the variety of texture that the chips add but they aren't necessary.

So, there's no condensed soup, but THEN you top it with potatoes chips?!

Yes - the irony is not lost on me. I prefer to cook without the use of condensed soup because of the laundry list of ingredients and the high sodium content. However, I am in no way claiming that this is a "healthy" dish. As I said, it's comfort food at its finest and not something that we eat every day. So we enjoy the crushed potato chips on top and have no shame in licking our plates clean!

Other Family Favorites

• Beer Cheese Soup with Sausage and Potatoes
• Curry Pork Ramen Noodles
• Easy Vegetarian Lasagna
• Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
• Vegetarian Stuffed Shells with Cheese

Print

Cheesy Potato Casserole [NO condensed soup!]

10 ingredients + 10 minutes of prep time mean you can get this cheesy potato casserole in the oven for dinner even on the busiest of weeknights! It's easy. It's cheesy. And it's topped with a crispy, crunchy, crushed potato chips. And the best part is...there's NO CONDENSED SOUP!

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 10 servings 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Stove Top + Oven
• Cuisine: American

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ onion, petite diced (about 1 cup)
• 6 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1.5 cups 1% milk
• 8 oz. full fat sour cream
• 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 32 oz. frozen diced breakfast potatoes
• 2 cups crushed potato chips
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley for garnish, optional 

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Heat butter in a large saute pan over medium low heat.
3. Once melted, add onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. 
4. Add flour and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. 
5. Pour in milk and stir until well combined. 
6. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream until well combined. 
7. Stir in salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and shredded cheese. 
8. Add potatoes and stir until they are well coated with the mixture. 
9. Top with crushed potatoes chips. 
10. Cover and bake for 45-50 minutes or until everything is melty and bubbly and the potatoes are fork tender. 
11. Broil potatoes for 1-2 minutes or until the potato chips get dark golden brown, keeping a close eye on them so the chips don't burn. 
12. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired and enjoy!

Notes

Test the potatoes in the casserole around the 40 minute mark. Use a fork to carefully spear a couple pieces and taste them to see if they are cooked through. You want them to be fork tender but not mushy. All ovens cook differently and sometimes even the baking dish can make a difference so I like to start checking around 40 minutes and then check every 5 minutes or so after that. 50 minutes is usually the sweet spot for my oven and this enameled cast iron pan.

Try topping the casserole with different flavored potato chips for a little twist on the old classic. Jalapeno cheddar chips would give it a little spice but keep with the cheesy theme. Salt and vinegar chips will add a little tang that would balance out the creaminess of the dish really well. Barbecue chips would add a sweet and smokey spicy to the dish as well!

If you don't have a pan that can go in the oven, just transfer the cheesy potato casserole mixture to an oven safe baking dish. That's why I love my enameled cast iron pan because it can easily go from stove top to oven to the dining room table!

Nutrition

• Serving Size:
• Calories: 361
• Sugar: 4.4 g
• Sodium: 237.9 mg
• Fat: 24.3 g
• Saturated Fat: 12.6 g
• Trans Fat: 0.4 g
• Carbohydrates: 27.8 g
• Fiber: 2.8 g
• Protein: 9 g
• Cholesterol: 55.4 mg

Keywords: cheesy potato casserole, best cheesy potatoes, crock pot cheesy potatoes