The Best (and Easiest!) Potluck Cheesy Potato Casserole

These cheesy potatoes are a solid go-to option if you’re looking for a “dish to pass” or to feed a crowd (or if you’re just looking for the perfect comfort food). They’re also a great make-ahead side and you can freeze them super easily!

When I think of a family get-together or a comfort food theme dinner or just a “bring a dish to pass” type of gathering, this is a solid go-to dish. In fact, this is my OH, SOMETHING HAPPENED IN YOUR LIFE? I’M GOING TO BRING YOU FOOD food item. For real. Not only do I normally have all of these ingredients on hand at any given time, but it’s a cinch to pull together and so good, every single time. The other great thing about these cheesy potatoes is that they are a great make-ahead component to a meal AND you can freeze them and pull them out whenever you want!

So, I know some people are going to look at the list of ingredients and say Ew, cream of chicken soup! Barf! It’s not good for you, you shouldn’t use it, you could elevate your food and make your own sauce instead! Well, you’re right, sure, I could do that. Or I could just use this shortcut and feel good about it. If you’re against using cream of something soup, then feel free to sub it out and do your own thing. That’s what America is all about; freedom to opt in or opt out of cream of chicken soup. It’s in the Bill of Rights or something. Probably.  Anywho, I’m just gonna put it out there that I’m not against it and I will use cream of chicken or cream of mushroom or cream of whatever whenever and wherever I please.

I mean, this is not the most attractive photo. But sometimes the road to beauty is a bumpy one. What’s a good example of this…? Oh! I know. Just think of this photo as the first part of The Ugly Duckling. Soon we will graduate to a beautiful swan. But not yet.

Aww, see? We’re getting there. Ohh, but just wait. Where we go next is even better.

Yas. All the cheese. This a very important step, which is totally optional, but if you’re me it’s not optional. While I really love the thought of knowing that there’s cheese in every bite of potatoes as it is because you mix it in when you’re mixing all the ingredients together, adding that sweet little dusting of cheese on top, in between the potatoes and the topping, like a little blanket of love, just makes me love this even more. The limit does not exist for how much I love cheese. (Anyone else catch that Mean Girls reference?)

Also, I just wanted to make a quick note that in this case, I used a smaller casserole dish so that I could be nice to Future!Katie and make a freezer portion, too. I often do this because it’s just Jeff and I eating real food in our house right now (except when we’re cleaning up and Wrangler gets a little bit), and I’m not the biggest fan of leftovers. I mean, I will eat something probably twice and then I have to never look at it again. It’s just how I am. So, if I can scale things down to portions where we will actually eat it and waste as little as possible, the better.

I always appreciate my own thoughtfulness, so I also always label the things I’m putting in my freezer. This is not only helpful for me because sometimes I will put things in my freezer and forget about it and then be sad that my freezer has now turned into something like Narnia but it’s also helpful when I ask Jeff to “help” with dinner. These are instructions that he can understand and follow. Woohoo for small miracles. I did leave some notes in the recipe box for some other freezer tips, so check those out as you scroll on down!

This is my other trick. If I don’t have to dirty another dish, I won’t do it. Also, I just feel like this is the easiest and most effective way to perfectly coat each little cornflake with butter. And this is, after all, all about me and what I think. And the butter. There’s a lot of it in this recipe. You can’t cut all of it out, but you could probably cut back a little bit here and there. Your call. But back to my trick. Dump it in a ziplock and crunch it up a little bit and roll it around, just to make sure ever little nook and cranny is coated. Trust me. It’s delish.

So pretty! 😍 And so yum!

I’m all about quick and easy, and I’m being for real when I tell you that these are at least easy. I mean, the prep on these is quick but they have to bake for a while. They’re worth every second, though, and if they don’t become a staple in your household, I would be shocked. Every single time I make these, Jeff takes a bite and goes, “Man, these potatoes are so good. Every. Time.” And that’s no joke.

Make them. Eat them. Love them.

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to see how it turned out!
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