Easy Potato Casserole Recipe

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A good potato casserole is the side I want on the table when people are coming over, and I’d rather be talking to them than standing at the stove. I make this one with real diced russet potatoes instead of a bag of frozen hash browns, and I usually put it together the night before so the oven does the work on the day.

The russets simmer just until fork-tender, then fold into a sauce of butter, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, and sharp cheddar. That short head start on the potatoes is what keeps the casserole creamy the whole way through rather than grainy in the middle.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s made with real potatoes. Fresh russets, simmered and folded into the sauce, give you a creamy, tender casserole rather than the shredded, slightly rubbery texture frozen hash browns leave behind.
• You can build it ahead, so it’s my pick when I’m hosting and don’t want last-minute jobs at the stove.
• It’s a short ingredient list. Seven everyday things, most of which you probably already have, and one pan for the sauce.
• It suits almost any meal. A cheesy potato side sits happily next to roasted vegetables, a bowl of bean chili, or a full holiday spread.
• The starch of the russets is what turns the sauce silky as it bakes, so you don’t need cream or extra thickeners.

Ingredients You’ll Need

You’ll need all the ingredients shown in the photograph below.

• Russet potatoes. You want about 1½ pounds, peeled and diced, which comes to roughly 4½ cups if you’re working without a scale. Russets are starchy, so they bake up creamy. Yukon Gold works too for a more buttery potato that holds its shape, or use a mix of both.
• Cream of mushroom soup. This is the base of the sauce and the reason it comes together so fast. It’s naturally vegetarian, but it’s worth a quick label check if you’re reaching for an unfamiliar brand.
• Sour cream. Adds tang and body and stops the sauce from tasting flat. Full-fat holds up best in the oven, while low-fat can thin out or split.
• Cheddar cheese. Sharp cheddar gives the most flavor for the cup you use. Half goes into the sauce and half on top, so you get melted cheese right through the casserole and a browned layer over it. Look for a vegetarian cheddar if that matters to you, since some are made with animal rennet.
• Green onions. They bring a mild oniony note to the sauce without the sharpness of raw onion. I usually soften them in the melted butter first, which takes the edge off completely.
• Butter. Just enough to build the sauce. Melt it first so the soup and sour cream loosen into it smoothly.

How to Make Potato Casserole

A complete printable recipe and the measurements in both US customary and metric are available in the recipe card below.

Simmer the potatoes

Put the peeled, diced russets into a saucepan and cover them with cold water. Bring them up to a simmer and cook until they’re fork-tender, about 12 to 14 minutes.

Starting from cold water rather than dropping them into a rolling boil cooks them evenly, so the outsides don’t go mushy before the centers are done.

Make the cheese sauce

In a separate pan, melt the butter over medium heat. If you like, soften the green onions in it for a minute first.

Stir in the cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, salt, pepper, and half the shredded cheddar until everything is smooth and combined.

Combine and fill the dish

Drain the potatoes well and give them a minute to steam-dry, then fold them through the sauce until every piece is coated. Spread the mixture into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.

Bake the Casserole

Scatter the remaining cheddar over the top and bake at 375°F (190°C) until the cheese is bubbly and browned, about 30 minutes. Let it rest for a few minutes before serving so the sauce settles.

Recipe Notes and Expert Tips

• Start the potatoes in cold water. Bringing them up from cold gives you even cooking. Drop diced potato into boiling water, and the outside softens before the middle is tender.
• Drain them properly. A little clinging water is fine, but pooled water thins the sauce. A minute steaming in the colander before they go into the mixture makes a real difference to how the finished dish sets.
• Season in layers. Salt and pepper are the base, but a pinch of garlic powder or paprika, or a little cayenne, stirred into the sauce lifts it if you find plain potato and cheese too mild.
• Grease the dish well. A cheesy casserole sticks. A film of oil or nonstick spray over the base and sides saves you scrubbing later.
• Let it rest before serving. Give it 10 to 15 minutes out of the oven. The sauce firms as it sits, so it spoons up creamy instead of running across the plate.
• Brown the top if you want more color. If the cheese isn’t as golden as you’d like at 30 minutes, a minute or two under the broiler finishes it. Watch it the whole time, since it goes from golden to burnt fast.

Recipe Variations

• Use Yukon Golds in place of the russets and the casserole turns more buttery and holds its shape a little better. I’ve tested it both ways and pick russets when I want it at its creamiest.
• Cheddar is my default, but I’ve tested it with mozzarella for a milder, stretchier melt and with gouda for a light smokiness. Any good melting cheese works here.
• When you’re short on time, frozen shredded hash browns stand in for the fresh potatoes with no simmering. It’s a tested shortcut, but thaw and pat them dry first, or the extra water leaves you with a soggy casserole. For a version built around them from the start, make my shredded hashbrown casserole.
• Fold a couple of cups of cooked broccoli florets through the potatoes for a two-veggie side. I haven’t tested that exact amount here, though it should bake in the same time. For a broccoli-led version, my cheesy broccoli casserole is made for it.

How to Store Leftovers

Get leftovers into the fridge within two hours, or within an hour if the kitchen is above 90°F (32°C), and skip cooling it to room temperature first. Leftovers keep for 3 to 4 days in a shallow airtight container in the fridge.

It also freezes well for up to 3 months. Wrap it tightly or use a freezer-safe container, and thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating. To reheat, cover it with foil and warm it in a 350°F (175°C) oven, or use the microwave with a lid to stop splatters. Either way, heat it until it reaches 165°F (74°C) in the middle, and stir in a splash of milk if it looks dry.

To make it ahead, assemble the casserole right up to the point of baking, cover it, and keep it in the fridge for up to a day. Bake it straight from cold and add a few extra minutes, since it starts colder than a freshly mixed dish.

What to Serve With Potato Casserole

Potato casserole is a side, so I build the rest of the plate around it. For a full vegetarian dinner, I’ll put it next to vegetarian stuffed peppers filled with rice and beans, which turns it into a proper meal.

When I want something with more bite against the soft, creamy potatoes, roasted cauliflower steaks do the job. And on a night the oven is already going, a pot of ratatouille alongside makes the whole thing feel like more of an occasion.

FAQs

More Casserole Recipes to Put on the Table

If this one earns a spot in your rotation, here are the casseroles I’d point you to next.

• Corn Casserole. The one I make when the meal wants something soft and a little sweet next to the same crowd, spoonable in the middle from a single bowl.
• Cauliflower Casserole. It has roasted cauliflower under a crisp panko-parmesan top, the one I make when the meal already has enough potato.
• Green Bean Casserole. My Thanksgiving and Christmas regular, green beans in a mushroom-cheddar sauce with crispy onions over the top.
• Sweet Potato Casserole. Goes on the table for the occasions that call for something sweeter, with pecan streusel and toasted marshmallow, and it can be assembled ahead like this one.

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Easy Potato Casserole Recipe

A creamy, cheesy potato casserole made with real diced russet potatoes, baked in a sauce of cream of mushroom, sour cream, and cheddar. Make it ahead for holidays, potlucks, or an easy weeknight side.

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Course: Casserole, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6

Calories: 260kcal

Equipment

• 9×13 Baking dish

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds russet potatoes peeled and diced
• 2 ½ tablespoons butter melted
• ½ cup cream of mushroom soup
• ½ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup green onion
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup Cheddar cheese divided and shredded

Metric – US Customary

Video

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Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 375°F/190°C.
• Place your potatoes in a saucepan of cold water and simmer until they are fork-tender, approximately 12 – 14 minutes.
  1 ½ pounds russet potatoes
• Then, in a separate pan, melt the butter, then add cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, salt, pepper, onion, and half of the cheese.
  2 ½ tablespoons butter, ½ cup cream of mushroom soup, ½ cup sour cream, ¼ cup green onion, 1 cup Cheddar cheese, Salt and pepper
• Toss the potatoes or frozen hash browns in the mixture until fully combined, then place in a prepared 9×13-inch baking dish.
• Top with the remaining grated cheese and bake until bubbly and browned approximately 30 minutes.
  1 cup Cheddar cheese
• Remove from the oven, serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes

Start the potatoes in cold water so they cook evenly instead of going mushy on the outside.

Drain them well and let them steam-dry for a minute, or the pooled water thins the sauce.

Russets bake up creamiest; Yukon Gold gives a firmer, more buttery result, or use a mix.

Grease the baking dish well, since a cheesy casserole sticks.

Rest the baked casserole 10 to 15 minutes so the sauce sets before serving.

If using frozen shredded hash browns instead of fresh potatoes, thaw and pat them dry first.

Leftovers keep for 3 to 4 days in a shallow airtight container in the fridge.

To make ahead, assemble up to a day in advance, refrigerate, and add a few minutes to the bake.

Nutrition

Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 322mg | Potassium: 551mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 497IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 172mg | Iron: 1mg

Mandy Applegate, recipe developer and vegetarian since the 1980sVegetarian since the 1980s Mandy Applegate

Vegetarian since I was 15, and still cooking this way more than 40 years later. Everything on Splash of Taste comes from a kitchen that has been entirely vegetarian for decades, shaped by years of trial and error and the honest pleasure of cooking food I actually want to eat. Every recipe is triple tested before it lands here.

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