Creamy Instant Pot Cheesy Potatoes

Table of Contents

This Instant Pot cheesy potato casserole, also lovingly known as funeral potatoes, has earned its place as a staple in many households. Its popularity stems from several key benefits that cater to both seasoned cooks and kitchen novices alike:

• Effortless Cleanup with the “Pan-in-Pot” Method: One of the standout features of this recipe is the ingenious “pan-in-pot” cooking technique. By preparing your cheesy potatoes in a separate springform or cake pan placed inside the Instant Pot, you ensure that cleanup is an absolute breeze. The Instant Pot itself remains pristine, significantly reducing the scrubbing typically associated with cheesy casseroles. This method is a game-changer for busy weeknights or when hosting a crowd.
• Incredibly Easy to Customize: The beauty of this Instant Pot hash brown casserole lies in its adaptability. While it’s utterly delicious in its classic form, it also serves as a fantastic canvas for culinary creativity. You can effortlessly bulk it up with various additions to create a more substantial meal, or simply enjoy it as a foundational side dish. This flexibility allows you to tailor the recipe to your family’s preferences or seasonal ingredients, ensuring it never gets boring.
• Budget-Friendly Side Dish: You don’t need exotic or expensive ingredients to create this comforting masterpiece. This Instant Pot funeral potatoes recipe relies on readily available, affordable pantry staples, making it an economical choice for feeding families or large gatherings. Its cost-effectiveness, combined with its delicious flavor, makes it a go-to for potlucks, holidays, and everyday meals alike.
• Time-Saving & Oven-Free Cooking: Perhaps the most compelling reason to love this recipe is the Instant Pot’s ability to cook perfectly tender, cheesy potatoes in a fraction of the time it would take in a conventional oven. This frees up your oven for other dishes, an invaluable advantage, especially during holiday cooking when oven space is at a premium. The pressure cooker method also ensures even cooking and consistent results every time.

• Hash Brown Potatoes: The foundation of this comforting dish. While pre-shredded, refrigerated hash browns (like Simply Potatoes) are highly recommended for their convenience and consistent moisture level, you can certainly use frozen hash browns. However, a crucial step when using frozen is to thaw them completely and then pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels. Excess moisture is the enemy of a creamy casserole, as it can lead to a watery and unappealing texture. Ensure they are as dry as possible to achieve that perfect cheesy consistency.
• Cheddar Cheese: Sharp cheddar cheese provides a robust, classic flavor that pairs beautifully with potatoes. For superior melting and a richer texture, we strongly recommend buying a block of cheddar and shredding it yourself. Pre-shredded cheeses often contain anti-caking agents that can hinder smooth melting. If you’re looking for alternatives, Gruyere offers a nutty, complex flavor, Gouda provides a creamy, slightly sweet note, and Swiss cheese delivers a mild, buttery taste that works wonderfully in potato casseroles. A blend of cheeses can also create an exciting flavor profile.
• Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup: This ingredient is key to the casserole’s signature creaminess and savory depth. It offers unparalleled convenience, making the recipe quick and easy. However, if you prefer to avoid condensed soups, or simply want a homemade touch, making your own thickened base is a fantastic option. You can achieve a similar creamy consistency by whisking together a roux of butter and flour, then gradually incorporating chicken broth and milk. This method allows you to control the seasonings and ingredients more precisely, ensuring a fresh, rich flavor.
• Sour Cream (or Greek Yogurt): Adds a tangy depth and additional creaminess that balances the richness of the cheese and soup. For a slightly lighter version, plain Greek yogurt can be used as a direct substitute, offering similar tang and texture with added protein.
• Onion & Garlic Powder: These aromatics provide essential savory notes that elevate the entire dish. A small yellow or white onion, finely diced, will cook down beautifully and disperse flavor throughout. Garlic powder offers a consistent garlic presence without the bite of fresh garlic, ensuring a universally appealing taste.
• Water: Essential for the Instant Pot to come to pressure and steam the casserole. Do not omit this crucial liquid from the inner pot.

If you prefer a homemade, from-scratch cream base, follow these simple steps:

1. Melt 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour until a smooth, bubbly roux forms. Continue cooking for about 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste.
3. Gradually add ½ cup of low-sodium chicken broth and ½ cup of milk (whole or 2% works best). Whisking it in slowly and continuously is key to preventing lumps and ensuring the fat and flour emulsify properly.
4. Bring to a gentle boil while constantly whisking. The mixture will begin to thicken as it heats. Remove from heat once it reaches your desired consistency, which should be similar to condensed soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

• Diced Ham: A perennial favorite! Cubed or shredded ham adds a wonderful salty, savory counterpoint to the creamy potatoes. We love it so much that we even have a recipe for egg bake with ham and hash browns. Leftover Crock Pot ham with Coke or even good-quality deli ham, diced, will significantly bulk up this dish, making it a complete meal.
• Breakfast Sausage or Chorizo: Crumbled and cooked breakfast sausage or spicy chorizo are excellent choices for adding robust flavor and protein, perfect for a breakfast or brunch casserole. Ensure to drain any excess grease before adding to the potato mixture.
• Crispy Bacon: Chopped crispy bacon bits folded into the casserole or sprinkled on top add an irresistible smoky flavor and delightful crunch. Adding bacon makes these cheesy hash browns taste a lot like our popular hash brown cups with egg!

Additions for Freshness and Texture:

• Cooked Vegetables: Earthy mushrooms, vibrant bell peppers (red, green, or yellow), or even a handful of fresh spinach can be right at home in this Instant Pot hash brown casserole. For best results, especially with moisture-rich vegetables, it’s highly recommended to slice and sauté them first to remove excess water and intensify their flavor before adding them to the potato mixture. This prevents the casserole from becoming watery.
• Fresh Herbs: A sprinkle of fresh chives, parsley, or dill just before serving can brighten the flavors and add a fresh aromatic note.
• Spices: Beyond garlic powder, a pinch of smoked paprika can add warmth and depth, while a dash of cayenne pepper can introduce a subtle heat.

🎯 Pro Tip for Veggies

Many vegetables, such as mushrooms and bell peppers, contain a significant amount of moisture. To prevent your cheesy potato casserole from becoming watery or soggy, it’s always best to slice and sauté them thoroughly before mixing them into the hash brown mixture. This step ensures that your side dish retains its desired creamy consistency and concentrated flavor.

1. Prepare Your Pan: Begin by lightly greasing a 7 to 7.5-inch cake pan or springform pan with non-stick cooking spray. This crucial step ensures that your cheesy potato casserole releases cleanly after cooking.
2. Combine Ingredients: In a spacious medium mixing bowl, combine the shredded hash brown potatoes, condensed cream of chicken soup (or your homemade equivalent), sour cream, diced onion, 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese, and garlic powder. Stir all these ingredients thoroughly until they are well combined and evenly distributed. Transfer this mixture into your prepared pan and use a spatula or the back of a spoon to smooth the top. Finally, sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese evenly over the surface.
3. Wrap for Protection: Tear off a long piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, approximately 18 inches in length. Lightly spray the underside of the foil with cooking spray to prevent it from sticking to the cheese. Tightly wrap the hash brown casserole pan in the foil, ensuring it covers both the top and extends securely under the bottom of the pan. This protective layer is vital to prevent any water from entering the casserole during the pressure cooking cycle, which could make it watery.
4. Set Up the Instant Pot: Place the trivet (the metal rack that usually comes with your Instant Pot) inside the inner pot. Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of the inner pot; this water is necessary for the Instant Pot to build pressure. Carefully place your foil-wrapped pan of cheesy potatoes into a silicone sling. If you don’t have a silicone sling, you can easily create a simple and effective foil sling. To make one, tear two 30-inch strips of heavy-duty aluminum foil and fold each strip into thirds lengthwise to create two long, thick strips. Lay these strips in opposite directions under the bottom of your pan to form a cross. Then, bring the ends of these strips up the sides and over the top of the pan, effectively creating a convenient handle for lifting. Lower the sling with the pan of hash browns gently into the Instant Pot, ensuring it rests securely on the trivet.
5. Pressure Cook: Secure the lid onto your Instant Pot and ensure the pressure release valve is set to the ‘seal’ position (if your model requires manual adjustment). Manually set the Instant Pot to cook at high pressure for 35 minutes.
6. Release Pressure and Remove: Once the cook cycle is complete, allow a natural pressure release for 5 minutes. After this time, carefully perform a quick release of any remaining pressure by turning the valve to ‘vent’ (or pressing the quick release button), ensuring all steam has escaped before opening the lid. Using pot holders or oven mitts, carefully lift the sling with the casserole pan from the Instant Pot and transfer it to a cooling rack or other heat-safe surface. Gently remove the aluminum foil from the pan.
7. Cool Before Serving (Optional Browning): If you plan to serve the casserole without browning the top, allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes before attempting to remove the springform pan ring. This cooling period is crucial as it allows the casserole to set and firm up, ensuring it stays together beautifully when the ring is detached. If you desire a golden, bubbly top, proceed to the next step.

A watery casserole is typically caused by excess moisture. This can happen if the hash brown potatoes are not properly thawed and thoroughly dried before they’re mixed into the casserole ingredients. Frozen hash browns, in particular, hold a lot of water. Additionally, incorporating leafy greens (like spinach) or other moisture-rich vegetables (such as squash, zucchini, or tomatoes) without pre-sautéing them first can release significant liquid into the mix, leading to a soggy and diluted casserole. Always ensure your potatoes are dry and any added vegetables are pre-cooked to reduce their water content.

For the absolute best results and a perfectly creamy consistency in your casserole, we strongly recommend using refrigerated shredded potatoes rather than frozen. Refrigerated hash browns typically have less moisture and a fresher texture. If you must use frozen hash browns, it is imperative to thaw them completely and then pat them exceptionally dry with paper towels. Even after thawing, frozen potatoes can retain a considerable amount of excess water that is not present in fresh or refrigerated hash brown varieties, which can negatively impact the final texture of your casserole.

To maintain freshness and flavor, refrigerate any leftover Instant Pot hash brown casserole in an airtight container for up to 5 days. While it remains delicious, hash brown casserole tends to dry out slightly as the days pass. For optimal taste and texture, it’s best to reheat it in the oven or air fryer sooner rather than later, which helps restore a crispy exterior and creamy interior. Happily, hash brown dishes freeze exceptionally well, and can be kept frozen for up to one month in an airtight, freezer-safe container. For added convenience, you can also prep and assemble the Instant Pot hash brown casserole before baking it, then freeze the unbaked casserole for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before cooking as directed.

While traditional recipes call for shredded hash browns to achieve that classic creamy texture, you can experiment with diced potatoes. However, be aware that the cooking time might need to be adjusted, and the final texture will be chunkier rather than uniformly creamy. Ensure the diced potatoes are small enough to cook through properly in the pressure cooker and consider pre-boiling them slightly for a head start.

No problem at all! You can easily create a sturdy temporary sling using heavy-duty aluminum foil. Tear two strips of foil, each about 30 inches long. Fold each strip into thirds lengthwise to make two thick, strong bands. Lay them in the bottom of your Instant Pot, crisscrossing them. Place your wrapped casserole pan on top of the cross, then bring the foil ends up and over the pan, forming handles. These handles will allow you to safely lower and lift the hot pan from the Instant Pot.

Instant Pot Cheesy Potatoes

By Renae Gerhardstein

Equipment

• Instant Pot – (or any electric pressure cooker)
• Medium mixing bowl
• 7-inch springform pan – or cake pan
• Instant Pot sling – (see notes for how to make a foil sling)
• Instant Pot air frying lid – to brown the top of the cheesy potato casserole (optional)
• Non-stick cooking spray

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition