Funeral Potatoes Stuffed Peppers

My aunt brought these to a potluck last spring, and I watched people go back for seconds without even knowing what they were eating. When she finally told me the filling was funeral potatoes stuffed inside bell peppers, something clicked. It felt like discovering a secret door in a familiar room. That casserole classic we've all made a hundred times suddenly became something unexpected, something that made people slow down and actually taste their food instead of just filling their plates.

I made these for my book club three years ago, and honestly, I was nervous. Everyone brought something fancy, and here I was with what amounted to a deconstructed casserole. But something magical happened when we sat down to eat. One of my friends took a bite and her eyes got wide, and without saying anything, she went and got another helping. By the end of the night, two people asked for the recipe, and I realized this dish doesn't need to be complicated to matter.

Ingredients

• Bell peppers (6 large, any color): Pick colors based on your mood or what you find at the market, and make sure they're sturdy enough to stand upright without rolling around in the baking dish.
• Frozen shredded hash brown potatoes (3 cups, thawed): This is the secret that makes prep manageable; thawing them first helps them cook evenly and prevents excess moisture in your filling.
• Sour cream (1 1/2 cups) and condensed cream of chicken soup (1 can, 10.5 oz): These create that signature creamy texture that makes funeral potatoes legendary, but use cream of mushroom if you're keeping it vegetarian.
• Sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses (1 cup each, shredded): The combination gives you both tang and creaminess; shredding your own cheese rather than buying pre-shredded makes a noticeable difference in how smoothly everything melts together.
• Yellow onion (1 medium, finely diced) and garlic (2 cloves, minced): Sautéing these first mellows them out and stops them from tasting raw inside the peppers.
• Cornflakes (1 1/2 cups, lightly crushed): The buttery topping is what catches people's attention and adds texture; crushing them by hand rather than pulsing them in a food processor keeps the crunch irregular and interesting.
• Kosher salt, black pepper, and paprika: These seasonings are subtle, so don't skip them even though the amounts seem small.

Instructions

Vacuum seal ingredients and leftovers to keep food fresh longer and simplify meal prep.

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Set up and prep your peppers:

Preheat your oven to 375°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish so nothing sticks. Cut the tops off your bell peppers, scoop out the seeds and white membranes (this is meditative work, honestly), and stand them upright in the dish like little edible vessels waiting to be filled.

Build flavor with aromatics:

Melt a tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add your diced onion, stirring occasionally until it softens and turns translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and let it bloom for just 1 minute more so you can smell it starting to wake up.

Mix the creamy potato filling:

In a large bowl, combine your thawed hash browns, the onion and garlic you just made, sour cream, both cheeses, the condensed soup, 3 tablespoons of melted butter, salt, pepper, and paprika. Stir it all together until everything is evenly distributed and the mixture looks creamy and cohesive, with no dry spots of potato hiding in the corners.

Fill your pepper vessels:

Spoon the potato mixture into each bell pepper, pressing down gently as you go so the filling settles in without breaking the pepper. You want them generously filled but not so packed that they crack.

Make the cornflake topping:

Toss your lightly crushed cornflakes with 2 tablespoons of melted butter in a small bowl until every piece is coated in butter, then scatter this mixture across the top of each stuffed pepper. This is what gives you that golden, crunchy finish.

Bake low then high:

Cover your baking dish loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes, which lets the peppers soften and the filling heat through without the topping burning. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until the topping turns golden brown and the peppers are tender when you pierce them with a fork.

Rest and serve:

Let everything cool for 5 minutes before serving so the peppers firm up slightly and everything stays in place on the plate. Garnish with fresh chives if you have them on hand.

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What strikes me now, years later, is that this dish works because it respects two different textures at once: the creamy potato filling that tastes like home, and the crispy cornflake topping that surprises you. It's the kind of food that makes people at the table feel like you actually paid attention to what you were making.

Swapping Things Around

I've tried this recipe a dozen different ways, and honestly, it's resilient enough to handle your improvisation. Panko breadcrumbs work beautifully instead of cornflakes if you want something less sweet, and bacon bits or diced ham stirred into the filling turn it into something heartier if you're not keeping it vegetarian. One time I added roasted poblano peppers to the filling and nobody stopped talking about it, so don't be afraid to trust your instincts about what would taste good.

Timing and Make-Ahead

The beauty of this dish is that you can prep it completely the night before and refrigerate it covered with foil, then bake it fresh whenever you're ready. I've done this countless times for dinner parties, and it actually makes the whole day feel calmer because the hard work is already done. Just add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time if you're pulling it straight from the fridge.

What to Serve Alongside

These stuffed peppers are substantial enough to be a main course, but they shine when you give them something fresh and bright beside them. A crisp green salad with a sharp vinaigrette cuts through the richness, and if you're feeling fancy, a dry Riesling or a light sauvignon blanc sits perfectly next to all that creamy, cheesy comfort. I've also served them with roasted asparagus or a simple coleslaw, and both felt right.

• A green salad with lemon vinaigrette balances the richness and makes the meal feel complete.
• Keep some chives on hand to scatter on top just before serving because they add color and a subtle onion brightness that people notice.
• If you have leftovers, they reheat beautifully covered with foil in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes.

Grill meats and vegetables indoors with beautiful sear marks and easy cleanup using minimal oil.

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Making these reminds me why I cook in the first place: not for Instagram, but because feeding people something made with care and attention actually matters. These stuffed peppers are proof that you don't need anything fancy or complicated to make someone's day a little better.

Recipe FAQ

→ What type of potatoes works best for this dish?

Frozen shredded hash browns are ideal as they meld well with the creamy cheeses and sour cream for a smooth filling.

→ Can I make this dish vegetarian-friendly?

Yes, use condensed cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of chicken to keep it vegetarian.

→ What’s the best way to prepare the bell peppers?

Cut tops off and remove seeds to create a cavity for the filling, then bake them upright for even cooking and tenderness.

→ How do I achieve the crunchy topping?

Mix crushed cornflakes with melted butter and sprinkle over the filled peppers before baking to form a golden, crisp crust.

→ Can I add meat to this dish?

Yes, cooked bacon or diced ham can be folded into the filling for added savory flavor and protein.

→ What sides pair well with the stuffed peppers?

A crisp green salad or a dry white wine such as Riesling complement the rich, creamy filling nicely.