Funeral Potatoes Stuffed Peppers (Print)

Sweet bell peppers filled with creamy cheesy potatoes and a crunchy topping for a hearty meal.

# Components:

→ Vegetables

01 - 6 large bell peppers, any color, tops removed and seeds discarded
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Potatoes

04 - 3 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed

→ Dairy

05 - 1.5 cups sour cream
06 - 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
07 - 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
08 - 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and divided
09 - 1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup or cream of mushroom for vegetarian option

→ Seasonings

10 - 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt
11 - 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
12 - 0.5 teaspoon paprika

→ Topping

13 - 1.5 cups cornflakes, lightly crushed
14 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, optional for garnish

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and arrange hollowed bell peppers upright in it.
02 - Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook until softened, approximately 4 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more, then remove from heat.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine thawed hash brown potatoes, sautéed onion and garlic mixture, sour cream, cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, condensed soup, remaining 5 tablespoons melted butter, salt, pepper, and paprika. Mix until well blended.
04 - Spoon potato mixture evenly into each bell pepper, pressing down gently to ensure proper filling.
05 - In a small bowl, toss crushed cornflakes with 2 tablespoons melted butter until evenly coated. Sprinkle mixture over the tops of stuffed peppers.
06 - Tent the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes in the preheated 375°F oven.
07 - Remove foil and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes until the topping achieves golden color and peppers are tender.
08 - Allow the dish to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh chives if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The creamy potato filling tastes like pure comfort while the bell pepper shells make it feel intentional and special.
  • It feeds a crowd without making you feel like you're serving the same old thing everyone's eaten a thousand times.
  • You can prep these in the morning and bake them right before dinner, which means less chaos when people actually arrive.
02 -
  • Don't skip thawing the hash browns ahead of time; cooking them from frozen leaves pockets of ice that make the filling watery and disappointing.
  • Standing the peppers upright in the baking dish matters more than you'd think because it ensures even cooking and keeps the filling from sliding into the bottom of the pan where it gets soggy.
  • If your peppers feel too thin-walled and wobbly, par-boil them in salted water for 3 minutes before filling them so they're stable enough to hold everything.
03 -
  • Don't be afraid of the paprika; it adds a subtle warmth and color that makes the filling more visually interesting inside the pepper.
  • If your peppers are really large, you might end up with extra filling, which makes an excellent side dish baked in a small ramekin at the same time.
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