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This easy side dish recipe has been a family favorite for decades! Aunt Bee’s 3-Ingredient Cheesy Potato Casserole includes shredded potatoes, sharp cheddar cheese, and rich sour cream for a quick make-ahead side. Perfect for holidays, entertaining, or cozy Sunday suppers, the baked cheesy potatoes go well with beef, ham, chicken and pork!
Baked Cheesy Potatoes
Who knew that 3 simple ingredients could come together in such a magical way?! If you’re planning your holiday menu, or even if you just need a new easy side dish for your next weeknight dinner, I hope that you’ll add this Cheesy Potato Casserole to your list! It’s a staple on our Christmas dinner table, and it seriously couldn’t be easier. Best of all, you can make the entire dish in advance and just bake it off when you’re ready to enjoy. We could all use simple, reliable, baked cheesy potatoes during a busy holiday season!
Ingredients
Since you only need 3 ingredients (plus salt and pepper) for this dish, it’s important to use the best, high-quality products available. Each ingredient plays a prominent role in creating the ultimate cheesy potatoes!
- Potatoes: red potatoes are our top pick for this dish.
- Cheddar cheese: extra sharp cheddar is our preference for maximum flavor, but you can substitute with a mild cheddar or even a combination of cheddar, American, mozzarella, Gruyere, Colby, or Pepper Jack. Use a block of cheese that you grate by hand.
- Sour cream: thick, rich, full-fat sour cream. Don’t water down your casserole with low-fat varieties that lack flavor and texture.
The Potatoes
Red potatoes work particularly well in this dish because they keep their shape — giving the casserole that great shredded hash brown texture — but they also provide a creamy consistency. Red potatoes are low in starch and high in moisture, so they’re perfect when boiled. Other good options include white potatoes or russet potatoes.
How to Make Cheesy Potato Casserole
This make-ahead side dish comes together easily, but you’ll need to allow plenty of time to boil, cool and peel the potatoes. That’s the hardest part!
- Boil potatoes for 10-15 minutes, or until fork-tender. Cool.
- Peel potatoes and shred with the large holes on a grater.
- Stir together grated potatoes, most of the cheese, and all of the sour cream. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Transfer to a greased baking dish and top with remaining cheese.
- Bake in a 350° F oven uncovered for about 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are heated through.
What to Serve with Cheesy Shredded Potatoes
This rich, decadent and easy potato casserole is a simple side dish that pairs perfectly with just about any entrée! Here are a few ideas that go well with the cheesy potatoes:
- Southern Bourbon-Glazed Beef Tenderloin
- Virginia Brown Sugar Baked Ham or Pineapple Glazed Ham
- Crispy Roast Chicken
- Garlic and Rosemary Pork Chops
- Maple Glazed Roasted Turkey Breast
- Apple Cider Brined Turkey
- Pork Loin Roast
- Roasted Pork Tenderloin
- Oven BBQ Chicken Breast
Make Ahead Cheesy Potatoes
This casserole is the perfect stress-free option for a big holiday meal because you don’t have to worry about last-minute prep when you’re busy with everything else on the menu. Simply assemble the casserole as instructed, but do not bake. Cover and refrigerate the dish for up to 24 hours. When ready to bake, allow the dish to sit on the counter at room temperature for about 1 hour before baking in a 350° F oven for 25 minutes. If the dish is still cold when it goes into the oven, you will likely need to increase the baking time to make sure that the potatoes are completely warmed through.
Storage
If you have leftover potatoes, you can keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat the potatoes, warm individual portions on a covered plate in the microwave. To reheat a larger dish of potatoes, cover and bake in a 350 degree F oven for about 20-25 minutes.
I do not recommend freezing these potatoes, as the sour cream may “break” when thawed and the potatoes may have a gummy, mushy texture.
Recipe Variations
- Instead of sharp cheddar cheese, use a different good melting cheese (or a blend of cheeses). Nice options include Velveeta, Gruyere, Swiss, Colby, Colby Jack or Pepper Jack.
- Instead of the red potatoes, try white potatoes, Russet potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes.
- Add Corn Flakes on top! To do so, toss together 1 cup of crushed Corn Flakes cereal with 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Sprinkle on top of the casserole before baking.
Tips for the Best Cheesy Potato Casserole Recipe
- Don’t over-cook the potatoes. Keep an eye on them and boil them just until they’re fork-tender (this will typically take about 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes). Overdone potatoes will have a wrinkly skin and the insides will appear gummy.
- Make sure that your sour cream and cheese are at room temperature. This will help them combine with the potatoes.
- I prefer to use cheddar cheese from a block that I grate by hand. It melts smoother into the potatoes.
More Delicious Potato Recipes
- Hash Brown Potato Casserole
- Crispy Seasoned Oven Roasted Potatoes
- Make Ahead Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- German Potato Salad
- Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole with Corn Flakes
Aunt Bee's 3-Ingredient Cheesy Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 6 large red potatoes (about 2 - 2½ lbs. total)
- 3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 16 ounces sour cream (about 2 cups total)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley; chives; dash of paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook potatoes until fork-tender (about 10-15 minutes).
- Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool. When cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes and coarsely shred on the large holes of a grater.
- Place grated potatoes in a large bowl. Stir in 2 ½ cups of the cheese and all of the sour cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer potato mixture to a greased 1 ½ - 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle remaining ½ cup of cheese on top.
- Bake, uncovered, for approximately 25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and potatoes are heated through.
- Garnish with parsley, chives, or a dash of paprika just before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in November, 2017. It was updated in December, 2020.
You had me at three ingredients! I can never resist potatoes, especially the cheesy kind. I just want to dig into that dish! I bet this would be so fun to jazz up too. Love the ease of this dish, which is just what I need for the holidays!
Thanks, Gayle! You’re right — these could totally be jazzed up, but I still think that the simple original is the best! 🙂
Hi, Marjie! I don’t care for sour cream on its own or as a garnish on dishes like tacos, but I love these potatoes. You might be pleasantly surprised! 🙂
I have no idea if the Greek yogurt would work as a substitute. It would definitely change the taste and texture of the dish, but maybe that would still be okay for your tastebuds?
Hi, Teresa! I agree — there are certain pre-shredded cheeses that don’t melt well. The Horizon cheese melts and works perfectly in this recipe!
I always chuckle, whenever you post a recipe of your aunt “BEE’S”! Is her ‘real name’ “Beatrice”? If so, her nick-name should be spelled “BEA”, NOT “Bee” (as in bumble-bee!), unless she also raises bees which produce honey, and she’s known by that moniker locally, and also on numerous websites & blogs.
Nope, her name isn’t Beatrice. Her real name is actually Blossom, but she has been known by her nickname, “Bee” her whole life. 🙂
Yes, it’s definitely NOT soupy after cooking, Gloria! 🙂
I made this tonight but added 1 small very finely cut onion. Delicious
That’s great, Cherrie! I bet the onion was a tasty addition! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
Can you peel the potatoes prior to boiling?
Hi, Lesli! No, I don’t recommend peeling before boiling. Peeled potatoes will absorb more water while boiling, which can result in watery, grainy potatoes (not a great texture, in other words). You want to preserve that starch in the potato. Plus, peeling after boiling is easier because they slide right off. 🙂
These sound wonderful. Could you use frozen cubed potatoes? I love all your recipes!
Thank you
Darlene
Hi, Darlene! I don’t know. I worry that the cubed potatoes will not give it the same thick texture that it has with the shredded potatoes. It might work, it will just be different. Let me know if you give it a try! 🙂
What about frozen shredded potatoes? Do you think they would hold up? I want to make this tonight!
Hey, Cherie! 🙂 Yes, I think those would work fine!
Could you use 1/2 greek yogurt in addition to 1/2 sour cream?
Hi, Melinda! Yes — I think that the Greek yogurt would work fine as a substitute for half of the sour cream. Enjoy!
Thank you for the quick response. Taking to our family Christmas Eve dinner. Will let you know how it works out!
Awesome! They’re on our Christmas menu, too. Enjoy! 🙂
well I could not find the recipe that I wanted to do but I winged it I used onion and lots of different cheeses but added Frozen California Vegetable mix and can of cream of Chicken and then I saw this recipe …I was way off ,,wish me luck
Can I substitute heavy cream for the sour cream? How much should I use?
Hi, Melissa. I suppose you could, but it will give the dish a different flavor and texture, since the sour cream is much thicker (more like a Greek yogurt) and has a tangy texture. The sour cream also helps to hold everything together in a way that the heavy cream will not. I’m not sure of the measurements since I haven’t tried it myself. I would start with a small amount, and then stir everything together until it looks moist but not runny.