Chicken & Hash Brown Cornflake Funeral Casserole
Some recipes are polished up for company, and some are built for the kind of table where folks come hungry, stay late, and go back for seconds before they’ve finished the first plate. Chicken hash brown funeral casserole is that kind of dish. It’s rich, creamy, hearty, and crowned with the kind of buttery cornflake topping that lets everyone in the room know supper is going to be worth showing up for. This is comfort food in its truest form—simple ingredients, big payoff, and the sort of warmth that settles in deep.
At Beer and Iron, we like recipes that earn their place. Not fussy food. Not food made just for looks. We’re after the kind of cooking that feels right in cast iron, whether that iron is sitting in a kitchen oven or out at camp with coals glowing under a Dutch oven lid. This casserole fits that bill just fine. It’s the kind of meal that works for potlucks, family gatherings, cold evenings, church suppers, and weekends when you want something filling, familiar, and dependable. It feeds a crowd, carries well, and disappears fast. That’s about as honest a recommendation as a casserole can get.
What makes this version right for Beer and Iron is that it doesn’t stop at the classic comfort-food roots. We’re giving it the cast iron treatment, with both a kitchen method and a camp Dutch oven version so you can make it where you live and where you roam. If you’ve got leftover chicken from a roast, this is a mighty fine way to put it to work. If all you’ve got is a rotisserie bird and a deep craving for something creamy and crisp-topped, that’ll do just fine too. Either way, you end up with a casserole that feels old-fashioned in the best possible way—hearty, practical, and made for sharing.
So grab a spoon, warm up the iron, and make room on the table. This chicken hash brown cornflake funeral casserole is the kind of recipe that reminds us why these dishes stick around. They’re easy to love, easy to pass, and somehow always taste like more than the sum of what went into them. Around here, that’s the kind of food we come back to.
Choosing the Right Cast Iron
For the camp version, use a deep 12-inch camp Dutch oven. This recipe has enough volume that the extra depth helps prevent bubbling over, and the lid lets you bake with heat from both the top and bottom.
For the kitchen version, use a deep 12-inch cast iron skillet or similar deep baking pan. A deeper pan gives the casserole room to bake without crowding, and cast iron helps it heat evenly.
If you have both, use the Dutch oven for outdoor baking and the deep skillet for the kitchen. In either case, the main goal is enough depth for the casserole and steady heat for even baking.
The Supplies
Camp Version
- Large mixing bowl
- Small bowl for the topping
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Can opener
- Spatula or large spoon
- Charcoal chimney or other fire starter
- Charcoal briquettes
- Heatproof gloves
- Lid lifter or long tongs
- Small brush or metal spoon for clearing ash from the lid
Kitchen Version
- Large mixing bowl
- Small bowl for the topping
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Can opener
- Spatula or large spoon
- Oven mitts
- Kitchen oven
- Optional: box grater for shredding cheese
The Ingredients
This casserole keeps things simple. It leans on pantry staples, a good amount of cooked chicken, and a buttery cornflake topping that gives the whole dish its signature finish. Nothing fancy here—just ingredients that know how to do their job.
- Green onions – bring a little fresh bite and color to an otherwise rich casserole
- Cream of chicken soup – gives the filling that classic creamy, old-school casserole body
- Sour cream – adds richness and a little tang to balance the dish
- Shredded Cheddar cheese – melts into the filling and gives it the savory backbone it needs
- Minced dried onion – adds extra onion flavor without adding more moisture
- Kosher salt – helps bring the whole casserole into balance
- Ground black pepper – gives it a little warmth and keeps the richness from feeling flat
- Cooked chicken – the heart of the dish; chopped or shredded both work well
- Frozen shredded hash browns – make the casserole hearty and give it that familiar funeral casserole texture
- Cornflakes – crushed and used for the topping, they bake up crisp and golden
- Butter – melted into the cornflakes so the topping browns properly and tastes like it ought to
If you’re using a beer-brined roasted chicken, this is a mighty fine place to put it to work. If not, a rotisserie chicken will do just fine and keeps the whole thing easy.
Time to Cook
Kitchen Version
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Reserve a little of the sliced green onion for garnish.
- In a large bowl, mix the remaining green onions, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, Cheddar, dried onion, salt, pepper, cooked chicken, and hash browns.
- Spread the mixture into a lightly greased deep baking pan or skillet.
- In a small bowl, stir together the crushed cornflakes and melted butter, then sprinkle the topping evenly over the casserole.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until hot and bubbling with a golden top.
- Let it rest for about 10 minutes, then finish with the reserved green onions before serving.
And here’s the camp Dutch oven version with both temperature formats:
Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven Version
- Light a full batch of charcoal briquettes and let them ash over.
- Reserve a little of the sliced green onion for garnish.
- In a large bowl, mix the remaining green onions, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, Cheddar, dried onion, salt, pepper, cooked chicken, and hash browns.
- Lightly oil the inside of the Dutch oven, then spread the casserole mixture into an even layer.
- In a small bowl, stir together the crushed cornflakes and melted butter, then sprinkle the topping evenly over the casserole.
- Put the lid on and bake with about 7 briquettes underneath and 14 on the lid, which gives you roughly 350°F (180°C).
- Cook for 50 to 60 minutes, rotating the oven and lid in opposite directions every 10 to 15 minutes for even heat.
- When the casserole is hot and bubbling and the topping is browned, let it rest for about 10 minutes.
- Finish with the reserved green onions and serve.
Chef Tips
- Use partially thawed hash browns, not fully frozen. If they go in rock hard, the casserole can bake unevenly and take longer to heat through.
- A deep pan makes a difference. This is a full casserole, and a shallow pan can bubble over once it gets hot.
- Crush the cornflakes fine, but not into dust. You want a crisp topping with texture, not crumbs that disappear into the butter.
- Shred your own cheese if you can. Pre-shredded cheese works, but freshly shredded cheese melts smoother into the filling.
- Let the casserole rest before serving. Ten minutes gives the filling time to set so it scoops cleaner and holds together better.
- For camp cooking, rotate the Dutch oven and lid regularly. That one habit goes a long way toward preventing hot spots and helping the casserole bake evenly.
- If the topping browns too fast outdoors, reduce the top coals slightly. Keep enough heat underneath to keep the filling bubbling while protecting the cornflakes.
- Have extra hot briquettes ready for long bakes. This casserole can run close to an hour, and fading coals make outdoor baking less reliable.
- Rotisserie chicken works just fine. If you do not have leftover roasted chicken, this is one of the easiest ways to keep the recipe practical.
- If you want a little more tang, Greek yogurt can replace the sour cream. Just expect a slightly thicker filling and a less rich finish.
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The Clean & The Close
Chicken and hash brown cornflake funeral casserole is the sort of food that earns its place. It’s not fancy, and it doesn’t need to be. It’s warm, filling, made for passing across the table, and the kind of recipe folks remember because it shows up when it matters.
Whether you bake it in the kitchen or out by the coals in a Dutch oven, it brings that same old-fashioned comfort with every scoop.
If you make it, I’d be glad to hear how it turned out. Until next time, keep your iron hot, your beer cold, and your table open for one more.
Chicken & Hash Brown Cornflake Funeral Casserole
Creamy chicken and hash brown casserole topped with buttery cornflakes and baked in cast iron. Includes both kitchen and camp Dutch oven versions.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Kitchen Version
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Reserve 3 tablespoons of the sliced green onions for garnish.
- In a large bowl, combine the remaining green onions, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, Cheddar cheese, dried onion, salt, pepper, cooked chicken, and hash browns. Mix well.
- Transfer the mixture to a lightly greased deep 12-inch baking pan or cast iron skillet and spread it into an even layer.
- In a small bowl, stir together the crushed cornflakes and melted butter until evenly coated.
- Sprinkle the cornflake mixture evenly over the casserole.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until hot, bubbly, and golden on top.
- Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with the reserved green onions.
Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven Version
- Light a full batch of charcoal briquettes and let them ash over.
- Reserve 3 tablespoons of the sliced green onions for garnish.
- In a large bowl, combine the remaining green onions, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, Cheddar cheese, dried onion, salt, pepper, cooked chicken, and hash browns. Mix well.
- Lightly oil the inside of a deep 12-inch camp Dutch oven.
- Transfer the casserole mixture to the Dutch oven and spread it into an even layer.
- In a small bowl, stir together the crushed cornflakes and melted butter until evenly coated.
- Sprinkle the topping evenly over the casserole and place the lid on the Dutch oven.
- Arrange about 7 hot briquettes underneath and 14 on the lid, which gives roughly 350°F (180°C).
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, rotating the oven and lid in opposite directions every 10 to 15 minutes for even heat.
- When the casserole is hot and bubbling and the topping is browned, let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Garnish with the reserved green onions and serve.
Notes
A beer-brined roasted chicken works especially well in this recipe, but rotisserie chicken is also a great option.
Use partially thawed hash browns so the casserole bakes more evenly.
A deep pan or Dutch oven works best because this is a full casserole and may bubble over in a shallow pan.
Let the casserole rest 10 minutes before serving so it sets up properly.
For outdoor baking, rotate the Dutch oven and lid every 10 to 15 minutes to reduce hot spots. Chef Tips Use partially thawed hash browns for the best texture and even baking.
Freshly shredded cheese melts smoother than pre-shredded.
Crush the cornflakes fine, but not too fine, so the topping stays crisp.
If the topping browns too fast outdoors, reduce the top coals slightly.
Keep a few extra hot briquettes ready for longer outdoor bakes.
Use partially thawed hash browns so the casserole bakes more evenly.
A deep pan or Dutch oven works best because this is a full casserole and may bubble over in a shallow pan.
Let the casserole rest 10 minutes before serving so it sets up properly.
For outdoor baking, rotate the Dutch oven and lid every 10 to 15 minutes to reduce hot spots. Chef Tips Use partially thawed hash browns for the best texture and even baking.
Freshly shredded cheese melts smoother than pre-shredded.
Crush the cornflakes fine, but not too fine, so the topping stays crisp.
If the topping browns too fast outdoors, reduce the top coals slightly.
Keep a few extra hot briquettes ready for longer outdoor bakes.
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