Cheesy Potatoes For a Crowd
This easy recipe makes Cheesy Potatoes For a Crowd of 100 in a roaster.
Only five ingredients mix together to make the best big batch of potatoes that I’ve had.
For lots of tips on cooking with electric roasters and party planning see our article on Food For a Crowd.
Cheesy Potatoes in a Roaster
These Cheesy Potatoes with Ritz Crackers are always in demand at family parties, but doubling the batch to put in a large aluminum foil pan in the oven is all I’ve ever made.
When a friend gave me this recipe that feeds 100 people that fills up a 22-quart roaster I knew this would be important to keep in my recipe files.
The first time I made these potatoes for a crowd was for a funeral meal. While it was a celebration of a Christian woman’s life, I look forward to making this recipe again for graduation parties, holidays, big birthday or anniversary parties.
My go-to party menu is Pulled Pork in an Electric Roaster, Farmhouse Baked Beans, Salami Pepperoni Pasta Salad, and Loaded Baked Potatoes or a side dish of cheesy potatoes.
Big Batch of Potatoes For A Crowd
There are two keys to success when making a really big batch of party potatoes. First, be sure to get all of the ingredients mixed together very well. Second, to ensure the mixture cooks evenly stir often. I allow a minimum of 2.5 hours on 350℉ when stirred every 20 – 30 minutes.
Diced potatoes or hashbrowns can be used. Fresh potatoes could be used too, but pieces would need to be evenly sized to cook evenly. Potatoes at room temperature will also cook a little bit more quickly than frozen potatoes.
Cream of chicken soup could be split 50/50 with cream of mushroom soup or substituted fully for cream of mushroom soup if you really like that flavor. Keep in mind that chicken is a flavor that appeals to more people than mushrooms.
Leftovers can be allowed to cool and then refrigerated for 2-4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Tips for Making Cheesy Potatoes in a Roaster
- I like to sit potatoes and other ingredients out on the counter about an hour
- Butter must be well softened, sometimes I start with melted butter
- Southern style potatoes (tiny cubes) are easier to stir in a very large batch like this than hashbrowns
- Half of cream of chicken soup could be substituted for cream of mushroom soup
- Stir often to avoid burning in the corners and along the bottom
- Especially for the first hour I try to wipe down the sides of the roaster after stirring to help keep a neater look
- If a burnt piece surfaces during the stirring process scoop it out with a tablespoon and discard
- Lining the roasters with these foil liners does save time and scrubbing during clean up.
Serve with a green salad for a crowd and about any meat for a meal people really love!
When Are The Potatoes Done?
- Cheese will melt a while before the potatoes are soft and tender, so sample often and keep stirring to determine when the potatoes are cooked to your preferred doneness.
- The absolute fastest this funeral potatoes recipe will be done cooking is in 2.5 hours on 350℉ when stirred every 20 – 30 minutes.
- I like to allow 4 hours for the recipe to cook since it is so large and can be turned down to keep warm.
- Once potatoes have reached desired tenderness turn warm to “keep warm” and continue to stir every 20 – 30 minutes until serving.
- Electric roasters vary greatly across different sizes and different brands, so testing the recipe and keeping good notes in your own appliances is the best scenario.
How to Make Cheesy Potatoes for a Crowd
- Spray a very thick layer of non-stick cooking spray in a 22-quart roaster pan. Our use a foil liner and coat it with non-stick spray too. Turn roaster oven to 350°F.
- Pour 1/4 of potatoes in an even layer in the bottom of the pan.
- In a mixing bowl mix half of soup, half of sour cream and half of well softened or melted butter.
- Pour mixture over potatoes. Sprinkle half of cheese over soup mixture.
- Layer another 1/4 of the potatoes and mix well with a spoon.
- At this point half of all ingredients should be mixed together in the roaster.
- Add remaining potatoes in an even layer.
- Mix together remaining soup, sour cream and butter and pour over potatoes. Mix well.
- After 2 to 2.5 hours of cooking, add remaining cheese and stir well. You can reserve some to sprinkle on top at the end if desired.
- Cover with a lid and stir every 20 – 30 minutes for at least 3 hours until the potatoes have reached your preferred tenderness.
- I keep dish towels and a dishcloth handy to set lid on and help keep roaster clean.
Other Delicious Party Potato Recipes
- Scalloped Potatoes in a Roaster
- Crock Pot Twice Baked Potato Casserole
- Country Potato Salad
- Ground Beef Cheesy Potato Casserole
Cheesy Potatoes For A Crowd
Ingredients
- 3 22 ounce cans Cream of chicken soup
- 6 cups sour cream
- 6 sticks butter softened
- 12 pounds Southern Style Hashbrown Potato Cubes
- 80 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Grease a 22-quart roaster pan very well. Turn to 350°F.
- Pour 1/4 of potatoes in an even layer in the bottom of the roasting pan.
- In a mixing bowl mix half of soup, half of sour cream and half of well softened or melted butter.
- Pour mixture and half of cheese over potatoes.
- Layer another 1/4 of the potatoes and mix well with a spoon. Half of all ingredients should be mixed together in the roaster.
- Add remaining potatoes to roaster.
- Mix together remaining soup, sour cream and butter and pour over potatoes. Mix well.
- After 2 to 2.5 hours of cooking, add remaining cheese and stir well.
- Cover with a lid and stir every 20 – 30 minutes for at least 3 hours until the potatoes have reached your preferred tenderness.
Notes
- Stir every 20 – 30 minutes to avoid burning in the corners and along the bottom
- Especially for the first hour I try to wipe down the sides of the roaster after stirring to help keep a neater look
- If a burnt piece surfaces during the stirring process scoop it out with a tablespoon and discard
- The absolute fastest this recipe will be done is in 2.5 hours on 350 degrees F when stirred every 20 – 30 minutes
- I like to allow 4 hours for the recipe to cook since it is so large and can be turned down to keep warm
- Once potatoes have reached desired tenderness turn warm to “keep warm” and continue to stir every 20 – 30 minutes until serving
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There seems to be some confusion in the recipe. When is the other half of the 80 oz of cheese added? With the other half of the sour cream, cream of chicken soup, butter mixture? At the end, and then melted? Also, are you absolutely sure of the 80 oz total of cheese (5 lbs shredded)? Only 40 oz is added with the first half of potatoes. I’ve put mine on in a large roaster with a plastic liner (good to 350 deg). We’ll see how it goes. Maybe I’ll update after all is done.
Hey There! We typically layer like that to save on dishes while making it possible to mix up in the roaster. I hope the recipe worked out well for you!
How full are the roasters after filling these? I’m making 4 roasters full for a graduation party. I just realized that all 4 of my roasters are only 18 quarts. Would these work in place of the 22 quart?
Hey There! I’m not sure exactly how that would work, but I do know that stirring is the part that takes the most space. I wonder if you could put 3/4 of the recipe in a roaster to eye ball how much space it takes before adding all ingredients? If at all possible testing this recipe might decrease stress. We hope this works well for you and congrats to the grad!
Have you ever used dehydrated shredded potatoes instead of frozen hash browns? How many boxes would I need to replace the frozen ones for 100 people ? Thank you
Hey There! I have not tested this cheesy potatoes recipe, but I have this scalloped potatoes recipe with dehydrated potatoes – hope this helps 🙂 https://plowingthroughlife.com/scalloped-potatoes-for-a-crowd/
Will the .5, 1x or 2x make a roaster pan full?
Hey there! The 1x batch fills a 22 quart roaster oven and feeds approximately 100 people. Since roasters and pans come in different sizes you might want to have multiple pans ready for the extra and the ability to cook more than one batch. I would also want to make sure you have a way to support the weight if making in one or two pans. I hope the recipe works well for you!
We are planning a wedding reception. Do you know what a serving size is considered for this recipe? We are planning to serve the food and need to buy serving scoops the are roughly a serving size. Thanks for your help!
Hey There! I have not measured the exact amount – I would estimate 1/2 cup. Honestly if I were going to make this for a wedding I would make a test batch ahead of time to note how long it takes to cook in your roaster(s) as the consistency does change over time with heat. That would be a great opportunity to get measurements too. There’s so many variables that can be affected that I always recommend testing in your own kitchen with your own appliances before a big event. Hope you enjoy and have a great celebration! ~Jennifer
Where do you find large quantities of hash brown potatoes? I’m only seeing 2.5 pounds at Sam’s?
Thanks
Hi Shelley – I just grab as many bags as it takes at any store I can find them – Walmart, Kroger, Sam’s Club – to add up to the total amount that I need. I try to catch them on sale when making bigger quantities. Hope you enjoy the recipe! ~Jennifer
Hello! Question on the cheese! Recipe calls for 80oz in the ingredients portion, but the directions only mention putting in half the cheese. When do you add the other 40oz? Also, if I take my normal recipe for a 9×13 pan, it calls for 8oz of cheese then x6 for this large roasting pan… wouldn’t that only be 48oz total? Help… grad party next weekend! Thanks!!
Hey There! Thanks for asking for clarification! I like to stir in the remaining cheese after 2 to 2.5 hours of cooking. You can save a little to sprinkle on top at the end too. Good news is the last bit of cheese doesn’t take long to melt after the potatoes are fully cooked. Hope you enjoy! ~Jennifer
Hello! Making this recipe for graduation party. Just wondering if I could mix everything up in advance and just add to roaster the morning of the event? Thoughts?
Hey There! We’re prepping this recipe for a grad party right now! I haven’t tested this, but do tend to think mixing up just before cooking would be best. So we are sitting out the roaster & have all ingredients in one area of the refrigerator. I hope your party goes well! ~Jennifer