If you’ve ever been to a church potluck, a holiday brunch, or basically any gathering in the South, you’ve had some version of my lightened up potato casserole… without the lightened up part. (A lot of you know them as funeral potatoes!) Cream of chicken soup, a full block of cheddar, a whole stick of butter, sour cream by the cup… and that crunchy cornflake topping that makes the whole thing impossible to stop eating. Yum.
I love that casserole. I’m not trying to replace it. But I am trying to eat it with my health goals in mind, and the original version doesn’t exactly cooperate. So, finally I rebuilt it. Nonfat Greek yogurt in place of most of the sour cream, light butter, reduced-fat cheese, and just enough cream of chicken soup to keep the flavor grounded where it belongs. The cornflake topping stays (obviously), and each serving comes in at 244 calories with 11 grams of protein.
It’s a regular on our Thanksgiving table, right next to my husband’s rotisserie air fryer turkey breast and his tart, no sugar added cranberry relish. (And yes, we still save room for pumpkin pie in a jar.)
Lightened Up
Potato Casserole
11g protein per serving
90 minutes to bake
9 ingredients + topping
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients
Casserole
935g frozen diced southern style potatoes (2lb bag), defrosted
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
240ml cream of chicken soup (1 cup)
240g light sour cream (1 cup)
255g nonfat plain Greek yogurt (1 cup)
56g melted light butter (1/4 cup)
224g reduced fat cheddar cheese (8oz), shredded
Topping
120g corn flakes (4 cups), lightly crushed
56g melted light butter (1/4 cup)
Directions
- Defrost potatoes completely (refrigerator overnight or counter for 2 hours). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9×13 pan with olive oil spray.
- In a large bowl, mix together the salt, pepper, garlic salt, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, yogurt, melted butter, and cheese. Fold in the defrosted potatoes.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared 9×13 pan and spread evenly.
- For the topping: In a medium bowl, mix together the corn flakes and melted butter until the flakes are evenly coated. Sprinkle on top of the casserole.
- Bake for about 90 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender and the topping is lightly browned.
If You're Looking For More
My full cookbook A Month of Family Dinners is available now.
Interested in tracking? My Macro Counting Starter Kit has a full beginner guide to tracking macros, plus a progress tracking spreadsheet... everything you need for your first month, all in one download.
Looking for personalized macro coaching from a mom who gets it? I keep it affordable with no contracts, limited spots. Learn more here.
Or, browse a few of my family-tested recipes that fit right into your week ⬇️
Nutrition Info
Search MyFitnessPal for:
RJF Lightened Up Potato Casserole
Per Serving:
244 calories
11g protein | 28g carbs |
10g fat
+3g fiber
I’m a mom of three who fell in love with nutrition and strength training after having kids. Now I create simple, high-protein recipes and healthy living ideas that help busy moms fuel their families well and make nourishing food a normal part of everyday life.