Easy Potato Casserole With Cream Cheese and Chives

Easy potato casserole recipe

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 65 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Yield: 1 casserole

This potato casserole is a nice alternative to scalloped potatoes, potatoes gratin (dauphinoise), or plain boiled or mashed potatoes. The cream cheese and chives make this into a rich and delicious dish. It's an excellent potato side for a holiday or special occasion, or make it and take it to a potluck dinner.

The potatoes are briefly cooked in boiling water and then they're baked with the easy cream cheese and chive sauce. Add some diced cooked bacon to the cheese mixture or top the casserole with shredded cheese or buttered breadcrumbs just before it's done.

This casserole goes well with just about anything you want to serve it with for dinner. A few suggestions: Try enjoying it with some baked pork chops, sliced roast beef, chicken thighs, or hamburgers, and include a salad or a side dish of your favorite veggies.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups cubed potatoes, from about 4 to 5 large potatoes

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, for greasing dish

  • 1 cup milk

  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh or frozen chives, plus more for ​garnish

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon dried minced onion

  • 1 dash paprika

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for easy potato casserole with cream cheese and chives recipe gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cook potatoes in a saucepan with 1 teaspoon salt in boiling water to cover for 15 minutes or until tender; and drain.

    Potatoes in a metal colander

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Place cooked potatoes in a shallow, lightly buttered 2-quart casserole dish.

    Potatoes in a casserole dish

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and cream cheese, stirring until the cheese has melted.

    Heating milk and cream cheese

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  5. Add the chives, salt, pepper, and dried onion.

    Add chives, salt, pepper, and dried onion

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  6. Pour over potatoes.

    Pour sauce over potatoes

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  7. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.

    Bake potatoes

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  8. Sprinkle with paprika and more chives, if desired.

    Sprinkle with paprika and more chives

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  9. Serve and enjoy.

    Potato casserole

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Recipe Variations

  • If you like an added crunch, try making this delicious crumb topping. Combine 1 cup of fresh breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Toss to coat the crumbs thoroughly. Sprinkle the crumbs over the casserole just before it goes into the oven.
  • If you like a little bit more cheese to your dishes, sprinkle with about 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese about 10 minutes before the casserole is done.
  • Add some diced cooked bacon, approximately 4 to 5 slices, and combine with the cheese mixture before putting on the potatoes.
  • Omit the dried onions, if desired.

Tips

  • If you want to save a little bit of time, go ahead and cube and boil the potatoes up the night before.
  • Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes are good choices to use for this potato casserole dish.

How to Store and Freeze

Any leftovers of this potato casserole can be covered and kept in the refrigerator for two to three days. This casserole can also be put in airtight freezer-safe containers and frozen for up to one month. Freeze it all in one container or make single-serve portions.


To reheat, if casserole is still in a casserole dish, let it come to room temperature while you're preheating the oven to 350 F. Then cover and put in the oven for approximately 20 to 25 minutes or until warm.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
189 Calories
7g Fat
27g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 189
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 9%
Saturated Fat 4g 22%
Cholesterol 21mg 7%
Sodium 171mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 27g 10%
Dietary Fiber 3g 9%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 11mg 55%
Calcium 85mg 7%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 690mg 15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)