Looking for a delicious and different potato side dish? Try this cheesy potato casserole from the 1960s. It’s a retro recipe that your whole family will love.
My favorite food group is potatoes. I love them in almost every form. They are a big reason why you won’t see me on any of the low carb diets.
The dish I look forward to the most every Thanksgiving and Christmas is mashed potatoes. I always make enough that I have a ton leftover.
I love just simple mashed potatoes with butter, cream, salt, and pepper but I also love to add cheese and garlic sometimes. Those are two more of my favorite foods.
When looking through Betty Crocker’s Hostess Cookbook from 1967, I saw a recipe for a cheesy potato casserole. I was prepared for it to have mayo or jello in it since so many mid-century recipes do, but this one looked pretty “normal.”
It did have one different ingredient, corn flakes. While different it didn’t sound bad, a little crunch on the top of potatoes sounded interested.
The original recipe did call for mashed Potato Buds, which are instant potatoes. I don’t allow instant potatoes in my house. They just don’t compare to the real thing.
I decided I could make this dish with real mashed potatoes and make it even better. I did also up the amount of cheese and seasoning because the original amounts were a bit bland if you ask me.
This would be a great side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas. You can prep it ahead of time and heat it about 30-40 minutes, depending on how cold it is, before the meal. It also would be easy to double this dish for a bigger crowd.
Vintage Cheesy Potato Casserole

A fun vintage potato casserole recipe the whole family will enjoy.
Ingredients
- 6 cups mashed potatoes
- 1 teaspoon garlic
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 1/2 cups corn flakes (crushed)
- 2 tablespoons butter (softened)
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Prepare your mashed potatoes with salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir in garlic, parsley, and cheese. Taste to see if you want more seasoning.
- Pour into a 8-inch square pan.
- Mix remaining ingredients and sprinkle over the potatoes.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 456 Total Fat: 29g Saturated Fat: 14g Trans Fat: 2g Unsaturated Fat: 10g Cholesterol: 65mg Sodium: 1017mg Carbohydrates: 33g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 3g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 17g
More Vintage Recipes
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Jen T
For extra crunch, I like adding French fried onions to potato casseroles. 🙂
Deanna Piercy
I remember a couple of different potato casseroles with cornflake toppings but not on mashed potatoes. Sounds delicious!