These dairy and gluten free cheesy potatoes are really easy to make but perfect for a special occasion. If you’re worried about making cheesy potatoes without gluten, butter, and real cheese, have no fear - these potatoes will be enjoyed by everyone!
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Some type of potato dish will always find its way onto our table during a holiday. At Christmas time, we always have twice-baked potatoes. Summer holidays are most likely a cold dish like potato salad. But our go-to potato dish at Easter time is dairy free cheesy potatoes!
This dish is really easy to make and makes a large batch perfect for hosting a crowd. Also, these potatoes have a comforting quality which is probably why they are sometimes called funeral potatoes. The best part is that they’re really tasty - even to those who don’t need to avoid common allergens like dairy, wheat, and eggs.
Dairy free ingredients
You’ll need a few special ingredients to make these cheesy potatoes:
Dairy free margarine - I use Earth Balance which never fails me in recipes. While it doesn’t taste exactly like butter, it does have a buttery flavor that works well in this dish.
Dairy free cheese - I use cheddar-style shreds in this dish. There are several options out there but the brands I have tested are Daiya and Violife. Both work well in this recipe and seem to be widely available at larger grocery stores.
Tip: I store dairy-free cheese in the freezer so it doesn’t spoil in the refrigerator. It is really easy to separate and get the amount that you need when frozen and then I can stock up and use it when I need it.
Dairy free milk - We don’t avoid soy in our house so I often use soy milk in cooking and baking. With that said, I have used rice milk in this dish and I think oat milk would also work well. Just make sure whatever milk substitute you use, it's a plain, unflavored variety of dairy free milk.
Aren't all cheesy potatoes gluten free?
Not all cheesy potatoes are gluten free, but these are!
Sometimes cheesy potatoes are made with flour or cream soup of some kind which can contain gluten but I don’t use those ingredients. Be sure to check the label on the hashbrown potatoes that you use to make sure they are gluten free.
What kind of potatoes should I use?
You can use any kind of shredded potato. I use Simply Potatoes which you can find in the refrigerator section at the grocery store. These are fresh potatoes that have been shredded making them a very convenient option.
According to their website, all varieties have been confirmed to be gluten free and the hash brown potatoes are free from dairy, soy, and egg.
Recipe variations
This recipe is a lighter version of typical cheesy potatoes. Don't worry, they're still delicious without all of the saturated fat and calories! With that said, you might like more cheese than what I use and that's totally fine! You can add more if you'd like!
Sometimes people like to add some bacon to their cheesy potatoes. I mean, people like to add bacon to everything so why not cheesy potatoes, right? You can certainly mix some bacon bits in this recipe, too. It won't ruin it! 😉
Serving suggestions
You can create so many delicious meals around this dish! We recently had a grilled flank steak and roasted asparagus along with these potatoes. A delicious Sunday dinner!
They would also be delicious alongside this easy eggless meatloaf or these gluten free meatballs.
Our traditional Easter menu includes baked ham, these cheesy potatoes, sauteed green beans or a green salad, fruit salad, and fruit pizza for dessert. Yum!
More allergy friendly recipes
📖 Recipe
Dairy and Gluten Free Cheesy Potatoes
Ingredients
- Safe cooking spray
- 2 20 ounce bags of shredded hash brown potatoes about 8 cups (I use Simply Potatoes)
- ⅓ cup dairy free margarine
- 3 cups plain dairy free milk such as soy, rice, or oat
- 1 ½ cups dairy free cheddar style cheese shreds divided (we like Daiya or Violife
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish or 3-quart casserole dish with safe cooking spray. Place the hashbrowns in the dish and set them aside.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the margarine over medium heat. When melted, add the milk, 1 cup dairy free cheese, salt, and pepper and stir. Cook for 8 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Pour the milk mixture over the potatoes and stir gently. (Don't worry - the mixture will be watery but the potatoes will soak up the moisture while baking). Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the remaining ½ cup cheese over the top. Bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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Brenda says
Can these be frozen?
Kristi Winkels, RDN, LD says
Yes, they can! Just let them thaw before baking them. Thanks for stopping by!
Alisa says
I am going to try making this for my son who has a dairy allergy. Do you think I could add cornflakes on top with this recipe?
Kristi Winkels, RDN, LD says
Hi Alisa,
I haven't tested this recipes with cornflakes on top but I think it would be good! If you try it, let me know how it turns out!
Tina says
Made these for Mother’s Day and everyone loved them. Didn’t tell them they were gluten and dairy free until after. They never knew the difference, I used unsweetened almond milk.
Sooooo good can’t wait to make again!
Kristi Winkels, RDN, LD says
That's great, Tina! Thanks for your comment and rating, I really appreciate it!
Leslie says
Do you think these could be made in a crockpot? Trying to plan Easter dinner and free up the oven.
Thanks!
Kristi Winkels, RDN, LD says
Hi Leslie,
Yes, I have made these in a crockpot before but didn't keep notes about exactly how long I cooked them. To prepare them first, I put the potatoes in the slow cooker and made the sauce on the stovetop. Pour the sauce over the potatoes in the slow cooker and stir well. I would recommend slow cooking for 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low and stirring at least once, halfway through the cooking time. Top the potatoes with cheese when there are about 20 minutes left to cook. I hope you enjoy them!
Jenn says
Can I prep these in advance and then keep them in the fridge when I don't have time to prepare right before I need to put them in the oven?
Kristi Winkels, RDN, LD says
Hi Jenn, Yes you can prepare these the day before and refrigerate them until you are ready to bake them. I would plan on baking them for an additional 20 minutes if you’re putting them in the oven cold. To reduce the baking time a bit, let the dish sit at room temp for 30 minutes before baking. Hope that helps! Enjoy!
Henrietta Irwin says
Hubby has a lung disease requiring him to be on oxygen 24/7. We are trying to cut out dairy and wheat, hoping it will help him. He was pretty bummed about not being able to have his favourite, ham and hash brown casserole. Well I made this recipe last night and we were delighted with the creamy deliciousness of it. I used oat milk and Parmela shredded cheese, and added cubed ham and a tin of sliced mushrooms and WOW! Thanks so much!
Kristi Winkels, RDN, LD says
Hi Henrietta, Thank you so much for your comment. I'm so glad that you and your hubby enjoyed the dish! All of the recipes here are dairy and wheat free so be sure to check out the recipe index for more. Best wishes to you and your husband!
Rebecca says
This turned out delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
Kristi says
So glad to hear it, Rebecca! Thanks for your comment!
Julie says
These cheesy potatoes are so good- my whole family couldn’t believe they were gluten and dairy free! 👏