Sweeney Potatoes Recipe (2024)

Why all the negative comments about this holiday dish, it’s not for daily consumption. If when you read it and it doesn’t appeal to you move on to another that does.

Simply type in the ingredients into Google -hash browns, cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar and about 30 somewhat similar recipes appear. I do that all the time when I have ingredients but no inspiration. I type in the ingredients I do have and Google rises to the occasion. I come to The Times for ideas and sometimes techniques.

As I read the notes I saw that there was a problem with curdling. Sam’s recipe calls for whole milk, if you used anything with a less fat, including low fat sour cream, curdling will most likely happen. The fat stabilizes the milk. If you want to use lower fat items you need to lower the oven temperature and increase the cook time.

I'm confused. This is an entirely different recipe.

America's Test Kitchen did an article on this recently. American cheese has sodium citrate in it which is ridiculously good at preventing cheese separation- it changes the protein structure of the cheese in such a way that the water and the fat can't separate out.

Yes, I will be making it 2 days ahead and in the fridge tightly wrapped in plastic and foil, then remove plastic and foil when baking at 350 degrees for about an hour on Thanksgiving...so convenient!

Did you say, "margarine?" If you really truly want "healthy," never ever use margarine. It is extremely unhealthy: transfats, and a very toxic manufacturing process. If you want "healthy," please consider using real butter. Butter is NOT the dietary villain that it was made out to be in the misguided, unscientific-based "low fat" era of the 80's and 90's. The current science does not support using vegetable oils and margarine.

We bake the russet potatoes, five large ones, instead of boiling, then scoop out the insides and mash roughly, and add 2 cups sour cream, and one melted cube of butter, (or less) but also use a can of low fat cream of chicken soup for richer flavor, plus shredded cheddar to taste and also a package of chopped green onions...no milk...you can also use low fat sour cream but it's not as good...Everyone dies for this dish!

I believe it was elsewhere in the Times the suggestion to use evaporated milk as it holds up better in the cooking. I've tried this with fresh potatoes, but honestly frozen hash browns make it none the worse and are so much easier for a holiday.

Use heavy cream instead of milk and it won't curdle.

Because it's a holiday? Most of us don't eat this way all the time, but it's wonderful once in a while. I suggest you try it... or not.

Because it is delicious. What if we die tomorrow? I eat healthy, but I allow myself to splurge. My vet who lived a very healthy lifestyle died in a plane crash at 46. I hope he had a nice meal before he left us.

It’s a different recipe, isn’t it?

There are so many versions of this casserole, it would be hard to get it "wrong." For me 2 lbs of frozen hash browns win every time (don't buy the brand with the red bag & hyphenated name. They are not as flavorful as Mr. Dell's.) They MUST thaw completely! Add at least 1 cup thin-sliced scallions w/green parts; 1 can each cream of chicken & cream of mushroom soup; seasoned salt & black pepper; 16 oz. Daisy lite sour cream; 8 oz. grated cheddar. 350 for 35-40 mins

I've made this dish three times now. Comes out great every time. Potato purists complain it doesn't honor the potato, with all that cheese and butter. They are dumb. People who love cheesy potatoes love this dish. And you will too. I usually make this when I'm serving a ham. And there's always an inevitable Navy Bean soup afterwards. Add your leftover potatoes for a little oomph.

Are we supposed to peel the potatoes first?

Our typical big group potato dish is Molly Stevens Party Potatoes; mashed potatoes but with cream cheese and sour cream. The “funeral potato” version of this recipe, with a can of soup and cornflakes is also a midwest potluck staple but this is like a perfect middle ground between the two, just as easy as the soup version and everyone loved it. My only note is that maybe I’d just mix some cheese in next time, rather than layer it.

I followed the recipe exactly and my cheese sauce also curdled. Could it have been because the potatoes were still warm when I added them to the sauce. Definitely would have been better if it was creamy.

I made this with a thawed pkg of frozen diced potatoes, 1 tbsp of Penzey's Bavarian seasoning, and a crumbled sleeve of pseudo-Ritz crackers. Used half-n-half in place of the whole milk. I forgot the butter and I only had about a cup of shredded Mexican-blend cheese. I also browned a roll of Jones pork sausage and added that. Came out great! I love the base recipe.

I followed the recipe with no changes. Delicious. Quite filling, so small portions are best.

Add 1/2 the cheese with potatoes and sprinkle rest before baking. Higher temp

Why all the hate? I eat healthy most of the time but I am relaxed enough to know that the occasional splurge won’t kill me. I never understand the food stalkers who read a recipe just to harp on the nutritional value of it. This was delicious, I added some white wine and used cream of mushroom soup instead of the cream cheese. I also added some chopped onion which I cooked in a pan first.

Made a half recipe which was enough for three meals for two adults! Fit nicely in a 9x9 inch pyrex pan.This is basically pre-chopped, pre-mixed baked potato. It tastes just like a baked potato with sour cream and parsley and cheese that Mom/Dad cut up for you to eat at a nice restaurant.If making a half recipe, keep all ingredients the same except do three-quarters amount of cheese.Good for company if they're older/pickier eaters.

Tried a lighter version with light: cream cheese, sour cream, Mexican cheese blend, cooking spray on the dish, half the melted butter. It was still an awesome dish and I don’t feel like I have to wait for the holidays to enjoy it.

adding a small amount of diced red and green bell peppers gives it some Christmas colors. I just add enough for color since I find bell pepper's can take over the flavor, eps. leftovers.

This is the most fantastic potato recipe EVER! Haha! Mos def not healthy but whooo cares! So satisfying with broiled chicken thighs and roasted carrots/cabbage. Wootwoot!

PS I used jalapeno cream cheese, which added a wee bit of a kick.

I have made this for years. Recently, due to becoming lazy I’ve used homestyle cubed frozen hash browns. No cubing, just dump and mix and once baked no one can tell the difference. It is a family favorite.

It tasted very good, as something with copious amounts of butter, milk, cheese, sour cream and potatoes would taste good. In spite of all those "superstar" ingredients, I felt like it was missing a little something special -a surprise somewhere or something splashy.