Funeral Potatoes

Ingredients:

32 oz hash browns (freshly shredded or thawed)
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
2 cups (1 pint) sour cream
2 cups shredded Monterrey and Cheddar cheese
1/2 of a medium onion, diced
1/2 - 1 Tablespoon diced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup unsalted butter, divided
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 Tablespoon paprika

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Combine onions and garlic with hash browns, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, cheese, salt and pepper and combine well.
4. Spread the mixture into a 9 x 13 inch dish.
5. Mix the panko bread crumbs with 1/2 cup of melted butter and the paprika and top the mixture.
6. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes. If bread crumbs are not golden, broil for a couple of minutes.