Kentucky Hot Brown

Name: Kentucky Hot Brown
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/4 cup unsalted butter; 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; 3 cups whole milk, warmed; 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated; 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp white pepper; 8 slices sourdough bread, thick sliced; 1 1/2 lbs roasted turkey breast, thick sliced; 2 Roma tomatoes, sliced; 8 bacon strips, cooked until crisp; to taste paprika; 2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped

A luxurious open-faced sandwich created at Louisville's Brown Hotel in the 1920s, featuring thick-sliced turkey on toast smothered in Mornay sauce, then broiled until bubbly and garnished with bacon and tomato. This decadent dish was originally crafted as an elegant alternative to late-night ham and egg suppers for hotel guests.

35 minMediumServes 4580 cal/serving

AmericanLunchStovetop and OvenStandardHigh ProteinAlcohol-FreeCorn-Free

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Ingredients

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk, warmed
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
8 slices sourdough bread, thick sliced
1 1/2 lbs roasted turkey breast, thick sliced
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
8 bacon strips, cooked until crisp
to taste paprika
2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped

Instructions

1

Preheat the broiler in your oven.
2

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 1/4 cup unsalted butter. Add 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and cook, whisking constantly, for about 2 minutes to make a roux.
3

Gradually whisk in the 3 cups warmed whole milk and continue cooking, whisking frequently, until the sauce thickens and can coat the back of a spoon, about 5-7 minutes.
4

Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp white pepper. Whisk until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. This is your Mornay sauce. Set aside and keep warm.
5

Arrange 8 slices thick sliced sourdough bread slices on a baking sheet and toast them lightly under the broiler, about 1-2 minutes per side. Remove from broiler.
6

For each hot brown, place 2 slices of toast on an oven-safe plate or in an individual gratin dish. Top each with several slices of 1 1/2 lbs thick sliced roasted turkey breast.
7

Place a slice of 2 sliced Roma tomatoes alongside the turkey on each plate.
8

Pour a generous amount of Mornay sauce over the turkey and bread, completely covering them.
9

Place the prepared plates under the broiler until the sauce is bubbly and speckled with golden brown spots, about 3-4 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
10

Remove from the broiler and cross two pieces of 8 cooked until crisp bacon strips on top of each hot brown.
11

Sprinkle with to taste paprika and garnish with 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives.
12

Serve immediately while still hot and bubbly.

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Questions

What should Kentucky Hot Brown look like when it is ready?

Go by the cues in the method rather than the clock. Step 9: cook until the sauce is bubbly and speckled with golden brown spots. Step 10: cook until crisp bacon strips on top of each hot brown.

Is there a substitute for Parmesan in Kentucky Hot Brown?

The entry for Kentucky Hot Brown calls for 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated. In its place: Pecorino Romano or Grana Padano, measure for measure. For dairy-free, use nutritional yeast at half the volume.

Can I use turkey bacon instead of bacon in Kentucky Hot Brown?

Yes. Turkey bacon renders almost no fat, so add a tablespoon of oil wherever the method counts on the drippings. As written, the entry for Kentucky Hot Brown uses 8 bacon strips, cooked until crisp.

Can I make Kentucky Hot Brown dairy-free?

Yes. The dairy in Kentucky Hot Brown is 1/4 cup unsalted butter, 3 cups whole milk, warmed, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated. Swap the butter for olive oil where it melts, or a plant-based block butter where it is creamed; the milk for unsweetened oat or soy milk; the cheese for a plant-based melting cheese (expect a milder flavor). The richness shifts slightly, but the method does not change.

Can I make Kentucky Hot Brown gluten-free?

Yes. The gluten in Kentucky Hot Brown is 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 8 slices sourdough bread, thick sliced. Swap the flour for a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking blend (where it only thickens a sauce, half as much cornstarch also works); the bread or crumbs for a gluten-free loaf or gluten-free panko. Everything else proceeds as written.

How much protein is in Kentucky Hot Brown?

One serving (the recipe makes 4) has 42 g of protein in about 580 calories, alongside 38 g carbohydrate and 20 g fat, plus 1 g fiber and 680 mg sodium. The figures are estimates computed from the ingredient list. More like it: the high-protein lunch collection.

How long does Kentucky Hot Brown keep?

Refrigerate what is left of Kentucky Hot Brown within two hours and eat it within three days. Reheat covered in a 300 F oven until warmed through.

Serve it with

Garlic Roasted Green Beans with Almonds side
Southern Wedge Salad salad
She-Crab Soup soup
Cinnamon Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso drink

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