Hot Brown

About This Recipe

My first introduction to a Kentucky Hot Brown (sandwich) was in 2015 when my dear friend and mentor Doug Hooper invited me to his annual hot brown get together. Traditionally held each year the Friday after Thanksgiving, the event would require the cooking of 2 turkeys, copious amounts of bacon, and a decadent, artery hardening cheese sauce. Toast served as the base of this open faced sandwich. Dozens and dozens of these tasty treats would get prepared and be consumed. Sadly the annual tradition ended in 2017 with Doug’s passing. I have tried over the years to recreate Doug’s cheese sauce, it was thicker and richer than the usual typical Mornay Sauce used in the sandwich’s original recipe. Mine isn’t as good as his creation, but maybe it’s a little bit healthier.

Fun fact: The hot brown is named for Louisville’s Brown Hotel. Created in 1926, the sandwich is a cross between a welsh rarebit and a croque-monsieur. It is a great use for your Thanksgiving turkey leftovers. I actually can not wait to try this iconic Kentucky meal in March 2022, when I attend the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Convention in Louisville. Oh, and I will be eating it at the Brown Hotel with a shot of Bourbon. It is Kentucky after all.

Ingredients & Instructions

CHEESE SAUCE

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups whole milk
2 cups grated sharp white cheddar
¼ cup grated parmesan
Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
1-2 teaspoons of ground mustard (not in original recipe but a natural pairing with anything melted cheese)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Melt butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan.
Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute.
Gradually whisk in milk (I warmed milk first in microwave) whisking constantly until thickened and the flour has cooked out, 4-5 minutes.
Whisk in cheese and cook until cheese has melted.
Season with nutmeg, ground mustard, salt and pepper to taste.

EVERYTHING ELSE

8 slices of slab bacon, cooked until crisp
4 thick slices day old white bread (or use Texas Toast cooked to package instructions)
1 pound of leftover turkey, sliced
2-3 ripe beefsteak tomatoes cut into ½ inch thick slices *some recipes cook slices until charred
½ cup parmesan
Finely chopped parsley for taste and garnish

Cook the bacon in the oven or on the stove top until crisp.
Prepare Texas toast according to package directions or toast bread under broiler just a minute to toast up.
Get ready to assemble!
Place all 4-6 pieces of toast spaced out on a baking sheet and top each slice of bread with 2-3 slices of turkey, 1-2 slices of tomato and ladle the sauce over the top.
Sprinkle a tablespoon or so of parmesan cheese on top of the sauce and then broil until lightly browned and bubbly.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and top each slice with 2 slices of bacon and sprinkle with parsley.

This dish is best eaten with knife and fork. Hope you enjoy. Here’s to you Doug!

**Please note that the original 1926 recipe called for adding 1/2 cup more parmesan and cheddar cheese on top of the sauce before broiling. This is why I called it artery hardening. : ) I think my version is healthier, if only slightly.