Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich
Discover the classic taste of Kentucky with this irresistible Kentucky Hot Brown sandwich. Layered with roast turkey, crisp bacon, and a creamy Mornay sauce, it’s perfect for brunch, lunch, or dinner.
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There are sandwiches, and then there are sandwiches. Like the New Orleans muffuletta and the infamous pimento cheese sandwich served during Augusta Nationals in Georgia, the Kentucky Hot Brown sandwich ranks right up there in sandwich lore. If you consider yourself a die-hard sandwich lover, keep reading.
What is a Kentucky Hot Brown sandwich?
The Hot Brown is a decadent open-faced turkey sandwich covered in a rich cheesy Mornay sauce, topped with pieces of crispy bacon and fresh tomatoes, then broiled until toasted. It originated in 1926 at the historic Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. The ballroom of the hotel was a favorite spot for music lovers, dancers and late-night revelers who would stop in at the hotel restaurant for a bite to eat after a night out on the town. Chef Fred Schmidt noticed his guests were growing tired of the traditional menu items, so he decided to invent a completely new dish, aptly named the Hot Brown after the hotel.
Today, the hotel sells between 400-500 of its signature dish per week. Louisville is the home of Churchill Downs, the home of the infamous Kentucky Derby horse race. On the first Saturday in May, when the derby is traditionally held, the hotel estimates it serves double that.
What is mornay sauce?
Mornay sauce is a creamy French white sauce that tastes similar to an Alfredo sauce. The main difference between a Mornay and an Alfredo sauce is the cooking technique. Mornay sauce utilizes a white roux to thicken the sauce while an Alfredo sauce is simmered until the liquid has been reduced. A traditional Mornay sauce is also made with Gruyere cheese, but the sauce for this sandwich recipe is made with Pecorino Romano cheese.
Ingredients and tools you will need
Prepare to savor the irresistible combination of flavors and textures that make this dish a true Southern classic. To make this recipe, you will need:
- 4 slices of Texas toast – this is white bread that has been sliced at double the thickness of regular sandwich bread. If you can’t find Texas toast, just substitute with plain white bread.
- 14 ounces roasted turkey breast, sliced thick
- 2 Roma tomatoes, sliced in half
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 16 ounces heavy cream
- ½ cup of grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus 2 tablespoons for garnish – this is a hard, salty Italian cheese made from sheep’s milk. If you can’t find this cheese, you can use grated Parmesan instead.
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 slices of thick-cut bacon – cooked until chewy but not crisp. We will finish cooking it under a broiler later.
- Paprika – for garnish, optional
- Chopped parsley – for garnish, optional
- Oven-safe pan – this could be anything made of stainless steel, aluminum, cast iron or ceramic. Stay away from non-stick, silicon or glass items. They are not made to withstand high heat.
- Medium saucepan – 2.5 quart minimum
How to make a Kentucky Hot Brown
- Prepare the bread. A traditional Hot Brown is served on toast with the crusts removed. You can choose to skip this step if you want. After you’ve removed the crusts from the slices of toast, cut two bread slices from corner to corner to form triangles. Lay each square in the center of an oven-safe dish. Arrange two points on either side.
- Add the turkey and tomato. Divide the thick slices of turkey breast on top of each toast square. Place the halves of Roma tomato on the toast points.
- Toast the sandwiches. Toast the sandwich in a 350-degree oven for 10 minutes until the bread is toasted and the turkey is heated through.
- Make the mornay sauce. While the sandwich is toasting, melt the butter in your saucepan. Whisk in the flour until the roux is smooth. Continue to cook the butter and flour, stirring frequently, for two minutes over medium-low heat to cook off the taste of the raw flour. Increase the burner to medium heat and slowly stir in the heavy cream. Gently simmer for 5-7 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the cheese and a pinch of nutmeg. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to your preference.
- Top the sandwiches with the sauce and bacon. Once you’ve removed the toasted sandwiches from the oven, pour a generous amount of the Mornay sauce over the top of each. Seriously, you want this thing swimming in sauce. Garnish with some additional cheese. Then top each sandwich with two bacon slices.
- Broil. Preheat the broiler. Reposition an oven rack to the top rung or at least a few inches from the broiler. Place the sandwiches under the broiler and broil until the cheese is bubbly and the slices of bacon is crisp, about 3-5 minutes. The finishing touch is a bit of paprika and chopped parsley.
Storage instructions
Hot Brown sandwiches are best served immediately. As the sandwich sits, the bread will start to absorb the sauce and become soggy. Therefore, I don’t recommend saving leftovers.
Frequently asked questions
The individual pieces of the sandwich, including the Mornay sauce, can be prepared ahead of time and stored separately. Prepare the Mornay sauce up to two days in advance and store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Reheat the sauce in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. If the sauce seems a little thick, thin it out with additional cream.
For sauce that is too thick, remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in a small amount of additional cream. For sauce that is too thin, keep simmering until the liquid has reduced.
More sandwich recipes
- Masters Pimento Cheese
- Toasted Cuban Reuben Sandwich
- Sloppy Joes from Scratch
- Mini Muffuletta Sandwiches
More Kentucky Derby recipe ideas
Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich
Ingredients
- 4 slices of Texas toast
- 14 ounces roasted turkey breast sliced thick
- 2 Roma tomatoes sliced in half
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 16 ounces heavy cream
- ½ cup of Pecorino Romano cheese plus 2 tablespoons for garnish
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 slices of thick-cut bacon cooked until chewy but not crisp
- Paprika for garnish
- Parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut the crusts off all four pieces of bread.
- Cut two of the slices in half from corner to corner to form triangles.
- Place one whole piece of bread in an oven-safe dish. Then arrange two of the triangles on each side. Repeat with the remaining bread in a second oven-safe dish.
- Divide the turkey breast equally among the two sandwiches.
- Top all four toast points with a tomato half.
- Place the sandwiches in the oven and bake until the turkey meat is heated through and the toast is golden, about 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, melt the butter in a large saucepan. Slowly whisk in the flour until both are combined and it forms a roux. Continue to cook the roux for two minutes over medium‑low heat, stirring frequently.
- Whisk in the heavy cream and cook over medium heat until the cream begins to simmer, about 5-7 minutes.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and slowly whisk in the Pecorino Romano cheese until the sauce is smooth.
- Add the nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Next, pour one-half of the Mornay sauce over one sandwich, completely covering the dish.
- Repeat over the second sandwich.
- Garnish both sandwiches with additional Pecorino Romano cheese.
- Cross two pieces of the bacon on top.
- Place the sandwiches under a broiler until the cheese begins to brown and bubble and the bacon is crisp, about 3-5 minutes.
- Remove the sandwiches from the broiler. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley, and serve immediately.
