What is a Kentucky Hot Brown?
I’m so glad you asked. A friend of mine, Leah, has been talking about the Kentucky Hot Brown for the three and a half years I’ve known her and we’ve been trying to get together in my kitchen so that she can teach the uninitiated (me) how to make one for just about as long. The Hot Brown was created at the Brown Hotel in Louisville in 1923. You can get all the details at Bunkycooks’ site where she goes into great detail about the history of the decadent sandwich with a story, beautiful photos, video and a recipe.
It’s not a complicated recipe and chances are you have all the ingredients in your kitchen right now, but there was just something about having a Louisville native in the house to show me how to do it right that made it special — my friend Leah, a right proper Kentuckian, she is. There’s no way not to have fun when Leah’s around and as a bonus, the fact that eating something as rich, creamy and oozing with cheddar cheese as this hot sandwich can be done within the boundaries of a weight loss program surprised the heck out of me.
One serving is all you can have, but it’s so satisfying, so rich and filling that you’d be hard pressed to overeat something like this. Think of it as a kicked up cheese fondue sandwich with tomatoes and bacon. Oh! Oh! I got you there, didn’t I? Bacon — it hit you hard, didn’t it? The beauty of it is that two rashers of bacon will cost you just 2 Weight Watchers Points Plus values and we used 5 for the 6 serving Hot Brown!
Yes, you CAN have bacon and not feel guilty about it. No need to substitute some fake food product to help you satisfy your smoky, salty bacon craving. Pair it with a 7.5 point Mint Julep and you’ve got a pretty high-falutin’ Derby delicacy. I can do without a 7 point drink, but for those of you that want to celebrate in style, how’s that for good news?
Before the recipe, check out the making of a Kentucky Hot Brown with Leah. For authentic Derby music, check out Run for the Roses by Jackson Browne.
| Kentucky Hot Brown |
- 3 tbsp unsalted Butter
- 3 tbsp all purpose Flour
- 1- 1/4 cups whole milk, heated to just take the chill off
- 2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 5 slices Italian Bread
- 8 ounces sliced or cubed cooked Turkey Breast
- 5 slices cooked Bacon
- 2 small Tomatoes, Sliced
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
- Preheat oven to 350º
- Melt butter in a saucepan or a skillet on medium heat.
- When melted and bubbling, add flour, stirring constantly. Cook until flour is fully incorporated, whisking for a few minutes until no lumps appear and the sauce is thick. *Note — This is a roux. For a New Orleans style dish, you’ll continue cooking until it becomes a chocolate brown, but for a lighter sauce or gravy, you’ll just want to cook until the flavor of the flour has decreased.
- Slowly incorporate the milk, whisking constantly. The mixture will begin to thicken.
- Add cheddar cheese and stir until fully melted. *NOTE: This is a Béchamel sauce or a “Mother” sauce. It’s sublime in lasagne and if you’re making baked Macaroni & Cheese, or Nachos this will be what you need to get your cheese to melt and not become a lump once it hits the cooler air outside of the oven.
- In an oven proof baking pan or casserole dish, place bread slices in one layer.
- Add turkey.
- Spoon finished cheese sauce to cover the entire pan.
- Place in hot oven and bake for 20 minutes. The cheese sauce on the side of the pan will be golden brown.
- Pull the casserole out of the oven and top with bacon and tomatoes.
- Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese on top and put back in the oven.
- Continue baking for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
This decadent sandwich will cost you just 11 Weight Watchers Points Plus values! Serve it with a side of fruit and you’ve got the perfect lunch or supper.
Leah and I are planning a Matzo Ball Soup get together soon, so be sure to watch out for that one! The soup takes a long time to make, so we’ll make other food as well and it might be time to fire up the broadcast and show you how it’s really done in the kitchen on Justin.tv just like the “old days”. It’s been a long time. I’ll let you know via Twitter and Facebook if that’s the plan and you can “come into my kitchen” and watch us cook via live streaming video.
