This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure.
If you're looking for true comfort food, look no further than this Kentucky hot brown recipe consists of turkey, bread, tomato, Mornay sauce and bacon.
Who doesn't love comfort food? From corned beef poutine to baked cheddar mac and cheese to chicken paprikash.
If you look up the definition of comfort food, it is food that provides a nostalgic or sentimental value to someone, and may be characterized by its high caloric nature, high carbohydrate level, or simple preparation.
While I didn't grow up having the Kentucky hot brown, it definitely checks boxes 2-4 of the previous definition.
For those that follow the blog, you know I try to balance healthy recipes with tasty recipes that might be a little higher on the calorie end. It's all about balance and today is one of those dishes I really enjoy, but only have once a year. It actually started a couple of years ago when I wanted to make something specifically for the Kentucky Derby.
The first thing that came to mind was the Kentucky hot brown, which was made famous by The Brown Hotel in Louisville. After making it once, I instantly decided to make it a tradition.
Today is obviously not the Derby, but you don't need that as a reason to make this comforting dish. If you've never had one, you truly are missing out, but now is the day to change that.
Jump to:
Ingredient Notes
- Turkey - bone-in turkey breast works best as it has the most flavor, but you can use boneless too.
- Half-and-half - the base for the Mornay sauce.
- Cheese - the Pecorino Romano adds a strong, tangy flavor to the Mornay sauce.
- Bread - you want thickly sliced bread so it can soak up some of the sauce.
- Tomatoes - adds some acid and freshness to the dish.
- Bacon - added texture and flavor. I mean who doesn't love bacon?
Ingredient Swaps
As with any recipe, you can mix up some of the ingredients. Some variations include:
- Turkey is the traditional protein, but chicken can be used as well.
- I like half-and-half as the base for the sauce, but heavy cream or whole milk work too.
- Pecorino Romano is what is used in a traditional Kentucky hot brown recipe, but Parmesan, Cheddar or Gruyère are good substitutes.
Step-by-Step Photos
Rub butter all over turkey and season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet in a preheat oven at 450°F. Immediately lower to 350°F and roast for 1 hour or until turkey is done.
Melt butter over medium heat in saucepan. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in the half-and-half and cook until it simmers. Remove from heat and whisk in the cheese as well as a pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Assemble the hot browns. Place one piece of toast before adding ½ lb of turkey. Add some sliced tomato on top before pouring ¾ cup of the sauce over top. Sprinkle some cheese and broil for 2 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with two slices of bacon, paprika and parsley.
FAQs
Created late at night at The Brown Hotel, head chef Fred Schmidt used what he had in the kitchen and decided to name it after the hotel.
A Mornay sauce is just a fancy word for a cheese sauce or béchamel. It is usually made with Gruyère but we make it with Pecorino Romano.
You want to use thickly cut bread so Challah, sourdough, Ciabatta or even white bread all work.
No. I just like the look of them but understand not everyone has mini cast iron skillets. You can simply just place the hot browns on a baking sheet.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Don’t use pre-shredded cheese. It doesn’t taste as good and also has additional ingredients that you don’t need.
- When making the Mornay sauce, you must stir constantly as it heats up and becomes thick. Otherwise you’ll have burnt half-and-half on the bottom.
- You know the turkey is done when you insert a thermometer in the breast and it reaches 165°F. The key is finding the right part of the breast and making sure the thermometer doesn’t touch the bone.
Other Turkey Recipes
If you’ve tried this Kentucky hot brown recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Kentucky Hot Brown
Ingredients
Roasted Turkey
- 2 lb bone-in turkey breast
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- salt and pepper
Hot Brown
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 3 cups half-and-half
- ½ cup Pecorino Romano cheese, plus extra for garnish
- pinch of ground nutmeg
- salt and pepper
- 2 lb turkey breasts, sliced thinly
- 4 slices thick bread
- 8 slices bacon
- 4 Roma tomatoes, cut in half
- pinch of paprika
- fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
Roasted Turkey
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Pat the turkey dry with paper towel. Rub the turkey breast all over with butter and loosen the skin and rub some butter into the meat under the skin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on rack in a roasting pan.
- Place the turkey in the oven and immediately lower to 350°F. Roast for 1 hour and then begin checking temperature. (All depends on how thick turkey is). The turkey is done once the temperature reaches 165°F. Check every 15 minutes until it's done. Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes with loosely covered aluminum foil.
Hot Brown
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and slowly whisky in flour until combined to form a roux. Cook roux for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Whisk in the half-and-half and cook until it begins to simmer, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in cheese until the sauce is smooth. Add pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- For each hot brown, use a mini iron skillet and place one piece of bread on the bottom. Place about ½ lb sliced turkey on top of the bread and then a slice of tomato. Pour about ¾ cup of the sauce over the turkey, covering everything. Sprinkle with some additional cheese. Place under broiler for about 2 minutes or until cheese begins to brown and bubble.
- Remove from the oven and cross two pieces of bacon over top. Sprinkle with some paprika and fresh parsley.
Notes
- Don’t use pre-shredded cheese. It doesn’t taste as good and also has additional ingredients that you don’t need.
- When making the Mornay sauce, you must stir constantly as it heats up and becomes thick. Otherwise you’ll have burnt half-and-half on the bottom.
- You know the turkey is done when you insert a thermometer in the breast and it reaches 165°F. The key is finding the right part of the breast and making sure the thermometer doesn’t touch the bone.
Leave a Reply