There’s a historic hotel in Louisville, Kentucky called The Brown Hotel. It opened its doors for business on October 25, 1923. One of the dishes that has won them notoriety is a hot and cheesy open-faced turkey sandwich, appropriately named the Hot Brown. In 1926, Chef Fred Schmidt created this famous sandwich as an alternative to the traditional ham and egg late-night supper. It was a quick hit with the roaring ‘20s dance patrons and has lived on to become one of the defining culinary dishes for the city of Louisville.

If you’re not in the vicinity of Louisville, or don’t plan to travel here in the near future, I will show you how to recreate this delicious Louisville original at home. With the holiday season here, you may find yourself with some leftover turkey that needs to be used, and this is an excellent way to use it. If you have not ever created a Mornay sauce, never fear!

I hope you enjoy this delicious sandwich, and if you’re ever in Louisville, I recommend stopping into the Brown Hotel to try the original famous Hot Brown.

Louisville Hot Brown Sandwich

Yield:

• 2 sandwiches

Prep Time:

• 15 minutes

Cook Time:

• 10 minutes for the sauce, 10 minutes for the bacon and 20 minutes to bake in the oven

Total Time:

• 55 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

• ½ cup all-purpose flour

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1 cup whole milk

• ½ cup Pecorino Romano cheese (shredded)

• pinch ground nutmeg

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• 14 ounces thick sliced turkey (divided for two sandwiches)

• 4 slices texas toast (crusts trimmed)

• 4 slices thick-cut bacon (crispy)

• 2 Roma tomatoes (sliced in half)

• paprika for garnish

• parsley for garnish

Directions:

Start creating the Mornay sauce by shredding the cheese to measure ½ cup and a little more for garnish. In a two quart saucepan, melt butter and slowly whisk in flour until combined and the mixture forms a thick paste (roux). Continue to cook roux for two minutes over medium low heat, stirring frequently. Whisk heavy cream and whole milk into the roux and cook over medium heat until the cream begins to simmer, about 2-3 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and slowly whisk in Pecorino Romano cheese until the sauce is smooth. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Get your bacon ready in advance to ensure your sandwich is warm when you’re ready to eat it. I recommend cooking it in the oven, but of course you can fry it as well. If you want to use the oven method, place the bacon on a foil-lined baking sheet in a 400°F oven for approximately 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the bacon. Drain on paper towels to absorb grease.

To make each Hot Brown, toast your bread, then place two slices of toast with the crusts cut off in an oven-safe dish – one slice is cut in half, corner to corner to make two triangles, and the other slice is left in a square shape - then cover with 7 ounces of turkey. Take the two halves of Roma tomato and two toast points and set them up alongside the base of the turkey and toast.

Next, pour one half of the Mornay sauce to completely cover each sandwich on an ovenproof dish or plate. Sprinkle with additional Pecorino Romano cheese. Place the entire dish in the oven. Suggested bake time is 20 minutes at 350°F. When the cheese begins to brown and bubble, remove from oven, cross two pieces of crispy bacon on top, sprinkle with paprika and parsley, and serve immediately.

Tips and Tricks:

Although crispy fried bacon is wonderful, I do recommend baking it for this recipe to ensure it lies flat for your sandwich.

Also, sometimes I finish the sandwich by garnishing with a bit of grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano and broiling it until the sauce and cheese are bubbling. Watch it closely, because you don’t want to ruin all of your hard work!

Tools:

I’ve included links to some tools and equipment you might find useful for making this recipe.