This Louisville classic is a big part of the Kentucky Derby tradition! The open-faced turkey sandwich is covered in a rich mornay sauce; in this recipe, we make a skillet-sized version that you can serve directly from the pan. 

Level
Intermediate
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Serves
2-4

Ingredients

Mornay Sauce

4 tablespoons butter

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk, warmed

½ cup heavy cream, warmed

1 cup sharp white cheddar cheese, freshly grated

½ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon sorghum syrup

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon white pepper

Hot Brown

3 slices Texas toast

8 ounces roasted turkey breast, sliced thick

3 slices thick cut bacon, cooked and halved

1 vine ripe tomato, sliced in half moons

4 tablespoons butter

¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

Chives for garnish

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425˚ F.
  2. Toast the bread. On the stove, preheat the skillet over medium heat 3-5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons butter and toast bread slices, in batches, until both sides are golden brown (about 2 minutes per side). Add more butter as needed to finish the toast.
  3. Make the mornay sauce. In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1-2 minutes until it begins to turn golden brown.
  4. Slowly whisk in warm milk and cream, simmer 3-5 minutes until thickened. Stir in cheddar and parmesan until smooth.
  5. Add Dijon mustard, sorghum, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon.
  6. Assemble the Hot Brown. Cut toast into triangles, corner to corner. Place toasted bread in a single layer at the bottom of the skillet, some overlap is fine.
  7. Top with a drizzle of mornay sauce, the turkey and tomato slices, another drizzle of sauce, the bacon, and finish with a little more sauce.
  8. Bake for 10-12 minutes until hot and bubbling. Turn the oven on broil and continue to cook 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle with paprika and chives, serve straight out of the skillet.
     
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