Cast Iron Kentucky Hot Brown
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
Printer-friendly
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
Preheat oven to 425˚ F.
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.
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.
Slowly whisk in warm milk and cream, simmer 3-5 minutes until thickened. Stir in cheddar and parmesan until smooth.
Add Dijon mustard, sorghum, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon.
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.
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.
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.