Check out our version of the Famous Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich. We make ours with shredded Chicken and a creamy Cheese Sauce topped on thick cut bread. Add some crispy bacon just before serving and you have a life changing sandwich in your hands!
As this is a Comfort Food Blog, we thought it would be fun to find a classic recipe from each State and make our version of it. We’ve found that most dishes that are labeled “comfort foods” have a rich tradition from a specific region of the United States. Like Arkansas and these Green Beans or Cincinnati, Ohio and this Goetta.
Today, we travel to Kentucky. And it didn’t take long to find a sandwich that has legendary status in the state: The Hot Brown Sandwich!
What Is A Hot Brown Sandwich
The Hot Brown Sandwich was initially created by the Chef of the Iconic Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. It’s basically one heck of an open-faced Turkey Sandwich. It was a late night hotspot for music and dancing and the chef created this sandwich for the guests when they need a little pick-me-up. He took slices of toast, then piled turkey, fresh tomatoes, a light cheesy sauce and bacon on it. He put it under the broiler until it was perfectly melted. Thus, the Hot Brown was born. Now, you can get it all over the city and tons of people have been making their own version of it for decades. You’ve gotta taste this to believe it!
We love to take classic comfort foods and put our little spin on them. Traditionally, the Hot Brown is made with slices of Turkey. We decided to make ours with shredded Chicken. Don’t hate us Kentuckians! If you really want to make this with sliced Turkey, go for it, the recipe will be the same. Just sub the turkey for the chicken. In fact, this would be a great recipe to use leftover turkey from Thanksgiving!
How To Make A Hot Brown Sandwich
It’s a pretty straightforward process to make a Hot Brown Sandwich. You simply make the cheese sauce, with is usually called a Mornay Sauce in a saucepan, then assemble the sandwich. You put half of cheese sauce on the toasted bread, top with a slice of tomato. Then I like to heat up my chicken in the rest of the Mornay sauce, then put that mixture on top of the tomato. Then, just sprinkle with the remaining cheese and put it in the broiler for 1-2 minutes until the cheese melts and is bubbly.
Finally, top with a couple slices of crispy bacon and you are in sandwich heaven! If it isn’t clear by now, this is the sort of sandwich you are going to be eating with a knife, a fork and extra napkins.
Notes, Tips and Variations
- LEFTOVER TURKEY – This is a great use for Leftover Turkey after Thanksgiving!
- ADDITIONS – A lot of versions of this recipe call for a pinch of ground nutmeg and/or paprika. You can add these if you like when making the sauce. Just a pinch! You can also add a little hot sauce to give it just a bit of kick!
- CHEESE – The Brown Hotel used Pecorino Romano Cheese. We used colby jack cheese. But a good white cheddar cheese would also be delicious. You can also top it with parmesan cheese after broiling.
- HEAVY CREAM – The original recipe at the Brown Hotel uses both Heavy Cream and Whole Milk in their recipe. We just used whole milk. But if you want to sub for Heavy Cream or split it up, it will add some flavor (and calories!) to this dish!
- USE THICK BREAD – Use a hearty, thick piece of bread for this recipe like Texas Toast. That will stand up to the sauce and all the ingredients the best! If you can’t find Texas Toast, you can slice your own loaf. You’ll want each slice to be at least 3/4 inches thick.
- OTHER SUBSTITUTIONS/ADDITIONS – Sub chicken or turkey for sliced ham. Have full slices of bacon on top. Add sauteed mushrooms.
I hope you enjoy this recipe for a Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich. This would be a great Sunday night family dinner or a fun dish to eat while watching the Football games on a cold Fall day. And, like I said before, if you’ve got some extra Turkey leftover from Thanksgiving, this will make great use of it. Thanks for reading!
Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich
Ingredients
- 4 slices thick cut bread toasted
- dijon mustard
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup chicken broth
- salt and pepper
- 3 cups cooked and cubed or shredded chicken
- 1-1/2 cups shredded colby jack cheese divided
- 1 tomato sliced
- 4 slices bacon cooked and chopped
Instructions
- Spread toasted bread with mustard and place onto a baking sheet. Set aside.
- In a skillet, add oil and onion and cook over medium heat 3-5 minutes or until onion is translucent. Add flour and cook 1 minute more. Pour in milk and broth and continue to cook, whisk over medium high until bubbly and thick. Let cook for 1 minute more. Remove from heat, stir in 1 cup of cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
- Drizzle 2 spoonfuls of gravy onto each slice of bread. Top bread with sliced tomato.
- Add cooked chicken to the gravy and mix well. Return to the stove to cook until heated through. Divide meat and gravy equally and top each of the 4 slices of bread. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
- Broil for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and top with bacon. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Ingredients:
- 4 slices thick cut bread, toasted
- dijon mustard
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup chicken broth
- salt and pepper
- 3 cups cooked and cubed or shredded chicken
- 1-1/2 cups shredded colby jack cheese, divided
- 1 tomato, sliced
- 4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
Directions:
- Spread toasted bread with mustard and place onto a baking sheet. Set aside.
- In a skillet, add oil and onion and cook 3-5 minutes or until onion is translucent. Add flour and cook 1 minute more. Pour in milk and broth and continue to cook, over medium high until bubbly and thick. Let cook for 1 minute more. Remove from heat, stir in 1 cup of cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
- Drizzle 2 spoonfuls of gravy onto each slice of bread. Top bread with sliced tomato.
- Add cooked chicken to the gravy and mix well. Return to the stove to cook until heated through. Divide meat and gravy equally and top each of the 4 slices of bread. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
- Broil for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and top with bacon. Serve immediately.
Serves 4
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