Hot Brown Sandwich with Mornay Sauce | CookOS

Hot Brown

Name: Hot Brown Sandwich with Mornay Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 oz. Whole Butter; 2 oz. All Purpose Flour; 8 oz. Heavy Cream; 8 oz. Whole Milk; ½ Cup of Pecorino Romano Cheese; 1 Tablespoon Pecorino Romano Cheese for Garnish; Pinch of Ground Nutmeg; Salt and Pepper; 14 oz. Sliced Roasted Turkey Breast, Slice Thick; 4 Slices of Texas Toast (Crust Trimmed); 4 Slices of Crispy Bacon; 2 Roma Tomatoes, Sliced in Half; Parmesan Cheese; Paprika; Parsley

The Hot Brown is an open-faced roasted turkey sandwich topped with crispy bacon and silky Mornay sauce, a glamorous 1920s creation from Louisville's Brown Hotel. Its hallmark is the delicate cheese béchamel that bakes until golden and bubbly.

🌍American 🏷️Hot brown 🏷️Louisville 🏷️Kentucky 🏷️The brown hotel 🏷️Open-faced sandwich

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Total

25 min

Servings

Difficulty

Hard

Est. Cost

$28–$46

Recipe Source

View original recipe

From The Brown Hotel

Ingredients

2 oz. Whole Butter
2 oz. All Purpose Flour
8 oz. Heavy Cream
8 oz. Whole Milk
½ Cup of Pecorino Romano Cheese
1 Tablespoon Pecorino Romano Cheese for Garnish
Pinch of Ground Nutmeg
Salt and Pepper
14 oz. Sliced Roasted Turkey Breast, Slice Thick
4 Slices of Texas Toast (Crust Trimmed)
4 Slices of Crispy Bacon
2 Roma Tomatoes, Sliced in Half
Parmesan Cheese
Paprika
Parsley

15 Ingredients

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Instructions

1
In a two‑quart saucepan, melt butter and slowly whisk in flour until combined and forms a thick paste (roux).
2
Continue to cook roux for two minutes over medium‑low heat, stirring frequently.
3
Whisk heavy cream and whole milk into the roux and cook over medium heat until the cream begins to simmer, about 2‑3 minutes.
4
Remove sauce from heat and slowly whisk in Pecorino Romano cheese until the Mornay sauce is smooth.
5
Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.
6
For each Hot Brown, 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.
7
Cover with 7 ounces of turkey.
8
Take the two halves of Roma tomato and two toast points and set them alongside the base of the turkey and toast.
9
Pour one half of the Mornay sauce to completely cover the dish.
10
Sprinkle with additional Pecorino Romano cheese.
11
Place the entire dish under a broiler until cheese begins to brown and bubble.
12
Remove from broiler, cross two pieces of crispy bacon on top, sprinkle with paprika and parsley, and serve immediately.

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Tips & Notes

Pro tips

Make a smooth Mornay by whisking the flour into melted butter for 1 minute before adding cold milk and cream slowly to prevent lumps.
Use thick-sliced roasted turkey breast (not thin deli meat) for the best texture and to prevent it from drying out under the broiler.
Layer bacon strips lengthwise across the sandwich so each bite has both bacon and sauce; cook bacon until crisp but still pliable.
Assemble the Hot Brown just before baking to prevent the toast from absorbing too much sauce and becoming soggy.

Substitutions

Pecorino Romano → Gruyère or sharp Cheddar (mellower flavor; use same amount)
Heavy cream + whole milk → half-and-half or all whole milk (lighter sauce; reduce to 15 oz. total)
Texas toast → thick-cut white bread or brioche (toast lightly to avoid sogginess)