Louisville Hot Browns

Name: Louisville Hot Browns with Bacon and Cheese Sauce
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 8 strips bacon; 1 stick unsalted butter; 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 3 1/2 cups whole milk; 6 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling; 1 large egg, beaten; Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper; 8 slices thick white sandwich bread, toasted, crusts removed; 1 pound leftover roast turkey, sliced; 1 ripe tomato, sliced; Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

A Louisville Hot Brown is an open-faced roast turkey sandwich smothered in creamy parmesan cheese sauce, topped with crispy bacon and fresh tomato. This Kentucky classic is comfort food at its richest.

Total

Servings

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe Source

View original recipe

From Food Network

11 Ingredients

Powered by Instacart

Prices vary by store

^*Service fees apply. Instacart^® and the Instacart logo are registered trademarks of Maplebear Inc. d/b/a Instacart.

CookOS may earn a commission from Instacart orders.

Instructions

1
Preheat the broiler. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, then drain on paper towels.
2
Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon to make a thick roux. Add the milk and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parmesan, reduce the heat to low and whisk in the egg until the sauce is thick (do not boil). Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
3
For each Hot Brown, place 2 bread slices side by side in a small flameproof baking dish. Cover the bread with about 1/4 pound turkey and place 1 or 2 tomato slices alongside. Pour 1/2 to 3/4 cup cheese sauce over the turkey and bread. Sprinkle with more parmesan and broil until the sauce is bubbly and speckled brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the broiler, cross 2 strips of bacon on top and sprinkle with parsley and more parmesan. Serve immediately.
4
Photo by John Nation

Was this recipe helpful?

Tips & Notes

Pro tips

Toast bread thoroughly and remove crusts so it holds up to hot sauce without sogginess.
Make the cheese sauce just before assembly; it thickens as it cools, so work quickly.
Cook bacon until crispy for textural contrast against the creamy sauce.
Slice tomato just before topping to prevent excess moisture from soaking the bread.

Substitutions

Whole milk → half-and-half or light cream (richer, less volume needed)
Parmesan → gruyère or sharp cheddar (different flavor, equally traditional in variations)
Roast turkey → rotisserie chicken or ham (different protein, same cooking method)

Storage & make-ahead

Assemble and serve immediately for best texture. Leftover components (sauce, turkey, bacon) store separately in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat sauce gently on the stovetop.