Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwiches
Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwiches cover thick Texas toast with roast turkey, tomatoes, Pecorino Mornay sauce, and crisp bacon. These open-faced sandwiches are straightforward to make and give leftover roast turkey a hot, saucy second meal. This Kentucky Hot Brown sandwich recipe recreates the Louisville classic as a generous, knife-and-fork lunch. The finished sandwich has bubbling sauce and browned toast that’s crisp around the edges.
Save This Post!
We’ll email this post to you so you can find it later.
This Air Fryer BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich is another hearty sandwich recipe you might like to try. If you still have turkey to use up, you could make these Turkey Leftover Sandwiches with Cranberry Sauce. My Turkey Bacon Club Kabob Style Sandwiches or Club Sandwiches are more lunch options with turkey and bacon.
🍽️ Recipe Name: Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwiches
⏲️ Ready In: 30 minutes
👥 Serves: 4
🔥 Calories: 840 per serving (estimated)
🥕 Ingredient Highlights: Texas toast, bacon, mornay sauce, turkey, cheese, and tomatoes
📖 Dietary Info: Contains meat, dairy, and gluten
👩🍳 Difficulty: Easy
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
Why You’ll Love It
- Rich, savory flavors: Pecorino Mornay, roast turkey, and bacon make this a salty, creamy hot sandwich.
- Use up holiday leftovers: The thick slices of roast turkey in the filling use up your holiday leftovers.
- Substantial open-faced sandwich: One slice of toast carries a full portion of turkey, sauce, tomato, and bacon, so it’s hearty enough to keep you full until dinner time.
- Louisville classic: This is the familiar Hot Brown combination of roast turkey, Mornay sauce, tomato, and bacon on thick toast, so now is your chance to try it!
History of the Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich
Chef Fred Schmidt created the Hot Brown at Louisville’s Brown Hotel during the 1920s for late-night dinner-dance guests. The open-faced turkey sandwich with bacon and Mornay replaced the more typical ham and eggs dish served after the dancing, and this Kentucky hot brown sandwich recipe is still a Louisville specialty.
Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich Recipe Ingredients
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and exact measurements.
- Salted butter: You need some for the roux and some for spreading on the bread.
- All-purpose flour: Combines with the butter to thicken the Mornay sauce.
- Whole milk: Forms most of the liquid in the sauce.
- Heavy cream: Makes the Mornay thicker and richer.
- Pecorino Romano cheese: A salty hard cheese that’s melted into the sauce and grated onto the sandwiches.
- Ground nutmeg: A pinch seasons the Mornay and adds a warm, earthy flavor.
- Texas toast: Choose thick bread from the bread aisle, not frozen garlic toast. This one works well!
- Roasted turkey: Thick cooked slices form the main layer of each sandwich. I used leftover turkey for my Kentucky hot brown sandwiches, but you can use freshly cooked turkey if you prefer.
- Roma tomatoes: Their firm slices soften under the broiler.
- Thick-cut bacon: Adds a meaty, salty flavor. You can cook bacon fresh or use leftover cooked bacon.
- Fresh parsley and paprika: Optional garnishes.
Substitutions and Variations
- Different cheese: Parmesan or Gruyère can replace the Pecorino Romano.
- Extra heat: Stir a little hot sauce into the Mornay.
- More veggies: Sautéed mushrooms can be included with the turkey. I sometimes add cooked asparagus to mine.
- Lighter dairy: Swap the heavy cream for Half-and-Half. The sauce will be slightly thinner if you do this.
How to Make Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwiches (Step-by-Step Directions)
STEP 1: Melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook until lightly golden.
STEP 2: Slowly whisk in the warmed milk and cream. Continue whisking until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
STEP 3: Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the Pecorino Romano, nutmeg, black pepper and salt to taste.
STEP 4: Set the oven to broil. Butter the bread and toast both sides on a sheet pan.
STEP 5: Arrange turkey and tomato on each slice of toast. Cover each sandwich with Mornay and grated Pecorino Romano.
STEP 6: Broil until the sauce bubbles and the cheese melts. Add the bacon on top of the sandwiches and garnish with parsley and paprika.
Kim’s Tips
- Salt after the cheese: I wait until the Pecorino has melted before deciding how much salt the sauce needs. The turkey and bacon can be salty too.
- Warm the dairy: Slightly warmed milk and cream blend into the roux more readily, and this helps reduce lumps.
- Watch the broiler: Keep the sheet pan in sight. Toast and cheese can scorch within seconds.
- Cut the turkey thick: I use thick slices because I found thin turkey can bunch up and slide when the sandwich is cut.
How to Store
- Refrigerator: Store the sauce, turkey, and bacon in separate airtight containers. Refrigerate the sauce for up to 3 days. Cooked turkey should be eaten or frozen within 3 or 4 days of its original cooking date. Refrigerate all leftovers within 2 hours.
- Freezing: Don’t freeze assembled sandwiches. The bread becomes soggy, and the dairy sauce may separate after thawing.
- Reheating: Warm the Mornay in a saucepan over low heat and whisk in a splash of milk if needed. Reheat the turkey to 165°F and build fresh sandwiches with newly toasted bread.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy a Kentucky hot brown sandwich with potato chips or pickles. A cup of Southwestern Chicken Soup or Broccoli Cheese Soup would pair well, or you might prefer a salad on the side, such as Cucumber and Pineapple Salad or, for something sweeter, my Grape Cream Cheese Salad. This Fuji Apple Salad is a Panera copycat recipe with lots of crunch, and would also be really good paired with this Kentucky hot brown sandwich recipe.
Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich Recipe FAQs
Yes. The traditional Brown Hotel dish is open-faced, with the sauce covering the turkey and bread.
The sandwich takes its name from the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, where chef Fred Schmidt created it during the 1920s.
A hot brown is open-faced and covered with Mornay sauce, bacon, and tomato. A turkey melt is usually turkey and sliced cheese between bread.
More Sandwich Recipes to Try
- This Egg Sandwich is made in the air fryer.
- Italian Grinder Sandwiches are a top pick if you have a big appetite!
- I really love making Mini BLT Bagel Sandwiches.
- My Chicken Pesto Panini makes a great lunch.
- Another one you might enjoy is the classic Club Sandwich!
Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwiches
Equipment
- Baking Sheet with a Rim
Ingredients
For the Mornay Sauce
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter
- 4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups whole milk slightly warmed in the microwave
- ¾ cup heavy cream slightly warmed in the microwave
- ½ cup Pecorino Romano cheese freshly grated
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Sandwiches
- 4 thick slices bread not frozen garlic Texas toast
- 1 pound roasted turkey thickly sliced
- 2 Roma tomatoes sliced
- ¼ cup Pecorino Romano cheese freshly grated
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon cooked
- Butter as needed
For Garnish
- Freshly chopped parsley
- Paprika
Instructions
Prepare the Sauce
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, until golden.
- Carefully whisk in the milk and heavy cream, whisking constantly until thickened, 3-5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in Pecorino Romano, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
Toast the Bread
- Set the oven to broil on high.
- Butter bread slices and place on a sheet pan. Toast under the broiler for 1-2 minutes, flip and toast the other side for another 2 minutes. Watch it carefully to avoid burnt toast!
Add the Toppings
- Top toasted bread with turkey, tomato slices, and then top with the mornay sauce and Pecorino Romano cheese.
Broil the Sandwiches
- Broil for another 2-3 minutes.
- Top with bacon slices and garnish with parsley, paprika and more cheese if liked.
Notes
- Toast both sides: Toasting both sides gives the bread more structure after the sauce is added.
- Use a rimmed sheet pan: A rim catches sauce that spreads around the sandwiches during broiling.
- Serve promptly: The sauce softens the toast as the sandwiches sit.
Nutrition Information
Hungry for more?
Follow me on Pinterest and make sure to comment below!
Final Thoughts
Kentucky hot brown sandwiches are a good way to use cooked turkey when another cold sandwich doesn’t sound exciting enough. Pecorino cheese, Mornay sauce, tomato, and bacon give the turkey a full, rich flavor, while thick toast supports all that sauce on top. It’s filling enough for lunch or dinner and makes the leftovers taste like a completely different meal.
