An
old favorite from Old
Kentucky
New
York has its Reuben, and Louisville has
its Hot Brown. Do you know what a Hot
Brown is? Unless you hail from
Kentucky, you may not be familliar with
this supremely delicious sandwich that
combines sliced turkey, cheese, bacon,
and a variety of other ingredients that
makes a supreme "melt". It originated
in the Brown Hotel in Louisville,
Ky.
Here,
we offer the original Brown Hotel
recipe, kindly given to us from the
Louisville Courier-Journal's
recipe files; former Governor and First
Lady Paul and Judi Patton's version,
which includes ham and hot sauce; and a
version we devised using not turkey,
but leftover meatloaf.
Louisville
Hot Brown from the Brown
Hotel
4
tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
8 slices toast, with the crusts cut
off
Slices cooked chicken or turkey
breast
Crisp-fried bacon, crumbled
Mushroom slices, sauteed
Saute
onion in butter until transparent; add
flour and combine. Add milk, salt and
pepper and whisk until smooth. Cook on
medium heat until sauce thickens,
stirring occasionally. Add cheese and
continue heating until they blend.
Remove from heat.
Put
one slice of toast in each of four
oven-proof individual serving dishes.
Top each piece of toast with slices of
chicken or turkey. Cut remaining toast
slices diagonally and place on sides of
sandwiches. Ladle cheese sauce over
sandwiches. Place sandwiches under
broiler until sauce begins to bubble.
Garnish with crumbled bacon and sauteed
mushroom slices and serve immediately.
Serves 4.
Governor
of Kentucky's Kentucky Hot
Brown
Actually,
from the former First Lady of Kentucky,
Mrs. Judi Patton.
1
stick butter
3 Tablespoons flour (regular)
2 cups milk
1 cup Colby cheese (grated)
1/2 box Parmesan cheese (grated)
Chicken or turkey
Country ham or baked ham
Bacon, fried to a crisp
Tomato slices
Paprika
Tabasco hot pepper sauce (5 dashes or
more to taste)
2 egg yolks
In
a 4-quart, heavy sauce pan, melt
butter. Mix in flour until mixture is
smooth. Add milk in small amounts at a
time; cook until sauce is thick. Add
Tabasco sauce and Parmesan cheese.
Remove from heat. Take out 1/2 cup
sauce and add the two beaten egg yolks.
Mix well and return to the remainder,
stirring constantly. Add Colby and
American cheeses. Remove from heat.
Toast six slices of bread on both
sides. Slice each piece in half and
place on a heat-resistant plate. Layer
with chicken or turkey, ham of your
choice, sauce, tomato, and 2 slices of
bacon. Top with paprika. Bake at 400
degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.
This
is our quick and easy version that once
upon a time, we thought was a Hot Brown
until our culinary records were set
straight. Still, it makes a satisfying
sandwich for a cold winter night and
uses up leftover items nicely.
Above
the Fruited Plain's "Pseudo" Hot Brown
using Meatloaf
Leftover
meatloaf, thickly sliced
4 slices of thick, hearty bread
2 slices Velveeta cheese slices
1/2 cup good brown gravy
Heat
the meatloaf slices either in the oven
or microwave until hot. Place meatloaf
slices between bread slices, top with
Velveeta cheese and broil in oven until
bread is slightly toasted and cheese is
melted. Serve the brown gravy as a side
dip, or pour over sandwiches
immediately before serving. Serves
2.
