Kentucky Hot Brown {10 Weight Watchers Smart Points}

Many of our readers are from all over the world so we would like to introduce you to some Kentucky cuisine and even better, I’m giving you the Weight Watchers Smart Points amounts so you don’t have to figure it out yourself!

Origination of the Kentucky Hot Brown

One of the dishes we are famous for in Kentucky is the Hot Brown. The Kentucky Hot Brown originated at the luxurious Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, seen in the picture below.

Source: The Brown Hotel

How It Came to Be

The Hot Brown was created late one night in 1926 by the hotel’s chef, Fred K. Schmidt, after an evening of much dancing and drinking by the guests. According to legend, the hotel partygoers were tired of late night ham and eggs so the chef went into the kitchen to see what he could create. The chef happened to have turkey, heavy cream sauce, bacon, and tomatoes on hand and voila! the Hot Brown was born.

Source: The Brown Hotel

This recipe is so decadent you don’t need to worry about having extra servings.

This recipe is a bit different from the original Hot Brown recipe but still just as delicious.

Serves: 6
Weight Watchers Smart Points Value–10

Ingredients

3 tbsp unsalted Butter
3 tbsp all purpose Flour
1- 1/4 cups skim milk, heated to just take the chill off
2 cups low fat shredded Cheddar Cheese
6 slices Italian Bread
8 ounces sliced or cubed cooked Turkey Breast
6 slices cooked Bacon
1 Tomato, Sliced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350º

Melt butter in a saucepan or a skillet on medium heat.

When melted and bubbling, add flour, stirring constantly. Cook until flour is fully incorporated, whisking for a few minutes until no lumps appear and the sauce is thick. *Note — This is a roux. For a New Orleans style dish, you’ll continue cooking until it becomes a chocolate brown, but for a lighter sauce or gravy, you’ll just want to cook until the flavor of the flour has decreased.

Slowly incorporate the milk, whisking constantly. The mixture will begin to thicken.

Add cheddar cheese and stir until fully melted. *NOTE: This is a Béchamel sauce or a “Mother” sauce. It’s sublime in lasagne and if you’re making baked Macaroni & Cheese, or Nachos this will be what you need to get your cheese to melt and not become a lump once it hits the cooler air outside of the oven.

In an oven proof baking pan or casserole dish, place bread slices in one layer.

Add turkey.

Spoon finished cheese sauce to cover the entire pan.

Place in hot oven and bake for 20 minutes. The cheese sauce on the side of the pan will be golden brown.

Pull the casserole out of the oven and top with bacon and tomatoes.

Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese on top and put back in the oven.

Continue baking for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Here is the original Hot Brown recipe from The Brown Hotel.

The Legendary Hot Brown Recipe

Ingredients (Makes Two Hot Browns):

2 oz. Whole Butter
2 oz. All Purpose Flour
16 oz. Heavy Cream
1/2 Cup Pecorino Romano Cheese, Plus 1 Tablespoon for Garnish
Salt & Pepper to Taste
14 oz. Sliced Roasted Turkey Breast
2 Slices of Texas Toast (Crust Trimmed)
4 slices of Crispy Bacon
2 Roma Tomatoes, Sliced in Half
Paprika
Parsley

In a two-quart saucepan, melt butter and slowly whisk in flour until combined and forms a thick paste (roux). Continue to cook roux for two minutes over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Whisk heavy cream into the roux and cook over medium heat until the cream begins to simmer, about 2-3 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and slowly whisk in Pecorino Romano cheese until the Mornay sauce is smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

For each Hot Brown, place one slice of toast in an oven safe dish and cover with 7 ounces of turkey. Take the two halves of Roma tomato and set them alongside the base of turkey and toast. Next, pour one half of the Mornay sauce to completely cover the dish. Sprinkle with additional Pecorino Romano cheese. Place entire dish under a broiler until cheese begins to brown and bubble. Remove from broiler, cross two pieces of crispy bacon on top, sprinkle with paprika and parsley, and serve immediately.

I hope you enjoy this taste of Kentucky and if you are ever in the Bluegrass state be sure to try a true Kentucky Hot Brown.

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Crystal

Crystal is a healthcare financial counselor by day and a blogger by night. She is an avid baker and loves to experiment with new recipes. In the rare moment that she has spare time, she loves bubble baths, swinging on the porch and indulging in a good mystery book.

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