Kentucky Hot Brown Sliders

It’s Kentucky Derby Weekend, y’all! And we’re celebrating with some traditional Derby fanfare! The Kentucky Hot Brown is typically an open-faced sandwich HOWEVER….any frequent Derby party guest knows: you can’t enjoy an open-faced sandwich while STANDING UP. Too many moving parts. The fork, the knife, the balancing of the plate, the hot and cheesy Mornay sauce dripping all over your Derby clothes and the floor. FORGET THAT. And besides, how are you supposed to eat AND hold your mint julep?? So, we’re turning these hot browns into sliders. A more refined way of eating….WITH YOUR HANDS 😉 We might be tweaking the way you eat a hot brown but we’re not touching the most recognizable Derby tradition – the Mint Julep. No, the julep is perfection. The Julep needs no tweak. It’s true that we don’t have one of the REAL julep cups (*sigh* one day…..) but for now, a rocks glass will have to do. Happy Derby, friends! We guarantee – if you make the hot brown sliders AND the mint julep, you can’t have a bad time. GO SOUP AND SANDWICH (my 2021 racehorse of choice)

The Ingredients –

Special THANK YOU to The Beach House Kitchen for this recipe

• 1 12-count package Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, sliced in half
• 1 lb. turkey breast, thinly sliced and divided
• 12 slices white sharp cheddar cheese
• 8 slices bacon, roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces and cooked until crisp
• 12 tomatoes slices, about 1/4-inch thick (I use Campari or Roma tomatoes)

Mornay Sauce (make about 1 cup)

• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• dash nutmeg
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Butter Glaze

• 1/2 cup (one stick) butter, melted
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

InstructionsMornay Sauce

1. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes, being careful not to brown. Gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheddar cheese. Remove from heat and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Keep warm and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Using a large knife, slice the rolls in half so you have a portion of tops and a portion of bottoms. You want both portions of the rolls to remain connected, so there are two slabs. Place the bottom portion in the prepared pan.
4. Evenly layer 1/2 of the turkey over the rolls. 
5. Evenly layer the cheddar cheese slices.
6. Sprinkle with the bacon.
7. Layer with the tomato slices. (try to place a slice on each roll)
8. Carefully spread the Mornay sauce over the tomatoes.
9. Evenly layer the remaining sliced turkey, then top with top portion of buns.

Butter Glaze:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, Dijon mustard, poppy seeds, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper until well combined. Pour mixture evenly over top of rolls. 
2. Cover pan with aluminum foil and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Bake covered for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove foil and continue to cook for 5 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Cut into individual sliders and serve immediately.

Live Cooking Demo

The Cocktail

The Mint Julep – official Cocktail of the Kentucky Derby (thanks to Liquor.com for the recipe!)

Ingredients

• 8 mint leaves
• 1/4 ounce simple syrup
• 2 ounces bourbon
• Garnish: mint sprig
• Garnish: Angostura bitters (optional)

Steps

1. In a Julep cup or rocks glass, lightly muddle the mint leaves in the simple syrup.
2. Add the bourbon then pack the glass tightly with crushed ice.
3. Stir until the cup is frosted on the outside.
4. Top with more crushed ice to form an ice dome, and garnish with a mint sprig and a few drops of bitters (optional).