Hot Brown from Rz's Cafe'

Photos courtesy of Candice Yancey from Rz's Cafe'.

      In Kentucky, their claim to culinary fame is the "Hot Brown." This open-faced toasted sandwich is almost as popular as the Derby. The Brown Hotel in Louisville is credited for creating the Hot Brown in 1926. It's layers of sliced turkey, bacon and a Mornay (cheese) sauce that is often topped with fresh sliced tomatoes. It's broiled to toast the bread and sauce and then is topped with bacon.
      Here in Gibson County we are in luck, because Rz's Cafe' in Ft. Branch serves their version of the Hot Brown and have agreed to show us the steps. Candy Yancey and crew have a flare with food and they do this dish with style.
     A Hot Brown will be great with those turkey leftovers in a few weeks. It sounds fancy, but it's not all that hard and will be a new twist on Thanksgiving leftovers.

Hot Brown from Rz's Cafe'

Making the roux.

First make the Mornay sauce so that it's ready to cover this classy open-faced sandwich.

Ingredients - Sauce
3 T. butter
3 T. flour
1/2 cup heavy cream or milk
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper
1 T. onion, chopped fine
1/2 cups ea. Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses, shredded

Melt butter on medium heat, cook onion until soft. Add flour - making light roux. 
Stir until blended. Add salt and pepper. Gradually stir in broth and cream or milk. We add the cheese at this point making it a cheese sauce, not just a basic Mornay. Let the cheese melt and incorporate. 

Stirring cream in to make the sauce.

Ingredients - Sandwich
6 slices nice white bread
smoked sliced turkey breast
12 bacon strips, cooked
12 tomatoes, sliced
Parmesan cheese, shredded

After the sauce is ready, assemble the sandwich.
In spray coated baking dish, layer bread, meat, cheese, tomato and then bacon. Add a little more sauce, then broil 4-5 minutes. Serves 3. Garnish with more Parmesan cheese.

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