Kentucky Hot Brown

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The Kentucky Hot Brown - an open faced sandwich of thick sliced turkey, Mornay sauce, bacon, and tomato - is famous for a reason! It's sinfully delicious and so easy to make!

Over the summer, I hosted two chef camps for kids that focused on food around the country. Each day, we created (and enjoyed!) cuisine from a different region. On our "deep south" day, one of the dishes we made were these delicious sandwiches! Kids love assembling things and since most of the recipe is assembling, they loved it. And who doesn't like a cheesy turkey sandwich?

Tip: This calls for 4 oven safe gratin dish; if you don't have one, simply place all 4 sandwiches in a baking dish that will hold them fairly tightly (so the sauce isn't too shallow once poured in). It won't be as pretty but it'll taste just as delicious!

 
Kentucky Hot Brown
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
2 pints heavy cream
6 ounces grated Pecorino Romano cheese
salt and pepper
4 slices hearty bread, toasted
1 lb roasted turkey, sliced thick (1/2-3/4 inch thick)
8 slices thick cut bacon, cooked until crisp and then crumbled
4 slices ripe tomato, optional
2 tablespoons minced parsley
Dash of paprika

Preheat broiler to high.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Cook, whisking constantly, until it is pale golden brown, about 1 minute. Slowly pour in the heavy cream, whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer and then remove from heat. Whisk in the grated cheese, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place 1 slice of toast in the bottom of each gratin dish. Divide the turkey between the 4 dishes and layer it on the toast. Ladle the sauce over each sandwich, completely coating them. Place the sandwiches under the broiler until spotty brown and bubbly, about 2-3 minutes.

Add a slice of tomato on top, if using, and sprinkle with crumbled bacon. Sprinkle with parsley and paprika. Serve hot.

Source: adapted from Serious Eats