Curious about how to use up leftover turkey? Try the time-honored “hot brown” sandwich.

A “hot brown” sandwich is probably the best use for leftover turkey. Here’s why. (Photo: Brown Hotel)

Every family has its own Thanksgiving traditions, from recipes handed down for making the creamiest mashed potatoes to tips and tricks for making the juiciest turkey, and for most people the menu stays fairly consistent from year to year. But when one of the most popular meals of the year comes to an end, the question of what to do with the leftovers always arises.

At tables across the country, friends and family will gather for a big meal, just as they enjoyed the year before. But when the meal is over and Thanksgiving leftovers fill plastic containers, it’s a great opportunity to try and create something new.

While many people love ways to repurpose Thanksgiving leftovers, this year, I tried to find the best use for leftover turkey. As a food writer, I’ve eaten hundreds of new dishes across the country this year, but one was the perfect dish to make with leftover turkey.

Trying Hot Brown straight from the Brown Hotel is a must-do travel item for me this year. (Photo: Josie Maida)

Earlier this year, in celebration of the Kentucky Horse Race, I wrote a story about the “hot brown” sandwich, a sandwich I can’t get out of my head. At the historic Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, the kitchen has been cooking this hot, cheese-flavored, open-faced sandwich – filled with turkey and demonstrating the need and desire to use up leftovers – since the 1920s.

“The Hot Brown was invented in 1926 at The Brown Hotel by Chef Fred Schmidt, who was the first chef at The Brown Hotel,” shares Dustin Willett, current executive chef of The Brown Hotel. “In the 1920s, The Brown Hotel hosted approximately 1,200 guests for dinner dances. In the early morning, the kitchen team would cook for these guests. Chef Schmidt got tired of the traditional ham and eggs and created the Hot Brown. It was an instant classic and the rest is history.

The historic Brown Hotel is the birthplace of this delicious turkey sandwich. (Photo: Brown’s Hotel)

Nearly 100 years later, the sandwich is still an icon. Native Louisville rapper Jack Harlow mentioned the dish in his song “Route 66,” and today, people, including me, still come from hundreds of miles to try the famous sandwich.

On a recent trip to Louisville, it was a must-eat meal for me. Although restaurants all over the city pay homage to the original with their own take on the sandwich, I was committed to trying it in the place where it originated.

The meal was served on a small cast iron plate, just big enough to hold the sandwich, and topped with mornay sauce (a white sauce with the addition of chopped or grated cheese). The room was filled with aromas that made this simple dish absolutely irresistible.

Cutting through layers of tomatoes, bacon, sauce, turkey and bread, I prepared the perfect bite, adding a little bit of everything. The thick toasted bread was the perfect base, while the turkey, usually considered a dry cut, stayed perfectly moist under its rich cheese sauce covering. The fat and crunch of the bacon adds flavor and texture, and the warm roma tomatoes add the perfect amount of acidity to cut through it all. Finished with a sprinkle of pecorino Romano cheese, this sandwich really takes simple ingredients and turns them into something mouth-watering.

This recipe has stood the test of time and The Brown Hotel proudly shares it on their website, so fans and those who haven’t tried this delicious sandwich can recreate it at home.

This delicious dish is easy to make, uses ingredients you already have on hand, and is the perfect way to turn a cold, leftover turkey into a new meal you and your family will love. My only warning is to be prepared, as it may be more dazzling than a holiday meal.

Get the hot brown recipe below.

Hot Brown

Ingredients:

  • 2 ounces butter
  • 2 ounces all-purpose flour
  • 8 ounces heavy cream
  • 8 ounces whole milk
  • ½ cup of pecorino Romano cheese, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish
  • Pinch of ground nutmeg
  • Salt and pepper
  • 14 ounces sliced roasted turkey breast, sliced thick
  • 4 slices of Texas toast, crust trimmed
  • 4 slices of crispy bacon
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, sliced in half
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Paprika
  • Parsley

Instructions:

  1. In a two‑quart saucepan, melt butter and slowly whisk in flour until combined and forms a thick paste (roux).
  2. Continue to cook roux for two minutes over medium‑low heat, stirring frequently.
  3. Whisk heavy cream and whole milk into the roux and cook over medium heat until the cream begins to simmer, about 2‑3 minutes.
  4. Remove sauce from heat and slowly whisk in pecorino Romano cheese until the Mornay sauce is smooth.
  5. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.
  6. For each hot brown, place two slices of toast with the crusts cut off in an oven-safe dish: one slice is cut in half corner to corner to make two triangles and the other slice is left in a square shape. Then cover with 7 ounces of turkey.
  7. Take the two halves of Roma tomato and two toast points and set them alongside the base of the turkey and toast.
  8. Next, pour one half of the Mornay sauce to completely cover the dish. Sprinkle with additional pecorino Romano cheese.
  9. Place the 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.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *