Food
GIANT HOT BROWN
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GIANT HOT BROWN
Makes: 8 servings

When you have a crowd hungry for a Kentucky Hot Brown, here’s what you do instead of composing individual plates. Serve this at your next dinner party or family gathering for a real taste of the Bluegrass State.

Ingredients:

  • 8 slices white bread, toasted
  • 2 pounds roasted turkey breast, cut into ½-inch-thick slices
  • 4 cups Mornay Sauce (recipe follows)
  • 12 strips bacon, cooked but not crisp
  • 4 whole tomatoes, cut in wedges

Directions:

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • Cut the toasted bread in half diagonally and place half of the toast points in the bottom of a 9 × 13-inch baking dish.
  • Arrange the turkey breast on top of the bread and cover with the Mornay sauce.
  • Arrange the bacon on top of the sauce in a crisscross pattern.
  • Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the top starts to brown and the sides are bubbling.
  • Remove from the oven and place the tomato wedges on top.
  • Return to the oven for 5 minutes, until the tomatoes are slightly cooked.
  • Remove from the oven and place the remaining toast points around the edges of the dish for garnish.
  • Let cool slightly before serving.

MORNAY SAUCE
Makes: 4 Cups

Ingredients:

  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 8 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups whole milk
  • 5 ounces coarsely grated Gruyère (1¼ cups)
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Directions:

  • Melt the butter in a 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat.
  • Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 3 minutes.
  • While whisking, add the milk in a slow stream and bring the mixture to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat to low and gently simmer, whisking occasionally, for 10 minutes as the sauce thickens.
  • Remove from the heat and add the Gruyère, whisking until melted.
  • Whisk in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg until all the ingredients are fully incorporated.
  • Serve immediately.

Recipes are from the The Bourbon Country Cookbook and That’s Entertaining by Tim Laird, America’s CEO – Chief Entertaining Officer, both available on Amazon and in local bookstores.

Instagram, Twitter, Facebook: @timlairdcheers