Kentucky Hot Brown Casserole

Kentucky Hot Brown Casserole

🥓🧀 Kentucky Hot Brown Casserole — A Southern Hug in a Baking Dish

When a legendary open‑faced sandwich decides to get comfy in casserole form, you know you’re in for something special.

 

This Kentucky Hot Brown Casserole is everything you love about the iconic Louisville sandwich — creamy, cheesy Mornay sauce, tender turkey, juicy tomatoes, and crispy bacon — all baked together into one bubbling, golden, fork‑worthy masterpiece. It’s rich, indulgent, and the kind of dish that makes people close their eyes on the first bite.

It’s:

• Ridiculously comforting — like a warm blanket for your taste buds.
• Perfect for gatherings — brunch, holiday mornings, Derby Day, or “just because.”
• Make‑ahead friendly — assemble, chill, and bake when you’re ready.

💬 Reader prompt: Are you a “pile on the bacon” person or a “more sauce, please” person?

My disclaimer: I’m not from Kentucky, I’m a Utah girl but I do appreciate recipes from different parts of the country.

When I first started the blog, I focused on just recipes that I had known all my life and then I realized how many delicious dishes I never knew existed.

It’s so fun to try new things and get so excited to try something so new and different from my old stand bys! Don’t get me wrong, I still love to whip up a dish that I got from my grandma Ainge.

This dish is so cheesy and meaty that it’s sure to please any crowd! So easy to make. You can make it ahead of time and you can even freeze it for another time.

 

 

 

Kentucky Hot Brown Casserole

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Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups divided shredded Swiss cheese
• 1 cup shredded extra-sharp white Cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 to 8 slices thick sandwich bread, toasted
• 2 pounds thinly sliced turkey ( get the good stuff)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 8 slices bacon, cooked and halved crosswise
• Garnish chopped tomatoes
• Garnish fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to broil. Spray a 13×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour; cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat, and whisk in 1 cup Swiss, Cheddar, salt, and pepper until melted.
3. Place bread in prepared pan, overlapping as needed to fit. Top with turkey, cheese sauce, and remaining 1 cup Swiss; sprinkle with paprika.
4. Broil until cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 4 minutes.
5. Top with bacon and tomatoes. Garnish with parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.

🔢 Calorie Count (Per Serving — Serves 8)

• Calories: ~560
• Protein: 36g
• Carbs: 22g
• Fat: 36g
• Sugar: 4g

📊 Nutritional Facts (Per Serving)

\*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

👩‍🍳 Cooking Tips for Hot Brown Perfection

• Use quality turkey — this is the star; deli‑sliced oven‑roasted or leftover roast turkey works beautifully.
• Toast the bread well — it keeps the base from getting soggy under the sauce.
• Watch the broiler — it can go from golden to “oops” in seconds.
• Make the sauce fresh — Mornay sauce is best right after it’s made.
• Serve immediately — this is a “hot from the oven” kind of dish.

💬 Reader prompt: Do you like your cheese topping lightly golden or deeply browned and bubbly?

🎨 Recipe Variations

• Derby Day Deluxe — add sliced roasted tomatoes under the turkey layer.
• Spicy Kick — stir a pinch of cayenne into the sauce.
• Ham & Turkey Combo — layer both for extra flavor.
• Gluten‑Free — use GF bread and flour for the sauce.
• Mini Hot Browns — assemble in ramekins for individual servings.

🧒 Kid Tips

• Serve without tomatoes for picky eaters.
• Cut into smaller squares for little hands.
• Let kids sprinkle the cheese and paprika before baking.
• Pair with fruit salad for a balanced plate.

💬 Reader prompt: Parents — do your kids go for the bacon first or dive straight into the cheesy bread?

🛒 Grocery Hacks

• Buy cheese in blocks — shred yourself for better melt and flavor.
• Use day‑old bread — toasting revives it and saves money.
• Bacon in bulk — cook and freeze for quick use.
• Turkey leftovers — this is a perfect post‑holiday recipe.
• Parsley — store stems in water in the fridge to keep fresh longer.

📣 Reader’s Challenge: #HotBrownGlowUp

Here’s your mission:

1. Make this Kentucky Hot Brown Casserole.
2. Put your own spin on it — maybe a new cheese blend, a veggie layer, or a spicy twist.
3. Snap a photo and post with #HotBrownGlowUp.
4. I’ll feature my favorites in an upcoming Friday Favorites post!

♻️ Leftover Remix

• Breakfast Bake — top with a fried egg.
• Hot Brown Panini — sandwich leftovers between bread and grill.
• Stuffed Tomatoes — hollow out tomatoes and fill with chopped casserole.
• Pasta Toss — mix chopped leftovers with cooked pasta for a creamy bake.
• Soup Starter — stir into a creamy potato or cauliflower soup.

💭 Final Thoughts

This casserole is proof that some classics deserve a little reinvention. It’s rich, cheesy, and unapologetically indulgent — the kind of dish you make when you want to spoil yourself and your people. It’s also a conversation starter, especially if your guests have never had a Hot Brown before.

💬 Reader prompt: If you could turn any sandwich into a casserole, what would it be?

Some recipes are just recipes. This Kentucky Hot Brown Casserole? It’s a love letter to comfort food. It’s the sizzle of bacon in the skillet, the silky pour of cheese sauce over toasted bread, the way the broiler kisses the top until it’s golden and irresistible. It’s the moment you set it down on the table and everyone leans in, forks at the ready.

I love that it’s rooted in tradition yet flexible enough to make your own. You can keep it classic for Derby Day, dress it up for a holiday brunch, or throw it together on a chilly Tuesday night just because you deserve it. It’s forgiving, too — a little extra cheese here, a different bread there, and it still comes out tasting like a warm hug.

And here’s the thing — it’s more than just dinner. It’s a reason to gather. To linger at the table. To tell stories and laugh while the cheese stretches from fork to plate. It’s the kind of dish that makes people feel cared for, and that’s the real magic of cooking.

So here’s my challenge: make it, share it, and tag your creations with #HotBrownGlowUp so we can all drool together, swap ideas, and maybe even inspire the next great casserole twist. I want to see your bubbling cheese tops, your creative garnishes, your “couldn’t wait to take a bite” photos.

Here’s to golden cheese, crispy bacon, and the kind of meals that make you feel like a kitchen rock star. Here’s to recipes that connect us to tradition while giving us permission to play. And here’s to you — because you’re about to serve up something that will have everyone asking, “When are you making this again?” 🥓💛

Did you try our Kentucky Hot Brown Casserole? What did you think? Did you love it? We would love to hear from you! Please leave us a comment below or tag us on Instagram!

 

 

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