This is not your traditional Kentucky Hot Brown. If you’ve ever had the real deal, then you already know that. If you’ve never had a Hot Brown, here’s a description for you: Turkey, bacon, tomato on toast, served under so much cheese sauce that you can’t find the sandwich. Amazing!
This bake is adapted from a recipe I found via Pinterest on Mr. Food for Italian Layer Bake. I adapted the layers to make it a KY Hot Brown Bake.
This bake is easy to put together, although you do need to allow time for it to bake and set a few minutes before serving. It’s delicious, with gooey cheese and bacon. Everyone in the family loved this one.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Kentucky Hot Brown Bake
Servings: 9 servings
Ingredients
- 8 oz package refrigerated crescent rolls
- 1 lb. package smoked turkey lunch meat
- 8 slices cooked bacon
- 8 slices Swiss cheese
- 3 Roma tomatoes sliced thin
- 4 eggs beaten
Instructions
- Unroll the crescent dough and separate into 2 squares.
- Place one square in bottom of 8" pan that is greased or lined with parchment paper.
- Press dough to fit pan.
- Layer with half the turkey, bacon, cheese and tomatoes.
- Pour half the eggs over the top.
- Repeat the layers.
- Top with remaining dough square.
- Pour remaining eggs over top.
- Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, covered with foil. Remove foil and bake another 20-25 minutes.
- Let sit at room temp for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Notes
This recipe is adapted from Mr. Food's Italian Layer Bake.
You will need about an hour total to bake and let it set after baking.
This looks incredibly tasty! I’ve done a similar version with French bread but this looks so much easier. Guess what I’m picking up to make for dinner tonight? 🙂
Great recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Alas, another one I can just apply to hips and clog the arteries with 🙁
go eat your kale!
Hilarious!
Add kale or and fresh spinach, sounds even better
Yes spinach does sound great!
It may be worth it
Um, just eat it in moderation. You don’t have to eat the whole casserole in one sitting. lol
Or DO you? 🙂 🙂 lol
try low fat crescent rolls – turkey bacon – low fat cheese – egg beaters – and low fat turkey ham – problem solved!
How bout just look at the picture and pretend its delicious! calorie free fur sur
In Kentucky they say Fore Shore…..
just put mine in the oven….added diced green onions and jalepeno’s can’t wait …yum
Great idea!
Amen
Amen!
Yeah
I left the bacon out we loved it.
I agree with you, just keep going……
Preach it!
Why post negativity…..the world is full of it!
Can’t wait for this to hit my lips and hips!!!! YUMMERS!
Thank you for the recipe.
We plan on having it for supper tonight!
Amen. Find one u like and go with it
Nix the bacon and do a turkey bacon…use skim or 2% milk mozzarella cheese. Use an egg substitute or egg whites. No need to ho hum..adjust it to your liking and say yum!
That post was not negative, just an innocent comment I think, and it inspired some suggestions to make the dish a little healthier.
I’ve lived in ky all my life 39 yrs total & until 2 weeks ago had never had a ky hot brown…
It’s the best thing I’ve ever ate .. I ordered it at a restaurant in a hotel . Here in ky it was simply amazing .. I’m gonna make this hot brown bake & use cheddar cheese along with the Swiss …
Being a California girl, I had never heard of this sandwich before, but it looked and sounded good. I made it last night for dinner, and my husband loved it! In reading all of the comments, I decided to cook the bottom crust for five minutes before constructing, blot the sliced tomatoes to cut excess moisture , use only two eggs, and raise the temperature to 360 since my oven takes a little longer to cook things. It turned out perfectly, moist but not soggy! Thanks so much for your previous comments, they helped a lot!!
Thank you for the great tips! That’s just what I was looking for!!!
Thanks, I know sometimes, I just really want to have something at home and darn good! That’s it, I don’t know why anyone would not try this, looks so great! Can you live without having something good and work it off as we are meant to, the working way, life is not sitting, it’s getting up and enjoying a good taste, enjoying the taste, the great time seeing someone love what you made for them, pretty good, I am going for it, not one to eat and sit, Thank you for letting me know it is as great as it looks!!
l lived in ky for 13 years and never heard of this but I’m making it tonight!
Yes, in Kentucky it has Swiss cheese and Hollandaise sauce.
Eek!! No! A Hot Brown is made with Mornay sauce.
A “real” KY Hot Brown sandwich is made with country ham…not turkey!
just curious but why do you need the egg and can you do without it?
The eggs bind a casserole together. You don’t have to use them, but your casserole will not hold together in nice neat squares when you cut it.
Sounds great can’t wait to try it
Just made it, but used two large eggs instead of four. Baked first layer of dough for five minutes, then added rest of mix and baked. Moist, will bake it again, but will add spices, just a little bland.
Banana peppers too
i live in Australia and what if i cant get the crescent dough rolls what can i use in it place cause i would love to give my dad this from he’s home town he missed so much pls let me know ASP. thanxs
You might try puff pastry or even a homemade biscuit dough. It will be different, but still good.
I plan on making this later with pizza dough, leaving out the bacon, reducing the eggs to one or two and adding mornay sauce like the real deal 🙂 ive made something like this before with pizza dough and it came out awesome and not soggy at all.
I was thinking about trying this with a ciabatta bread loaf, the thinnest I could find, slicing it horizontally all the way then do the layer. Not sure I’ll use the eggs, but a classic Mornay Sauce instead and just heat it through. Thoughts? I also love the pizza dough idea.
I think if you don’t use the eggs and use ciabatta bread, you won’t need to bake it as long.
maybe use pizza dough.
I made this and my family loved it!
I don’t know WHY I check in on your site when I am starving and it’s time to make dinner lol this is perfect for me and my husband! Just ordered our new oven..ours finally died after 27 years can’t complain Hate to see it go. Cannot wait to try this Thank you MWAH
this looks just wonderful. would yo mind if i make this and share my pictures on our blog but link it back to this post.?
Ann, that’s fine with me. Thanks for checking 🙂
Do u cook the egg before baking?
No, the egg is raw when it’s added.
What is the purpose of the egg?
I think it helps to hold the sandwich together and make it moist.
This looks so good. I just popped it in the oven! I can’t wait to take the first bite. 🙂
Well??
She’s still eating. LOL!!!
no news is good news… 🙂
What degrees did you put oven on for Kentucky Brown Bake
I think it as 350 bui am away from my computer now so I am not sure.
What about minus the eggs?
I think it would work without the egg, but wouldn’t be as moist.
Do you beat the eggs first or put in whole
Beat the eggs.
350 degrees
Can you make this beforehand and let it set in the fridge until it’s time to cook ?
I would think you could leave it in the fridge for several hours before baking and it would be okay. I’ve never tried doing that though.
I think that might mess up the dough
My wife makes a similar recipe using sausage instead of the turkey every year for a Christmas Brunch and we almost always put it together the day before and bake it the next morning and it still turns out awesome.
I made this and unfortunately the bottom came out soggy and it seemed like too much egg. Not sure what I did wrong 🙁
Hmmm, it does require a resting time after it bakes. I’m not sure what else it could have been. Sorry for that.
I would say the oven was not hot enough or the pan was a really heavy pan and should have cooked just a little longer.
Maybe needs to be lower in the oven too.
Iv found with these types of recipes that call for any type of refrigerated dough, its best to pop the pan in the over for about 5 mins with just to bottom layer or dough. Removed then add the remaining ingredients. That often helps reduce the sogginess. Just a suggestion. 😉
I have found that using a glass dish for casseroles is more important than browning the crescent roll first. Mine was soggy but I used too much egg and we added more veggies and shrooms.
Oh I love shrooms, but then I can’t remember if I liked the recipe….. hahahaha
I had the same problem. I increased the temp to 365 and put it back in for 10 more minutes. Came out much better
temp not hot enough
Try maybe basting it heavily with egg instead of pouring and use maybe 2 instead of 4… Just a suggestion!!!
I just cooked it 5 minutes longer
Hi there!
Just wanted to let you know that I featured you and your recipe on my bog! Absolutely delicious!!
-Tristan
HI! I read the reviews and even the reviews from Mr. Food’s Italian Bake recipe. I want to make this but am hesitant about 4 eggs making it too soggy. I see in your photo it looks “wet” on the parchment paper. Is this from the eggs?
What is the purpose of the eggs? Does it act as a binder? I want to try this w/ 2 eggs instead. Can you advise? Thanks!
It isn’t really “wet”. It is moist though and you do need to let it set for about 15-20 minutes before serving. It might work fine with only 2 eggs. I don’t think you could ruin it by using less eggs.
I don’t like eggs. Do you have any suggestions for a substitute?
I made this today…I used two packages of crescent rolls…one for the top and one for the bottom. I used leftover turkey from Christmas and crumbled the bacon. It turned out beautifully!! I cooked it for 30 minutes after removing the foil.
I made the recipe and used only 1.5 eggs and it already appeared wet when I brushed it. Also, I used one package of crescent rolls and next time would use two.
My fiance liked this and called it a “Glorified Hot pocket”!!! I would probably make this again but with different fillings and less egg. Honestly, if it acts as a binding agent then one egg would suffice
I left out the egg this time. was to soggy. This time no egg and added banana peppers on half, my son and I like it spicy! also added ham! we’re meat eaters! We will see! Love eggs they just don’t like me!
You don’t have any ham in this recipe. A true KY hot brown has country ham, but often you see them made with regular baked ham.
You’re right! I didn’t put in the ham. You could add that, though it still won’t be like a traditional hot brown.
Can you leave the tomatoes out?
Yes, you can leave them out.
A true Kentucky Hot Brown doesn’t not have country ham, it has turkey. From The Brown Hotel’s website: In the 1920’s, The Brown Hotel drew over 1,200 guests each evening for its dinner dance. In the wee hours of the morning, the guests would grow tired of dancing and retire to the restaurant for a bite to eat. Diners were growing rapidly bored with the traditional ham and eggs, so Chef Fred Schmidt set out to create something new to tempt his guests’ palates. His unique creation was an open-faced turkey sandwich with bacon and a delicate Mornay sauce. Exemplifying our unending dedication to serving our guests, The Hot Brown was born!
You beat me to it Donna! I live in Louisville, where it originates, & country Ham has nothing to do with it, tho it is a rural Kentucky favorite in & of itself. Anyway, I’m excited about making this tonight, totally aware that it won’t be a hot brown replica, (which I assumed by the lack of a Mornay sauce). I think I will try 2 eggs, since I’m not a big fan of soggy bread, & will definitely let it sit!
You are exactly correct my partner and I had the wonderful taste experience when we went down to bards town for the rockin giood time during the bourbon festival it was delisious
I have the original recipe from the Brown Hotel. It is awesome and I make it all the time.
Would you share the recipe to my email? I am in NC and would like to try it. Thanks
The Hot Brown began at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, KY (My home town) i the 1920’s. the true hot brown only has turkey, bacon, tomato plus the famous cheese sauce all on texas toast. The recipe above is more like a deconstructed hot brown.
Made this last night for dinner and it was a big hit! Really delicious and easy to put together.
Just have to say, I am from Kentucky, and you can’t make a Hotbrown without Ham. And most Hotbrowns will have cheddar cheese and parm cheese too.
I’m from Louisville and I’ve never had a Hot Brown with ham. The original Brown Hotel recipe is with turkey.
I’m from Louisville, too, and a Chef to boot – a Hot Brown does NOT have country or city ham in it – it’s turkey and bacon on toast, covered with a rich mornay sauce, then tomato and broiled – some people add some parmesan to the sauce and/or sprinkle it on top, but it is NOT a cheddar cheese sauce….
you guys are making me sooo homesick! I always try to get the hot brown at Bristol when ever I get back home – only they make theirs over croissants instead of toast. No matter how you make it bacon, cheese sauce is ALWAYS a good thing!
Louisville chef. Check KY history. Tradition Hot Brown IS made with ham opreferably country)
you need to check again… several sources say…” A Hot Brown Sandwich (sometimes known as a Kentucky Hot Brown) is an American hot sandwich originally created at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, by Fred K. Schmidt in 1926.”
“The Hot Brown is an open-faced sandwich of turkey and bacon, covered in Mornay sauce and baked or broiled until the bread is crisp and the sauce begins to brown. Many Hot Browns also include ham with the turkey, and either pimentos or tomatoes over the sauce, and imitation Hot Browns sometimes substitute a commercial cheese sauce instead of the Mornay.
More common alternatives to the Hot Brown include using Cheddar cheese or American cheese for the sauce. Alternatives for garnishes include tomatoes, mushroom slices, and, very rarely, canned peaches. also…
When Fred K. Schmidt created the Hot Brown, its sliced roast turkey was a rarity, as turkey was usually reserved for holiday feasts. The original Hot Brown included the sliced turkey on an open-faced white toast sandwich, with Mornay sauce covering it, with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, completed by being oven-broiled until bubbly. Pimento and bacon strips were then added to it. After its debut, it quickly became the choice of ninety-five percent of the customers to the Brown Hotel’s restaurant.[1][2]
The dish is a local specialty and favorite of the Louisville area, and is popular throughout Kentucky. It was long unavailable at its point of origin, as the Brown Hotel was shut down from 1971 to 1985.”
Doesn’t have any ham.
I, too, grew up in KY and even though the hot browns I had didn’t always include ham, some did. I like it better with honey ham, but that’s my personal preference. That’s the thing with any good recipe… tweak it, play with it… make it your own. I tend to like mine a little less wet so I put just enough Mornay sauce in the dish to make me happy… but leave extra on the side for those who want more. No complaints yet! 🙂
I doubled the recipe and used a 9×13. I only used two eggs total and it was perfect! Thanks!
I was considering doubling the recipe as well, did you bake it longer or at a higher temperature?
I made it once, n everybody loved it, n my friend’s want to know where I got the recipie!!!
I made this tonight and it is very tasty. I used Garlic Crescent Rolls. I will be making this again!!!!
HI! I tried this recipe tonight and it was a hit with the hubby! I’m a HUGE Hot Brown fan so I had to try it. I only used one egg and baked it without foil for 40 minutes. It was cooked perfectly. Thanks! – Amanda
I made this tonight and it was great!
Made this tonight. Decided to double it, which meant 8 eggs. Well I read some of the other comments after I had already added the eggs and got a little nervous. All that happened was it turned out more like a breakfast item instead of a sandwich. lol I still loved it, but will try with less eggs next time to see if it is just as delicious! Wonderful recipe! (oh I used provolone since I forgot the swiss….will have to try with swiss next time as well!)
Please, people. Relax. She’s already said it is NOT the true Kentucky Hot Brown Bake! Sounds wonderful whether you include ham or not!
I made a version of this based SOLELY on your mouthwatering photo! It was delicious! http://redmittens.com/2013/06/17/kentucky-hot-brown-my-version/
Made a veggie version of this with tofurky the other night and my s.o. said it was the best sandwich he’s ever had. Trying a variation tonight with roasted red peppers, feta and pesto. Smells delish! Tx for sharing this!
That sounds like a fabulous idea…some sun dried tomato would go amazingly well with that variation. Made with the full 4 eggs your idea would make a lovely Sunday brunch item. Mmm…I need to make this asap!!
Hello, I can not eat eggs would you be able to make this recipe without them?
Chantel, I think it would work without the eggs. It just won’t be as saucy. And it might not need as long to cook.
I had a Hot Brown at the Galt house in Louisville Loved it
I also don’t this with no egg and is awesome. Thank you so much for this incredible web site with recipes.
I am going to make the KY hot brown for the 1st time today. Is it supposed to be eaten at room temp? What about leftovers, how long will they be good for and should I warm them before serving it? Thanks for the recipe!
We ate it hot from the oven. We didn’t have leftovers, but you could warm it in the oven at 350 for 15-20 minutes or till hot. Or just stick it in the microwave.
Leftovers? As if!!!
While it looked beautiful on top, I cut the first piece after letting it cool as instructed and the bottom did not look cooked at all. I don’t think it was because of the eggs-it just didn’t look cooked! I used 3 eggs instead of 4, I think I would just do 2 next time. I put it back in the oven with a piece of foil loosely over the top to see if that will cook the inside more without burning the top. It looks and smells delicious otherwise. I wonder if it would help to cook the bottom layer of crescent roll for 5 minutes or so before layering everything else on and cooking the full time?
Mine also was raw on the bottom.
I made this tonight, only thing I did was used 2 pks. of crescent rolls. I Give this a 2 thumbs up, it was very Good and I will definitely will be making this again! Thank you for this amazing recipe!
want to try this but how do the left overs keep well?
Jenny, I’d say they would keep in the fridge for a few days. Reheat in the microwave or oven. We don’t have leftovers of this though, so I have no personal experience with reheating it 🙂
well thank you, but you were right no left overs even my little one loved it
Do you cook the bacon before it does it cook during?
Cook the bacon before assembling the sandwich.
Hi there all.
I am new to this site and would be grateful if I could have recipes that are suitable for me.
I have high cholesterol, allergic to dairy products and shell fish; including bottom feeding fish such as sole, plaice, halibut etc.
My GP has said that I need to lose weight too as I gave up smoking, due to asthma; caused by the allergies.
As you can imagine I am finding hard to find foods to make tasty meals. Also foods that will satisfy sweet & savoury cravings. I love to cook so ope you can help me please. Thank You. Anita from UK
Anita, good luck with your new eating habits. I don’t specifically write for allergies and such, but you may find some recipes that will fit your needs.
My brother (a American) & my sister-in-law (a Scott) live outside of Glasgow- I visited – but before I went I was told by a friend to take some spices/seasonings with me – I am glad I did – Tesco doesnt have much but Asda did have a better selection and they were in small containers try to get a good selection – Try to find on the internet “spice mix recipes” to use on meats – take mince and add your own spices (garlic – fennel seed – peppers (sweet and hot) sage – etc) make patties – Also studies show white cannellini beans are specially good in helping lowering Cholesterol. Make more one pot dishes. I made this for them on a visit – Italian sausage links browned in olive oil and removed – (all to taste) added a bunch of Kale (cleaned stripped from center stem and chopped) onion – chopped garlic – small bit (1/3c) of water cooked till kale is wilted and tender – added drained can of cannellini beans – sliced links into thirds put back in and reheated them – They make this all the time! It’s easy – tasty – savory – filling and loaded with fiber!
I made this tonight, it was fantastic!! Heard some debate over there shoulda been ham? No ma’am! Never heard of a Hotbrown with ham.
Will make it again and again!
Did you fry the bacon before adding it to the layers and cooking it in the oven?
I would cook the bacon before hand. thats part of the of goodness. the crispy bacon in all the melted cheese!
I Love this website! Thank- you Wanda
can I revise this w/ egg beaters, turkey bacon, and low fat cheese? Any adjustments to bake time, or should I just go for it?
I made this tonight with turkey bacon and it was good, but the bacon was pretty soft. Not crispy at all. But then again the whole thing was soggy. I think I will reduce the amount of egg next time. It’s good, just don’t expect crispy bacon.
I read somewhere that pies should be baked on the bottom shelf of the oven: maybe the same for this.
it calls for 4 beaten eggs, in 2 different layers. The picture shows top layer of egg as if it was to be like a clear glaze. Most of times i baked the entire, egg say as breakfast pizza, it comes out more like scrambled eggs.
I did this with two pkgs of croisants. I think mine got a little soggy from the tomato. I also used basil leaves, sooooo good.
This looks like a good recipe. On the soggy problem. It’s got deli meat and tomatoes in it. If you baked this without any egg you would have liquid from those two ingredients. You could try seeding the tomato and patting the turkey dry but they’re still going to produce some liquid.
I think I’m going to add some sliced onion and roasted garlic when I try this.
Wanted to introduce myself and try this great looking sandwich.
It’s missing the best part of the hot brown, the Mornay sauce on top which is what makes it so good. This version is just a baked sandwich.
Can you do this in the crockpot too?
I’ve never tried it in the crockpot.
I wouldn’t. A crock pot won’t brown the bread and the entire dish will be soggy since the crock pot retains moisture.
I made this last night and it was AWESOME SAUCE!!. and to answer everyone’s question about reheating. I reheated in the toaster oven for about 5-10 min I put foil on the toaster oven pan and it stuck. So just make sure you spray whatever you are reheating in with PAM. But other than that it reheats well
This is delish! I tweaked the recipe a bit to accommodate what I had on hand. I used bacon, ham, and pepperoni along with provolone. Then, instead of multiple eggs, only used one egg on top of the final layer of crescent. It wasn’t a traditional Kentucky Hot Brown…but it was still delish!
Yeah you can tweek it anyway you want with the layers. Only had maple bacon so subbed it out for hard salami and it worked very well.
This looks delicious! Will definately try it!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! The only change I made was I used 3 eggs instead of 4 (about 1.5 per layer) and I put a little salt and pepper in the egg mixture. Will definitely be making this again. We are also going to make another variation using grilled chicken, basil, mozzarella, and tomatoes. Thanks for sharing this!
I am an American living in England and they don’t do the refrigerated crescent rolls …could you suggest an alternative? Thank you
Would refrigerated croissants work, which are available here in England?
Ann, I’m not sure if those are baked or not. This recipe uses an unbaked dough.
Make your own pie crust dough and cook it 4 or 5minutes before adding fillings.
How many eggs? I don’t see eggs mentioned in the ingredients. Also, I make something similar and instead if using crescent rolls you can break 6 pieces of bread, white, wheat or whatever kjnd you like and place in the bottom of lightly greased(oiled) pan.
I make something very similar and call it a baked sandwich. I layer crescent rolls, salami, pepper jack cheese, ham, provolone, pepperoni, mozzarella, and egg and parmesan Cheese mixture and roasted red peppers. Then repeat the salami, pepper jack, ham and provolone. Top with the crescent rolls and a little more of the egg parmesan mix to brown the bread. I tent aluminum foil on top so it doesn’t stick to the bread. Bake on 375 for 40 minutes, uncover and cook 5-10 minutes more to brown the bread.
I am gonna do this with a big twist and make like philly chees stk,,onions,,peppers and cheese….
Great idea!
I love philly stks I with you
When do you cut it? Before or after you bake it?
Thanks for the recipe!
Cut it after it bakes.
Do u put the last layer of egg on top of bread or under
On top of bread.
Won’t that make it soggy?
It doesn’t make it soggy, but some people have found four eggs to be too much. They cut it back to two and like it better. I liked it with four.
Looks so good! Need easy recipes that taste great.
A Hot Brown uses chicken, not turkey. Never has.
Your information couldn’t be any more wrong. As folks get a craving for a Hot Brown they might take some liberties (as this reciepe does with crescent rolls) & make a variation of it depending on what they have on hand, be it ham, chicken, roast beef, cheddar cheese, etc. So you may have had a similar treat that used chicken and they may have “called it” a Hot Brown & they can call it whatever they want but I can assure you of this: From inception the only meat on a Hotel Brown/KY Hot Brown has ALWAYS been turkey.
I don’t understand how u do the crescent rolls to fix this I need a visual lol
You will unroll the can of crescent rolls, but leave it all in one big sheet of dough. Once it’s all unrolled, separate it into two large squares. These two pieces of dough will become the top and bottom of the bake.
I used shredded Mexican cheese, refrigerated pizza crust (only because I grabbed the wrong tube) and did not cover with tinfoil. This was not soggy at all. Itis quite good.
Just made this and yum! Omitted the tomatoes (due to allergy) and served them fresh on the side. Made it in a 9″ pan with all of the bacon in the first layer and it came out perfectly! I had mine with some honey mustard-so very, very good. Will definitely make again. Thank you!
Only issues with recipe is use room temperature tomatoes because if you use them from the fridge u need to bake longer in order for the egg in the first layer to cook threw. Instead of Swiss cheese I used a shredded blend of cheddar and Mozzarella it turned out even better than with the Swiss
Looks good, but why will it only print out in some unrecognizable foreign language?!
Did you click the green word, “print” just above the blue “save recipe” button?
First of all, I love the name.
Secondly, as much as I love cheese, your version looks crazy good.
I cannot wait to try it. Thanks!
Just came from a long trip in Tennessee and Kentucky! Loved it there! Going to try this to reminisce about it and all that food out there!
This looks so scrumptious! What kinds of cheese can you replace the Swiss cheese with?
You could try provolone or cheddar.
I’m making it to night 🙂
Almost done! I increased my temp a little, nd used salami, turkey, and ham..nd i also used two cans of rolls…cant wait!
Making this for dinner tonight. My husband has already requested that I email him the web page so he can make it the fire station. I’ll be interested to see what they do with it, they don’t leave recipes alone…ever! (and it usually turns out pretty darn good too)
– bacon – turkey + ham= gold!
I made this for dinner tonight, Kids and husband loved it. Will definitely make again.
Eggs in a Hot Brown????!!!!???? Louisville what do you think about that?
looookkk,kkkkssssss sooooooo gooooooddddd………and I’m with the other guy go on not a blog that loves negative people this is for happy loving people with good ideas on bffood. …..go happiness
I make a version of this without the eggs, and use Ragu Four Cheese sauce in addition to itallian blend shredded cheese.
Just made this, only two eggs needed, I think 4 wouldve made it sloppy. I also used two cans of crescent rolls, one I dont wouldve covered it enough on top. Husband liked it, will make again!
Made it last night, amazing! Thank you for sharing (my husband thanks you too.) Only change to the recipe I did was that I cooked the whole package of bacon 🙂
I made this for dinner tonight. It was good! Super easy too
A lot like a baked Monte Cristo. Omit tomatoes add raspberry jam on center layer. Dust with powdered sugar when slerved
Great idea!
I just made this and after taking it out of the oven and letting it sit for about 10 minutes, I cut it and my eggs were still raw. I have it back in the oven now.
Looks good!!!
Made this tonight. Only did 2 egg whites, which seemed plenty,and 365° oven. Did 2 crescent packages and 9x 13 glass dish. It was a hit for sure!
Does this freeze well?
I haven’t tried freezing it, but I think it would work. Reheat in the oven.
Hi, my family and I used to live in Louisville so this recipe is close to our hearts! Thanks for sharing! My daughter has an egg allergy. I was wondering if you thought this would still taste amazing without the egg?
Thanks!!
I think the egg helps with it being moist, but I’d give it a try without the egg to see how it works.
Kathy – This recipe would put anyone in a good mood or in the hospital; with high cholesterol.
I am going to make it anyway. We all should treat ourselves once in a while . You know we deserve it.
My friens’s daughter is getting married this November. She recently moved to Louisville, Kentucky and is marrying a chef who has lived there his entire life. They are serving the original Kentucky Hot Browns for their rehearsal dinner and they are definitely made with turkey, bacon, sliced and seeded tomatoes and that glorious Mornay sauce. I’ll be helping prepare them and I can’t wait! I am also going to make this version for easy “home style” cooking! Thanks for the recipe!
What a great rehearsal dinner menu!
O’Charley’s used to have a hot brown on its lunch menu and it was fantastic! I wish they would bring it back. Also, you cannot possibly have a perfect hot brown unless you use real turkey breast instead of processed turkey from the lunchmeat counter or the deli. I can’t imagine it with swiss cheese either. That’s a completely different taste than the white sauce actually used on a hot brown. Also, NO HAM!!
This isn’t meant to be a perfect hot brown. It’s just a sandwich bake based on the idea of the hot brown.
If I make this and don’t have time to make a white sauce, I think I will use white American cheese or white cheddar cheese.
I think it’s the best tasting recipe I have ever tried!!! Don’t overthink it people! Have fun with it, n add your own ingredients to it, or take stuff out… in any case, just enjoy cooking again, n have fun!!
This is a fabulous recipe. We both had to cut out the bacon etc., so we made it for friends for a brunch, and I did take one nibble. Thank you for this! Amybeth Hurst, Portland, ME
I made it, n EVERYONE LOVED IT!!! It has been several weeks since I made it, n everybody wants to know how I made it!!! My coworkers want to have a potluck every week, just so I’ll make it!!!
Who ever posted recipe needs to update a few things an 8OZ package of crescent rolls is not enough dough for an 8inch pan!!!!!!
You should be able to use half the dough on the bottom of the pan. Press to the edge with your fingers.
Could I bake it ahead of time and then heat it in the oven before we are ready to eat? Or can it be made in a crock pot? (No matter what we are having this for dinner,lol…I’ll be pairing this with potato soup tonight for dinner) I was just curious because I have class in the evening 4 days a week and I don’t get home until almost 9pm when my hubby gets home from second shift. So simple and easy it is for us because we don’t wan to wait until 11pm to eat,lol.
I think baking ahead and reheating would work best.
This was so good! The instructions made for a perfect outcome too. I added onions in place of tomatoes because I didn’t have any on hand, and also used half turkey and half pastrami. It was perfect. I plan on heating up the leftovers with marinara sauce tonight. Thanks for the recipe!
I made this recipe for my husband and he was really impressed. I ADDED SPINACH ( canned spinach drain all excess water out) but I mixed it in with 2 of the eggs and poured as layer and I added ham also and I used swiss and american cheese poured one beaten egg on top….it was awsome….I wanted to post a pic of it but couldn’t figure out how to put pic on here.
GIGIME05
Great idea to add spinach!
Tonight is the first time i’m trying the Kentucky Hot Brown Bake, and so far it looks amazing in the oven!!!! still baking but i think i may have done a great job.. this creation was A1. Thanks!!!! quick and very easy!!!!!
I’ve tried making it, came out really wonderfully. The only problem I had was stretching out the dough. It didn’t really want to stretch enough to cover the bottom of the pan, and that was with the whole 8 oz tube using a 8” pan. Is there any easier way to do it?
I am making a vegan version of this. Made a tofu scramble for the eggs cashew cheese portobello for meat and seitan for the bacon. It smells great cant wait to eat it. Next time maybe will add spinach or even artichokes and parm instead of cheese and bacon.
I was wondering if replacing the eggs with a Mornay sauce would work? Should still leave it moist and would maybe be closer to an authentic Kentucky Hot Brown Bake? Has anyone tried this? Would also help out the folks with egg allergies. I have a super easy Mornay recipe.
You could leave the eggs out and then top it with the Mornay sauce once it’s baked.
I made this today for the first time with a couple little tweaks of my own: instead of sliced fresh tomatoes, I used chopped sun-dried tomatoes and also added a small box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed with all the liquid squeezed out. Thumbs up all around. Not only was it delicious, but super filling, so even using the small square pan, we stuffed ourselves (four of us) and still have some leftovers. Scrumdillyumptious!
Next time I make this, I am doing some more tweaking to make a Monte Cristo version with the raspberry sauce on the side. I’ll let ya know how that one turns out too. Can’t wait–Monte Cristo is one of my top two favorite sandwiches, Reuben being the other. Still brewing on how I might re-tailor this recipe for a Reuben, haven’t quite got a game plan on that one yet though.
I like your ideas!
I make traditional KY hot brown for a derby party each year and always waste time by toasting bread and assembling when I should be partying. next year – 2015 – i’ll adapt this method so I can do it ahead and not need to corral my some of my guests to assemble 24 sandwiches and pop in the oven. I’ve been toasting then assembling with turkey, bacon, tomatoes, and putting mornay sauce–fews years back I tried cheeses from a jar -NOT good. I never use eggs so i’ll skip that but I liked the suggestion to just do it a day ahead, think i’ll start the dough five minutes early somehow. and there are rarely any leftovers. side dishes grits, burgoo stew, and lots of mint julep.
And Derby Pie for dessert? Sounds like a great party!
I have made this a few times it is delicious and my kids love it I never have left overs
I think I’ll substitute Ham for the Turkey for Christmas Morning Breakfast.
While you are repeating the layers, do you layer crescent in between turkey/bacon/cheese/tomato?? Or is the crescent only on top and bottom of dish??
The crescent is just the bottom and top.
One more question: for what size of dish is this? 8 x ??
Use either 8×8 or 9×9 square pan.
Tiffany!
First want to thank you for great recipe, second: do not worry about all the people who complain about the name or “proper” or “the ONLY right” ingredient. I care for good recipe, and it need to have some name so why not KY…
I love it, my husbands loves it and since i found it month ago I made it twice. Both times I adjusted to my personal needs, and both times came awesome. First time my pan was not deep enough so i could only make one layer (ahhhh!!) – but still used 4 eggs (that for the questions about too many eggs!!!) and it still came GREAT – was actually not wet enough (my fault) as was only one layer. So second time I got deeper dish, but as well larger, so I doubled the quantities of ingredients (as last time was NOT enough!!! food)…and again, my mistake, I did not adjusted the cooking time (larger amount needed longer cooking time), so I was like a yo-yo, keep resetting oven….on the end – came DELICIOUS!!!! I wish I could post my pictures. O! That’s right, I just “loosely” based on your recipe, so I used sandwich ham, no bacon, once cheddar cheese, once even shredded cheddar cheese, and always the amount of eggs you called for. So THANK you as that was our Thanksgiving Saturday dinner!!! Please post more…and do not worry about the people who complain…you made more people happy. Hugs!
Eva, I’m really glad you liked it! Your changes sound great!
I lived in Ky all my life well till I got married and moved to my husbands home state wa I love the ky hot brown and when I came across this I had to make it for my kids and husband I do have to say it was a big hit and made me think of home my family asked me to make it tonight I love that it makes alot and that its really is a low cost meal anyone who has not tried this needs to
But can you get country ham in WA? I send it to my sister in TX for her to make hot browns with. This recipe sounds great, but more like a ham bread pudding than a hot brown. I love mornay sauce.
Hi! Made this for supper tonight and it was awesome! I want to double the recipe for a 9×13 Pyrex dish for when I have company. How long and at what temp should I bake it?
If you do a double recipe in a 9×13 pan, the temp and bake time should be the same as for a single batch. I’m glad you liked it!
Looks good, I would make it a little different and faster, first I would scramble my eggs until cook, bake my buns after bake then layer all ingredients and put back into over for 15min or until all the cheese is malted.and let cool 3 min and service. And add or substitute ingredients.
Mine turned out great. I used stewed tomatoes due to price. Tip – Use non stick or spray the foil before covering. Mine was a little sticky but I worked it loose.
Thanks, I will try to make it tonight
We don’t get crescent roll dough here in South Africa, what can I use as an alternative?
I made this for Father’s Day Brunch, and it turned out perfect. I did also bake the bottom for a short time, (I didn’t bake it long enough for it to brown). I used parchment paper which was a huge help. I cut the sandwiches while in the casserole dish, then lifted the parchment paper with the sandwiches on top, onto a platter. It got a lot of rave reviews. I may try the original recipe next. I let it sit for at least the amount of time indicated which was a plus. I used all the eggs. It was really perfect!
This recipe is incredibly delicious!! I baked the first layer for a few minutes but that’s the only change I made to the recipe.
It’s definitely a keeper, and I will be making it again! Delicious!
The foil ending up sticking to the top layer. Not sure how to resolve this issue. Maybe some cooking spray or a deeper pan?
Cooking spray or a deeper pan would both be great solutions, April. ENJOY!
Looks/sounds more like a ham/cheese bread pudding than a hot brown, but I love everything in it, so it has to be good. Just not at ALL like a hot brown IMHO. It’s all about the Mornay sauce for me.