Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South #2: {Inside Out Hot Brown - So Delicious}!

Every summer I like to chose a cookbook or a special focus and do a summer cooking series. Some of the summer series that I've done in the past are: popsicles; ice creams; cookies; salads; and healthy recipes. One series I've always wanted to do is a series of southern summer recipes. So, this summer I chose a local cookbook from James Beard Nominee, Ouita Michel. Each week I will be cooking recipes from Ouita's Just A Few Miles South Cookbook. 

This week we're delving further into Kentucky cuisine by featuring the quintessential Kentucky dish, the Hot Brown. A traditional Hot Brown is a hot, open-faced sandwich originating from the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. It's a sandwich made with a slice of white bread, turkey, (and sometimes ham). The bread and meats are covered in a rich cheesy Mornay sauce that gets all broiled and bubbly, and then topped with slices of tomato and crispy bacon. The Hot Brown is decadent and usually comes out broiled and bubbling in a casserole dish of some sort. It is an indulgent dish, very comforting, best eaten with a knife and fork. You might find a traditional Hot Brown at both fine dining establishments and your typical hole-in-the-wall.

Chef Ouita Michel has taken a new approach to the traditional Hot Brown and created an Inside Out Hot Brown that is much easier to eat! In the video below, the chef at Wallace Station makes an Inside Out Hot Brown using two slices of bread, covering the interior of the bread with cheesy Mornay Sauce and sliced tomato, before warming the sliced turkey, city ham, and crispy bacon and placing it inside the sandwich. The sandwich gets griddled and can be eaten with your hands! This is a huge departure from the traditional Hot Brown and personally I would consider it a huge improvement. 

When I made my Inside Out Hot Brown it was all about the cheese! I grated a block of white cheddar for the Mornay Sauce and I had leftover white cheddar so I decided to use it in the sandwich. I buttered the outside of my bread, spread Mornay on both insides of bread, then covered one side of the interior in grated White Cheddar before placing some thinly sliced tomato on top of the cheese. I warmed the sliced turkey, shaved city ham, and bacon in the skillet and added it to the sandwich. I then grilled the sandwich, cut it in half, and served it with a side of delicious cheesy Mornay sauce for dipping and dunking.

Look...this is not as indulgent as the traditional version, but it is still straight up comfort food and very decadent. You've got a loaded sandwich full of meat and you're dunking and dipping away in a thick cheese sauce. It is delicious, albeit a little sinful and it's so savory and delicious. We absolutely loved this and had no trouble using up all the fixings throughout the week in sandwiches. My son liked his without tomato, but I think the tomato is absolutely necessary as it adds a little bit of acidity and freshness to an otherwise heavy sandwich. Try as I might, I could only eat one half, and I would highly suggest sharing a sandwich with someone.

This sandwich has received some of the highest ratings at my house and I know full well we will be making it again in the future. I highly suggest giving it a try!

Inside Out Hot Brown

Adapted from Just A Few Miles South

by Ouita Michel

Serves 4

For each sandwich

8 slices white bread

1 cup White Cheddar Mornay Sauce (recipe follows)

8 tomato slices

1 pound thinly sliced roasted turkey

8 ounces thinly sliced city ham*

12 slices bacon, cooked until crisp

butter/oil for grilling (equal parts melted butter and canola oil)

extra grated White Cheddar, for sandwiches (If desired)*

White Cheddar Mornay Sauce

3 ounces butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk, slightly warm

1 cup shredded white Cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon salt

cayenne pepper to taste

*Note: Chef Ouita calls for city ham in this recipe and even if you're located in Kentucky you'll have trouble sourcing this. I went to one store in Lexington that was known to have it and it took about 45 minutes for them to find it in the store and slice it for me. I didn't notice a great difference with the city ham, so use any sliced ham and it will be fine. Also I had extra White Cheddar cheese after making the Mornay Sauce so I added grated White Cheddar to one side of the bread prior to grilling.

White Cheddar Mornay Sauce: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, then whisk in flour until smooth. Cook 2 minutes, stirring periodically. Whisk in milk, stirring constantly to make sure ingredients are well mixed. Reduce heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer, stirring often, until mixture begins to thicken and bubble. Stir in shredded cheese, salt, and cayenne pepper. Remove from heat and continue to whisk until smooth.

For each sandwich: Warm turkey, city ham, and bacon in a grill pan or dry skillet. Lay out 2 slices of bread. Cover both slices with 2 tablespoons White Cheddar Mornay Sauce, then cover one with 2 slices of tomato and one-quarter of the warmed meats. Close the sandwich. Grill in butter/oil over medium heat until golden brown on both sides. Serve warm. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

 Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South