Beaumont Inn Kentucky Hot Brown

The Hot Brown is pure Kentucky comfort food, born in Louisville’s Brown Hotel in the 1920s as a late-night supper for hungry guests. This version from the Beaumont Inn stays close to that original spirit with a velvety Swiss cheese cream sauce instead of the cheddar variations you’ll find elsewhere.

Sliced roasted turkey goes over quartered toast, gets topped with fresh tomato slices, then disappears under a thick blanket of that slow-simmered cheese sauce. A quick trip to a hot oven melts everything together, and crispy bacon strips finish the plate.

It’s the kind of dish that turns a simple sandwich into something you’d gladly sit down to with a knife and fork.

Chef Tips

• Simmer the sauce a full 30 minutes as directed. It needs to reduce until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon without running. A thin sauce makes a soggy Hot Brown.
• Use sturdy white bread for the toast. Flimsy sandwich bread falls apart under the weight of the sauce.
• Leftover Thanksgiving turkey works beautifully here. Slice it thick so it holds up under the sauce.
• For a more traditional Louisville version, swap the Swiss for sharp cheddar and add a layer of country ham alongside the turkey.
• Broil the last minute or two if you want the top golden and blistered.