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These Mini Kentucky Hot Browns will be the winner at your next Kentucky Derby party! Or any day for that matter!
MINI KENTUCKY HOT BROWNS
Churchill Downs. The Run for The Roses. The Fastest 2 Minutes In Sports. Giant Hats and Seersucker Suits. Ladies and gentlemen, I’m talking about the Kentucky Derby. The iconic horse race that has been wowing spectators and speculators 1875. This race makes up 1/3 of the Triple Crown. But, without this event, the world probably would not have been introduced to the Kentucky Hot Brown sandwich: a tasty treat invented for the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky (the hosting city). And without that miraculous invention, I wouldn’t be presenting you a recipe for Mini Kentucky Hot Browns. Sure, they sound a bit silly, but tiny sandwiches are no joking matter. These sliders are loaded with flavor, and will quickly become a fan favorite. Move over Secretariat! There’s a new champ in town!
WHAT ARE KENTUCKY HOT BROWNS?
In short, it’s a delicious sandwich with a silly name. In more detail, it’s a custom sandwich that was created by Fred K. Schmidt for the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky in 1926. The sandwich has hot turkey and melted cheese with sliced bacon. For additional flavors, the bread is smeared with mayo and pimentos, and the bread is brushed with a slightly sweet brown sugar/butter blend. There really isn’t anything else quite like it.
WHAT DOES THIS PARTICULAR SLIDER TASTE LIKE?
Kentucky Hot Brown sandwiches have a unique taste. At first, it seems like a regular hot turkey and cheese sandwich. But then you start to notice the complex flavors of the Gruyere cheese, bacon, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. It is very savory, slightly sweet, and entirely tasty.
MINI KENTUCKY HOT BROWNS INGREDIENTS
- 1 12 oz. package King’s Hawaiian Sweet rolls, split
- Mayonnaise – 1/4 cup
- 12 slices deli turkey meat
- 12 slices cooked bacon, cut into thirds
- Gruyere cheese – 6 slices
- Grated Parmesan cheese – 1/4 cup
- Diced pimentos – 1/4 cup
- Unsalted butter – 1/2 cup
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped sweet onion
- 2 Tbsp light brown sugar
- Worcestershire sauce – 1 1/2 teaspoons
- Garlic powder – 1/4 teaspoon
RELATED: Lasagna Sliders
HOW TO MAKE KENTUCKY HOT BROWN SLIDERS
Much like some of my other slider recipes, this sandwich is pretty straightforward. Very simple steps, with a huge reward.
- Coat a 9 x 13 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Arrange bottom portions of slider rolls in the casserole dish.
- Assemble sliders by adding a slice of turkey, then bacon crumbles, a few diced pimentos, half a slice of Gruyere cheese, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover with the top halves of the rolls. Repeat the process for each sandwich.
- In a small skillet, over medium heat, melt butter. Add diced onion, and sauté until tender and translucent, about five minutes.
- Whisk in light brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder to the cooked onions. Continue whisking until the brown sugar has dissolved.
- Pour butter mixture over the sandwiches.
- Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for several hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Bake with the aluminum foil still covering the casserole dish for 25 minutes.
- Remove aluminum foil, and bake uncovered for an additional five minutes or until slider rolls are golden brown.
- Serve hot and enjoy.
CAN YOU MAKE KENTUCKY HOT BROWNS AHEAD OF TIME?
Mini Kentucky Hot Browns can be prepared a few hours in advance. Since these sliders are best served warm, you may want to cover them with foil and warm them up in the oven before serving at a party or potluck.
CAN YOU FREEZE KENTUCKY HOT BROWN SANDWICHES?
These sandwiches wouldn’t be good after being frozen, even if reheated. The butter sauce would have an odd texture, and the sandwich rolls would be way too soggy.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH KENTUCKY HOT BROWNS?
Imagine these sandwiches served at a Kentucky Derby party alongside platters of:
- Deviled Eggs
- Benedictine Tea Sandwiches
- Kentucky Derby Chocolate Walnut Pie
WHAT KITCHEN TOOLS DO I NEED TO MAKE MINIATURE KENTUCKY HOT BROWNS?
RELATED: Meal Prep Timesavers
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1 12 oz. package King's Hawaiian Sweet Slider Buns tops and bottom halves separated
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 12 slices deli turkey meat
- 12 slices bacon cooked, cut into thirds
- 6 slices Gruyere cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup diced pimentos
- ½ cup butter unsalted
- 2 Tbsp sweet onion finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp light brown sugar
- 1½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Coat a 9 x 11 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Arrange bottom portions of slider rolls in the casserole dish.
- Assemble sliders by adding a slice of turkey, then bacon crumbles, a few diced pimentos, half a slice of Gruyere cheese, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover with the top halves of the rolls. Repeat the process for each sandwich.
- In a small skillet, over medium heat, melt butter. Add diced onion, and sauté until tender and translucent, about five minutes.
- Whisk in light brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder to the cooked onions. Continue whisking until the brown sugar has dissolved.
- Pour butter mixture over the sandwiches.
- Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for several hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Bake with the aluminum foil still covering the casserole dish for 25 minutes.
- Remove aluminum foil, and bake uncovered for an additional five minutes or until slider rolls are golden brown.
- Serve hot and enjoy.
