Kentucky Derby Recipes

Hot Brown Casserole

1 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
6 cups milk
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
16 slices white bread, toasted
16 slices roast turkey
Paprika
1 cup bacon bits (1/2 to 3/4 pound uncooked bacon)
1 cup tomato, seeded and diced
1/4 cup chopped parsley

In a large saucepan, melt butter. Add flour, stirring to make a roux. Cook 2 to 3 minutes. Thoroughly beat eggs. Beat into milk. While stirring, very slowly add milk mixture to butter mixture. Stir in 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Cook until mixture thickens, but do not boil. This will take 30 to 45 minutes. Mixture should heavily coat spoon. Remove from heat. Fold in whipping cream, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Trim crust from bread. Toast 10 slices in a regular toaster or place in pan under broiler until golden. Do both sides. Line the bottom of a 9-by-13-by-2-inch casserole and an 8-by-8-by-2-inch casserole. (I used 6 slices of toasted bread to line a 9-by-13-by-2-inch casserole and 4 slices for an 8-by-8-by-2-inch casserole.) If your casserole dish is large enough to accommodate 10 slices of bread, use only 1 casserole.

Top with slices of turkey. Cover with sauce, dividing the sauce between the 2 casseroles, or if using 1 casserole, spread all of the sauce over the turkey. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese and paprika. Place in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

While casserole is baking, fry bacon. When crisp, remove from pan and place on paper towels to drain. When cool, break into bits. Toast remaining 6 slices of bread. Cut in half on the diagonal.

After removing the casserole from the oven, place toasted bread around outer edge, point side up. Garnish with bacon bits and diced tomatoes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Serve while hot.

Makes 8 servings.

Henry Bain Sauce

1 small jar chutney, chopped
1 (14-ounce) bottle ketchup
1 (8-ounce) bottle chili sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup A-1 Brand Steak Sauce
dash of Tabasco sauce

Blend all ingredients well. Serve with beef.
(The real Henry Bain Sauce is only available from the Pendennis Club in Louisville. If you aren't a member or don't know a member, this recipe comes close.)

Other Louisville favorites:
Oaks Pie
Benedictine
Burgoo
Mint Julep  ¶ 11:09 AM