This recipe for Kentucky Hot Brown Casserole is comfort food at it's finest. It will please your entire family (including picky-eaters), but the flavors are impressive enough to serve at dinner parties ... maybe with a Derby theme?
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If you've never experienced a Hot Brown, then you are in for a real treat. The Hot Brown is an open-faced turkey sandwich that is smothered in a cheesy Mornay sauce (similar to an Alfredo) and topped with tomato and bacon.
I'll wait while you wipe the drool off your smart phone ...
Hot Browns were invented in Louisville Kentucky at the Brown Hotel and they are legendary around here. You can find a link to a traditional Hot Brown, as well as some more info on the history HERE.
Tips for making Hot Brown Casserole:
- The recipe calls for thickly sliced roasted turkey. This is a GREAT way to use up leftover turkey, but to save time I've used Oscar Meyer carving board turkey as well as roasted chicken.
- If you can't find Romano cheese or if you can't find it at a good price, you can substitute with Parmesan or a Romano-Parmesan blend.
- I HATE tomatoes. I mean absolutely despise them. But, I can totally eat them in this dish. I slice them as thin as possible and make sure that they are pretty well roasted before eating. Even my super picky kiddos eat them in this dish without complaint. Trust me on this one.
- This recipe freezes really well. To do this, I complete all the steps in the recipe right up until it's time to bake the assembled casserole. At this time just wrap it up tightly and pop it in the freezer. When you are ready to cook just allow it to thaw and then follow the instructions in the recipe card for baking.
Be sure to check out these other great recipes:
- Mint Juleps | Keto, Sugar-Free
- Upside Down Pizza Casserole | Keto, Gluten Free
- Chicken Parmesan Casserole | Keto, Gluten Free
- Chicken, Broccoli and "Rice" Casserole | Keto, Gluten Free
- Cheesy Spaghetti Squash Casserole with Pork Chops | Keto, Gluten Free
- Kentucky Derby Pie | Keto
- Bourbon Balls | Keto, Sugar-Free
📖 Recipe
Kentucky Hot Brown Casserole | Keto, Gluten Free
Ingredients
For bottom "bread" layer:
- 1 ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup shredded Romano cheese
- 1 oz cream cheese
- 1 ½ cups Almond Flour
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 large egg
For the sauce:
- 1 ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 cups Heavy Cream
- ¾ cup shredded Romano cheese
- pinch ground nutmeg
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
For the bottom "bread" layer:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and great a 9x13'' dish.
- In a large microwave safe bowl, combine the mozzarella cheese, Romano cheese, and cream cheese. Microwave for 30 second intervals stirring in between each, until the cheeses are all melted and well incorporated.
- Add the almond flour, baking powder, and the egg. Stir until the mixture is uniform and all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Spread evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Place in preheated oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until top is beginning to brown. Remove from oven and set aside. (keep oven on)
For the sauce:
- While the bottom layer is cooking, prepare your sauce by melting the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Once butter is melted, whisk in the heavy cream and Romano cheese. Continue cooking over medium high heat, stirring constatly, just until it begins to boil then reduce to a simmer.
- Continue stirring frequently, making sure that the bottom isn't sticking, until the sauce has thickened. This will take about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the nutmeg, then season with salt and pepper, and remove from heat.* If you over-thicken the sauce, whisk in a bit of unsweetened almond or cashew milk until it reaches the desired consistency
- Next, evenly distribute the turkey over the bread layer. Top the turkey with the thinly sliced tomato, then the pour the sauce over everything doing your best to make sure the entire dish is covered.
- Place the dish into the hot oven and cook for 10-15 minutes - or until sauce is bubbly and the edges of the tomatoes are starting to appear roasted.
- Remove from the oven, top with bacon strips and sprinkle with additional Romano cheese. Return to oven and cook and additional 5-10 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
- Immediately top with chopped parsley and paprika. Enjoy!
Notes
Be sure to read the entire post for tips, tricks, and help troubleshooting.
The nutrition information listed here is only an estimate and is simply provided as a courtesy. It nor any other information within this post should constitute medical or nutritional advice. Be sure to read all packaging and ingredient labels for potential allergens. Optional ingredients are not included unless otherwise specified.
Penny says
This looks amazing,easy to make but everything Keto is easy to make cannot wait to make it
Sabra says
Thanks Penny! I hope you enjoy 🙂
Amanda O says
This recipe is FANTASTIC. I have been low carb for about 4 years and found this recipe about 2 years ago. Without exaggeration, this is my all-time FAVORITE low carb recipe that I have made to date. I never leave reviews but this absolutely deserves praise. I have actually never made it with turkey, only chicken, and other than that I add a little garlic powder to the sauce. No other changes needed. It is a bit time consuming but 100% worth it!
Jessica says
How thick does the turkey need to be?
Sabra says
Maybe 1/4 of an inch? A little thicker or thinner is fine too though 🙂
Amanda O says
This recipe is FANTASTIC. I have been low carb for about 4 years and found this recipe about 2 years ago. Without exaggeration, this is my all-time FAVORITE low carb recipe that I have made to date. I never leave reviews but this absolutely deserves praise. I have actually never made it with turkey, only chicken, and other than that I substitute parmesan for romano (easier to find) and add a little garlic powder to the sauce. No other changes needed. It is a bit time consuming but 100% worth it!
Mandi says
Would this freeze well? It looks like an amazing recipe!
Sabra says
I think it would be ok, but just be aware that the texture of the sauce may suffer a little from the freezing process. It should still taste great though!
Rhonda Strange says
Excited to make this, but was thinking about using ham along with the turkey and bacon. I live in Kentucky and all the Kentucky hot browns use ham and a cheddar cheese sauce, along with the turkey and bacon, that I have eaten. Is there any reason these would not work?
Sabra says
Hi Rhonda! It's nice to see a fellow KY girl here 🙂 Adding ham would work just fine I'm sure! My grandma has made them with country ham and turkey which was delish! Let me know how it turns out for you xo
Angela says
Is this good reheated? I'm thinking about making it for my lunches for the week.
Sabra says
I think it is!
Susan Evans says
I’m allergic to almond flour, but would love to make this. Do you know what I could substitute?
Sara M. says
@Sabra, any flour substitute suggestions for Susan?
Shannon says
I am making this tonight! I’m super excited, this is my first Keto meal! I’m a born and raised Kentuckian so I am doing 1 lb turkey and 1/2 pound ham. Can’t wait to try it!
Sabra says
Welcome to Keto! Be sure to let me know you like this recipe 🙂
Aaron says
Made this on the Traeger tonight. Used spinach instead of tomatoes (my wife does not care for tomatoes). Turned out great.
Rebecca says
We made this tonight, it was so salty we had to stop eating it. We used deli sliced cold cut turkey. I wonder if I should use a cookied turkey breast or maybe reduce the amount of romano cheese? Any thoughts? Other wise it was delicious and will def be a favorite of ours after some adjustment.
Sabra says
Sorry to hear that it was so salty! I would try selecting a low sodium turkey or use some homemade roasted turkey breast. You could also reduce the bacon or use a lower sodium bacon as well. If you try it again I would love to know how it goes for you!
Lisa Casey says
This ended up costing $65.00 to make two. I suggest roasting a frozen turkey breast but Romano is also very expensive. It's good but I doubt, trying to feed a large family on a budget, that I will make it again.
Sabra says
As I mentioned in the post, you can substitute parmesan for the romano.
Jeanne says
I roasted my own turkey and used Parmesan in place of Romano. Worked fine.
Rosalee says
Going to try different low carb crust. I don't like almond flour. Other than that it was delicious.
Sabra says
Thanks Rosalee 🙂 I'd love to know what crust you end up going with and how it turns out for you!
Roxanne says
I have made this dish at least 10 times and it hits the spot every time! Thank you so very much for intruducing this Wisconsin woman to a Kentucky tradition.
Sabra says
So happy that you like it, Roxanne!
Susan says
This looks delicious!.... sorry if this is a stupid question, but could you use chicken instead of turkey?... or would that be a totally different dish?.... I’m not from Kentucky 😳
Thanks,
Susan
Sabra says
Hi Susan! Chicken will work fine 🙂
Chelsea says
I am making this today, but was wondering if I can make it ahead of time and do the final baking later in the day?
Sabra says
Hi Chelsea! That should work fine 🙂
Robin says
Amazing! Definitely will make this again! I used cut up chicken thighs instead of the turkey and chopped my bacon before frying. I also put thin slices of onion on top before the final bake. Delicious!
Sabra says
Thanks for the great review Robin! So glad that you enjoyed it 🙂
Tara says
I had leftover turkey and ham from Thanksgiving and used them in this recipe it was delicious. I didn’t have the Romano cheese, soI used freshly grated Parmesan and the remains of some other shredded cheeses I had on hand.Thanks for a great recipe.
Sabra says
Glad to hear that you enjoyed it 🙂 Thanks for the great review!
Allen says
I really appreciate this recipe. I've been on Keto since January and miss sandwiches. Your fathead dough recipe feels and tastes much closer to bread or even croissant dough than the one I use for pizza. The flavors here are spot on. A great KHB. Thanks!
Terry says
We made this recipe tonight and it was absolutely fantastic. Living in Louisville I’m a pretty big fan of a hot brown! The crust so so good! I believe it would make a really good keto pizza crust. Anyways, thanks so the amazing recipe!
Kimi Luga says
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Kristin says
I really wanted to like this recipe but struggled with a few things. The crust was not moist enough (seemed to not have enough moisture for the amount of flour). Then the sauce wasn't runny like in the pictures when I was done but that is probably because it soaked into the crust. Overall I liked the flavor and the overall dish but just need to figure out the crust and sauce.
Sabra says
Hi Kristin! I am so sorry to hear that this recipe didn't turn out as you had hoped. If you want to give it another shot, I have a few tips that might help. 1. If you found the crust to be too dry, you can add extra cream cheese (2 to 3 ounces) or reduce the almond flour to 1 1/4 cups. 2. If you would prefer a thinner sauce, try swapping half of the heavy cream for milk. I usually use unsweetened almond milk but any milk will work.
I hope that this helps 🙂
Ann says
This was delicious! Thank you for adapting the recipe for the ketogenic diet.
Laura says
My son is allergic to nuts. What would you propose as a substitute? coconut flour? flax seed powder? sunflower seed powder?
Sabra says
sunflower seed flour can be subbed at 1:1 but will change the taste slightly. You could also swap the crust recipe for another low-carb pizza crust recipe that you like. Hope that helps!
Ashley says
I just made this and it is FANTASTIC!!!! I am totally going to make it again. Thank you !!!
Karen O. says
I made this for a potluck last night and it was delicious. I added some sliced ham to the dish. It was rather salty. I used packaged shredded parmesan and think freshly shredded parmesan would be less salty. All in all the recipe is a keeper
Jessica says
Kind of a pain to make but one of my all time favorites!