Kentucky Hot Brown Bites – All the flavors of the sandwich in a bite-size treat. Turkey, bacon, tomatoes, mornay cheese sauce, and crescent rolls baked in a mini muffin pan. Perfect for your Derby Day and holiday parties. This is a great recipe for leftover holiday turkey. #derby #kyderby #turkey #sandwich #partyfood #gameday #crescentrolls
I had my first Kentucky Hot Brown at Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain in NYC last year. It was AMAZING! I knew I had to make my own version at home. Since party food is my favorite food, I made mini hot brown bites. I used my Club Sandwich Puffs recipe as inspiration.
We really liked the little bite-sized sandwiches and decided to turn the Hot Brown into a bite-sized treat too. We ate these for dinner, and there were no leftovers. This is a great way to use up any leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, and they would be the perfect addition to your Iron Bowl tailgate on Saturday!!
How to Make Hot Brown Bites
These bites are very easy to make. Start with making the mornay cheese sauce. Melt butter in a sauce pan. Add flour and cook for about a minute. Whisk in milk and cook until the sauce starts to thicken. Add Swiss cheese and stir until smooth. Press crescent roll dough into muffin cups. Combine chopped turkey and 1 cup of the cheese sauce. Fill the muffin cups with the turkey mixture. Top each bite with some diced tomato, bacon, and parmesan cheese and bake.
Tips for Making Hot Brown Crescent Bites
- This recipe uses a mini muffin pan.
- You can substitute cooked chicken for the turkey.
- Can substitute turkey bacon for regular pork bacon.
- These bites taste best the day they are baked. They are good hot out of the oven or cooled to room temperature.
- You can make the cheese sauce in advance and refrigerate it overnight.
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Kentucky Hot Brown Bites
Equipment:
Ingredients:
Mornay Sauce
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- Pinch of freshly ground pepper
- Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
- ½ cup coarsely grated Gruyère or Swiss
Kentucky Hot Brown Bites
- 1 (8-oz) can refrigerated crescent rolls
- 1 cup finely chopped turkey
- 1 cup mornay sauce
- 2 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 small tomato, diced
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions:
Mornay Sauce
- Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in flour, and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. (Do not let the mixture brown.)
- Add milk, whisking constantly. Bring to a low boil, and cook, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes more. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from heat, and stir in cheese. Allow to cool slightly.
Kentucky Hot Brown Bites
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly spray mini muffin pans with cooking spray.
- In a small bowl combine finely chopped turkey and 1 cup of mornay sauce.
- Lightly spray a mini muffin pan with non stick cooking spray.
- Unroll crescent rolls and press dough into one large rectangle. Cut rectangle into 24 squares. Press dough squares into muffin cups and shape up around the edges.
- Fill each muffin cup with some of the turkey mixture. Top each bite with some diced tomato, bacon and parmesan cheese.
- Bake 13-15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Notes:
- You will have leftover mornay sauce.
- This recipe uses a mini muffin pan.
- You can substitute cooked chicken for the turkey.
- Can substitute turkey bacon for regular pork bacon.
- These bites taste best the day they are baked. They are good hot out of the oven or cooled to room temperature.
- You can make the cheese sauce in advance and refrigerate it overnight.
Steph
Love this idea, is it possible to make these the day before and heat the day of a party? I am trying to do some things in advance.
This looks good! I will have to try it especially since I am from Louisville, Kentucky the home of the hot browns. Thanks for giving us creative ideas for snacks and meals.
Yum! These look delicious! Great for leftovers!
going to try these but have a question – do you add the tomato before baking and how long & at what temp to do bake?
Patty – add the tomatoes before baking and bake them @ 350 for 13-15 minutes.
Not a fan of packaged crescent rolls— any other suggestions?
Mandy – I used one piece per mini-muffin cup. You can try rolling the dough with a rolling pin to make it fit.
Am I supposed to use two squares of dough per muffin cup or just one? Mine seem to barely cover the bottom of the muffin cup.
Lisa – yes, cook the bacon first, but don't make it super crispy since it will continue to cook in the oven
Do you cook the bacon first?
Yes
Love the hot browns
Those look good!
I've never tried hot browns, but these muffin-sized versions look incredible… love the photos!
I love love love love KY Hot Browns so I know I'll enjoy these miniature ones.
Steph – you are just so creative, especially with small bite items. We make and enjoy hot browns occasionally and this looks like a must try
Oh, you are a woman after my own heart!! These look SO good! I've SEEN Bobby Flay in his "Throw-down" Food Network show with the two chefs who do this in the south, and I have ALWAYS wanted to make a Hot Brown. How lucky you had one at his restaurant! And your little bites look so delicious. Thanks for sharing!
Best,
Gloria