Kentucky Hot Brown Pizza

Kentucky Hot Brown Pizza – a delicious twist on the traditional open-faced sandwich. Pizza dough, mornay sauce, turkey, tomato, bacon, parmesan and mozzarella cheese. A great recipe to use up any leftover holiday turkey!  We love this for dinner with a salad. It is a must for watching the Kentucky Derby!

hot brown pizza on a platter with text overlay

Plain Chicken participates in affiliate advertising programs. We may earn a commission when you make purchases through links on our site.

Remember this recipe.

Pin this recipe to your favorite board now to remember it later!

Pin This Recipe

Easy Pizza with Turkey and Bacon

This Hot Brown Pizza is our go-to recipe for leftover holiday turkey. Pizza dough topped with cheese sauce, mozzarella, parmesan, turkey, bacon, and tomatoes. Leftovers never tasted so good!! This has quickly become one of our family’s favorite homemade pizza recipes. This is a great dish for lunch, dinner, and parties!

What is a Hot Brown?

A Hot Brown sandwich is an open-faced turkey sandwich topped with bacon, and tomato slices covered in creamy Mornay sauce and baked in the oven or under the broiler until the bread is crisp and the sauce begins to brown. It is sometimes called a  Louisville Hot Brown or Kentucky Hot Brown. It was created by Chef Fred Schmidt in 1926 at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky.

hot brown pizza on a platter

How to Make Kentucky Hot Brown Pizza

This pizza is super easy to make with only a few simple ingredients. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute. Whisk in milk. Bring to a low boil and simmer for 2 minutes on medium-low heat. Season with kosher salt, black pepper, and ground nutmeg. Remove from heat, and stir in swiss cheese. Allow the sauce to cool slightly.

Roll out pizza dough. Spread cheese sauce over the dough. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the top. Add chopped turkey, bacon, and tomato slices. Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese over the top of the pizza and bake until the crust is golden brown. Garnish with parsley.

Helpful Tips & Frequently Asked Questions

  • You can use homemade or store-bought pizza dough.
  • Can use leftover holiday turkey or Oscar Mayer Carving Board Roasted Turkey.
  • White cheddar cheese or American cheese may be added to the sauce. 
  • You can add any toppings that you prefer to this pizza. Mushroom slices are delicious!
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
pulling a slice of hot brown pizza from a platter

What to Serve with Hot Brown Pizza

This pizza is always a hit! It is my favorite way to use up all that leftover holiday turkey. We like to serve this with a green salad or some breadsticks. It is equally delicious with pasta salad. This also makes a great appetizer for parties. Cut the pizza into strips or squares. Add this to your menu ASAP! It is sure to become a favorite at your house too!

Looking for more turkey recipes? Here are some popular recipes from the website that you are sure to enjoy:

Crack Turkey Salad

Crack Turkey Salad Recipe – Leftovers never tasted so good! Turkey salad loaded with cheddar, bacon, and ranch. A great…

Turkey Noodle Soup

Turkey Noodle Soup – the BEST soup EVER! Turkey, spinach, tomatoes, and noodles simmered in turkey broth. A great way…

hot brown pizza on a platter with text overlay

Kentucky Hot Brown Pizza

Yield: 4 people
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Kentucky Hot Brown Pizza – a delicious twist on the traditional open-faced sandwich. Pizza dough, mornay sauce, turkey, tomato, bacon, parmesan and mozzarella cheese. A great recipe to use up any leftover holiday turkey!  We love this for dinner with a salad. It is a must for watching the Kentucky Derby!

Ingredients:

Mornay Sauce

  • 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • Pinch of freshly ground pepper
  • Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
  • ½ cup shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese

Kentucky Hot Brown Pizza

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 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.

For Pizza:

  • Preheat oven to 450ºF.
  • Roll out pizza dough on a pizza stone or pizza pan. Top crust with desired about of mornay sauce. Sprinkle pizza with mozzarella cheese. Add, turkey, bacon and tomato slices. Sprinkle the pizza with grated parmesan cheese.
  • Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until cheese is melted and crust is browned.

Notes:

  • You can use homemade or store-bought pizza dough.
  • Can use leftover holiday turkey or Oscar Mayer Carving Board Roasted Turkey.
  • White cheddar cheese or American cheese may be added to the sauce. 
  • You can add any toppings that you prefer to this pizza. Mushroom slices are delicious!
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Steph

Remember this recipe.

Pin this recipe to your favorite board now to remember it later!

Pin This Recipe
pulling a slice of hot brown pizza from pan with text overlay

Categories:

Tags:

You Might Also Like

See All Pizza

Pizza Bombs

Pizza Bombs Recipe –  pizza dough squares, loaded with pizza sauce, pepperoni, and gooey mozzarella cheese cubes. Baked to golden perfection…

Pizza Dip

Pizza Dip Recipe – the ultimate game day or party snack! Creamy and cheesy, it’s packed with all the flavors…

Pizza Crescent Rolls

Crescent Pizza Rolls Recipe – Get ready to roll into flavor town with these irresistible pizza rolls! Made with savory…

Pizza Muffins

Pizza Muffins Recipe – buttery flaky pastries that are perfect for game day, snack, lunch, and dinner. Effortless to make…

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating