Hot Brown Recipe

Prepare oven and bacon

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Arrange bacon slices in a single layer on the sheet and bake 12–18 minutes until crisp to your liking. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve drippings if desired.

Toast the bread

While bacon bakes, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat or brush both sides of each bread slice with melted butter. Toast bread in the hot skillet 1–2 minutes per side until golden, or place on another baking sheet and toast in the preheated oven 4–6 minutes, flipping once. Transfer toasted bread to a baking sheet large enough to hold all open-faced sandwiches.

Assemble open-faced sandwiches

Arrange 8 toasted bread slices on the baking sheet. On each slice, layer approximately 1.5 ounces (about 2 slices folded) of turkey and 1 ounce (1 slice folded) of ham. Top meat with two tomato slices per sandwich, overlapping slightly. Crumble or place two strips of the cooked bacon (or one large strip) across each sandwich, reserving a few pieces for final garnish if desired.

Make the roux

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons butter. When foaming, add 4 tablespoons flour and whisk continuously for 1–2 minutes until the raw flour smell cooks off and the mixture is bubbly and pale golden (do not let it brown).

Add milk and seasonings

Gradually whisk in 2 cups cold whole milk in a few additions, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, whisking, until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon (3–5 minutes). Stir in 1 teaspoon dry mustard, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Finish with cheese

Remove the saucepan from heat. Add the 2 cups grated sharp cheddar a handful at a time, whisking until each addition melts into a smooth sauce. Stir in 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan if using. If the sauce becomes too thick, whisk in up to 2 tablespoons milk to reach a pourable consistency suitable for spooning over sandwiches.

Top sandwiches

Spoon or ladle the cheese sauce evenly over each assembled open-faced sandwich, covering the meat and tomato and leaving the edges of bread visible. Use enough sauce so the topping is thick and glossy (roughly 1/4 to 1/3 cup sauce per sandwich).

Bake to brown

Place the baking sheet with sauced sandwiches into the preheated 400°F (200°C) oven. Bake 8–12 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and edges start to turn golden brown. For a deeply browned top, switch to broil for 1–2 minutes while watching closely to avoid burning.

Garnish and serve

Remove sandwiches from the oven. Top each with the reserved crisp bacon pieces and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley and a few drops of hot sauce if desired. Let sit 1–2 minutes, then serve each open-faced Hot Brown immediately while hot.