Name: Kentucky Derby Hot Brown Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Sandwiches
Ingredients: 2 Tablespoons Butter; 1 Tablespoons Flour; 1 1/2 Cups Milk; 1/2 Cup Fresh Parmesan; 1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg; Salt and Pepper to taste; 1/2 Stick Butter; 1 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce; 1 Teaspoons Brown Sugar; 2 Teaspoons Dijon Mustard; 1 Teaspoon Dehydrated Onion; Splash of Bourbon (about 1/4 teaspoon) - optional; 1 Package of Hawaiian Rolls (12); 1 Pound of Turkey, sliced (or 12 slices); 9 Pieces of Bacon; 1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, quartered; 1/4 - 1/2 Cup Mayonnaise; 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

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Bring a taste of Louisville, KY, to your Derby party with these irresistible Hot Brown Sliders. Made with soft Hawaiian rolls, they're oven-baked at 250 for 20 minutes. Each slider is layered with turkey breast, crispy bacon, and cherry tomatoes, and topped with the rich, creamy white sauce made famous by the classic to the Hot Brown, slathered with a brown sugar bourbon butter sauce that sends this love to the top. Soft, buttery, and bursting with savory flavor, these handheld treats are a delicious twist on a Kentucky tradition. Yields 12 sliders.

A 9x13 pan of sliders with tomatoes and bacon in bowls around it.

I cannot get enough of these sliders - like seriously!

Y'all remember those viral ham and Swiss sliders on Hawaiian rolls with the buttery topping that made everyone weak in the knees? My best friend served them at my wedding shower back in 2012, and we've been obsessed ever since.

That nostalgic classic is exactly what inspired this Derby twist.

As a born-and-raised Kentucky girl, nothing says Derby season quite like bourbon, horses, and the Kentucky Hot Brown. And while the original is a fork-and-knife affair, these sliders pack all that rich, savory goodness into one perfect handheld bite. It's everything you love about the Hot Brown-just party-ready.

These are perfect for your Derby party spread alongside some pimento cheese deviled eggs, a quick Kentucky-style beer cheese dip, and my bourbon pecan chocolate bars for dessert. Oh and you may want an ice-cold pitcher of mint juleps for your guests to wash it all down with! 😉 Trust me, your guests will be coming back for seconds.

Let's make 'em!

a couple small plates with a slider on it and the baking dish of the rest of the sliders behind it.

Welcome to My kitchen! LETS GET READY FOR A DERBY PARTY!

There are a couple steps to this recipe. During my years of making this, this is the order that I like to make to maximize my time in the kitchen.

First - crisp up the bacon and preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Add the bacon to a large skillet and cook on medium heat on the stove until crispy.
Once crispy, remove it and place it on a plate lined with a paper towel. Let it cool. Set aside for later.

Frying up bacon in a large skillet on the stove. — Add the bacon to a large skillet and cook on medium heat on the stove until crispy.

Cooking bacon on a skillet on the stove with tongs flipping them. — Once crispy, remove it and place it on a plate lined with a paper towel. Let it cool. Set aside for later.

Second - while the bacon is cooking, start the white sauce

Butter melting inside a small sauce pan. — In a larger saucepan add in butter and melt over medium low heat.

Butter and flour inside a small sauce pan. — Add in the flour and whisk together with the butter.

Whisking butter and flour together inside a small sauce pan. — Cook for two minutes - the flour tastes out. This is the base for the roux sauce to thicken.

Whisking in milk to a saucepan to make a roux. — Reduce the heat to low, slowly add in milk ½ cup at a time, and whisk until thick and combined. Whisk generously to ensure all clumps are out and that the mixture doesn't scorch on the bottom of the pan.

Adding parmesan cheese to a white sauce roux mixture in a saucepan. — Add in the parmesan cheese and spices. Whisk until the mixture has thickened.

Whisking in salt and pepper to a roux mixture on the stove. — Once it is thick, remove from the heat or keep on a warm setting until needed.

Third - while all of that is going on, start the butter sauce

Butter, mustard and spices melting in a saucepan on the stove. — Add the butter and the rest of the ingredients into a small saucepan on medium-low on the stove.

Whisking together a butter and mustard sauce on the stove in a saucepan. — Let melt completely, whisking to stir everything together. Keep on the stove until needed.

Fourth - finally time to assemble!

Slicing hawaiian rolls in half on a cutting board. — Slice Hawaiian rolls in half.

12 bottom halves of hawaiian rolls in a 9x13 baking pan. — and break each piece apart. Line the bottom of the rolls in a 9x13 dish.

Spreading mayo on the bottom of the hawaiian rolls. — Place a small amount of mayo on the bottom of each roll and spread to the edge. It doesn't take much, just enough to cover the bottom.

Adding turkey slices on hawaiian rolls. — Fold 1 slice of turkey onto each sandwich.

Adding crispy bacon on top of turkey in a slider. — Break the bacon into halves or thirds, adding 1-2 pieces on top of the turkey.

Adding cherry tomatoes to turkey sliders. — Add some tomatoes on top.

Adding mornary sauce to the tops of sliders in a baking dish. — Spoon a generous amount of white sauce over top each roll. 1-2 tablespoons for each roll.

Sprinkling parmesan cheese on to of sliders in a baking dish. — Sprinkle remaining parmesan cheese over top.

Adding the tops back onto sliders that are getting ready ti bake in the oven. — Place the tops on top...

Brushing the tops of hawaiian rolls sliders with a butter sauce. — ... and brush each top with the butter mixture. Be generous with this.

PS - you may have some white sauce left over - keep it in a dish to the side to use as a dipping sauce if desired! All the extra yummy you can handle!

A hot brown slider on a small white plate — Serve these immediately hot and fresh out of the oven!

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