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.
I cannot get enough of these sliders - like seriously!
Ok - you know those little ham and Swiss cheese sliders that went viral on Pinterest forever ago? The ones on Hawaiian rolls with the buttery poppy seed topping that make you suddenly lose all self-control? Yeah, gosh, my mouth is watering thinking about them. My best friend served them at my wedding shower back in 2012 and they have been a favorite in our home since!
So much so that they inspired this recipe!
Being a Southern cook who is born in raised in the Bluegrass state of Kentucky, there is nothing that screams Kentucky more than bourbon, horses, and the DERBY! Living in the heart of Derby town (Louisville, KY) - we all eat, breathe and live all Derby things in the month of April and leading up to the first Saturday in May.
If you don't attend the actual Derby itself, then hosting or attending a Derby party is what everyone does. AND IT IS THE BEST!
I have taken the famous Kentucky Hot Brown and turned it into a handheld version inside soft Hawaiian rolls. Made with all of the same elements of a traditional hot brown - mornay sauce included - plus drizzled with a brown sugar bourbon butter sauce that will have you licking your fingers. Serve warm alongside pimento cheese deviled eggs, 10-minute Kentucky style beer cheese dip, and Kentucky Bourbon pecan and chocolate dessert bars for the ultimate small bite handheld Derby-inspired menu!
Let me walk you through how I like to prepare them.
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.
Second - while the bacon is cooking, start the white sauce
Third - while all of that is going on, start the butter sauce
Fourth - finally time to assemble!
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!
Recipe
Kentucky Derby Hot Brown Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 12
Ingredients
White Sauce:
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 Tablespoons Flour
- 1 ½ Cups Milk
- ½ Cup Fresh Parmesan
- ¼ Teaspoon Nutmeg
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Butter Mixture:
- ½ Stick Butter
- 1 Teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Teaspoons Brown Sugar
- 2 Teaspooms Dijon Mustard
- 1 Teaspoon Dehydrated Onion
- Splash of Bourbon (about ¼ teaspoon) - optional
Sandwiches:
- 1 Package of Hawaiian Rolls (12)
- 1 Pound of Turkey, sliced (or 12 slices)
- 9 Pieces of Bacon
- 1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
- ¼ - ½ Cup Mayonnaise
- ½ Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
Instructions
Bacon
- 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.
White Sauce
- While the bacon is cooking, start the white sauce.
- In a larger saucepan add in butter and melt over medium low heat. Add in the flour and whisk together with the butter. Cook for two minutes - the flour tastes out. This is the base for the roux sauce to thicken.
- 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.
- Add in the parmesan cheese and spices. Whisk until the mixture has thickened. Once it is thick, remove from the heat or keep on a warm setting until needed.
Butter Sauce
- While the bacon and white sauce are cooking, start this as well.
- Add the butter and the rest of the ingredients into a small saucepan on medium-low on the stove. Let melt completely, whisking to stir everything together.
- Keep on the stove until needed
Assembly
- Slice Hawaiian rolls in half and break each piece apart. Line the bottom of the rolls in a 9x13 dish.
- 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.
- Fold 1 slice of turkey onto each sandwich.
- Break the bacon into halves or thirds, adding 1-2 pieces on top of the turkey.
- Add some tomatoes on top.
- Spoon a generous amount of white sauce over top each roll. 1-2 tablespoons for each roll. You will have leftover sauce (perfect for dipping sandwiches in!).
- Sprinkle remaining parmesan cheese over top.
- Place the tops of the rolls back on and brush each top with the butter mixture. Be generous with this.
- Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes.
- Remove and serve immediately while hot!
Notes
- Leftovers can be kept for up to 1-2 days. To reheat, place in microwave for 15 seconds until just warmed all the way through.
- Prep Time: 30 Minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Sandwiches
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 roll
- Calories: 443
- Sugar: 11.1 g
- Sodium: 560.6 mg
- Fat: 25.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 28.7 g
- Fiber: 0.4 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 110.1 mg
