Kentucky Memories and Hot Browns

Jan here, with a bit of horse talk.

The first Saturday in May...what does it mean to you? For many people, it's best known as Derby Day. I grew up watching the Kentucky Derby every year. The afternoon of the first Saturday in May, I'd be in front of the television, watching the best two minutes of the year. I still am. Every May.

I watched Secretariat win the Derby in 1973...and the Preakness...and the Belmont. He was some horse.

I watched Affirmed win, and Seattle Slew. None of them topped Secretariat in my mind, though.

I also enjoy watching horses from the past run the race: War Admiral, Man O War, Sir Barton... YouTube has the videos of all of them.

In the five years that we lived in Kentucky, I learned a lot about horse racing. I loved to drive on the country roads between our house and Lexington or Frankfort or Louisville, past places with names like Calumet (former home of 1948 Triple Crown Winner Citation,), Jonabell, Three Chimneys, Woodford, Pin Oak, Taylor Made...

I also enjoyed visiting the Kentucky Horse Park, where many retired race horses live. My favorite sites at the park were the Hall of Champions and The Big Barn, the Draft Horses.

Yes, I'm a horse geek.

Saturday's Kentucky Derby was one for the record books. If you watched it, you saw what happened. The lead horse, Maximum Security crossed the finish line first. But after a complaint, the stewards investigated a claim that Maximum Security had interfered with other horses as they were coming down the home stretch. Maximum Security was disqualified, and Country House was declared the winner.

That's something that has never happened before in the history of the Derby. 

Does the disqualification taint the Derby? Maybe. Maybe not. There's something about the allure of watching those horses run...

In honor of Derby Day, I made one of my favorite Kentucky recipes for my supper on Saturday night.

The original recipe I have says "Recipe courtesy of The Brown Hotel, Louisville, Kentucky." With apologies to the Brown Hotel, here's my version of the Kentucky Hot Brown!

Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich

ingredients for one sandwich (multiply the ingredients as needed):

1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon flour
3/4 cups milk
2 Tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, about 1/8 teaspoon each
1/2 egg, beaten (I gave the remaining 1/2 egg to Thatcher, and it was greatly appreciated!)
1 slice whole wheat bread, toasted
3 slices deli roast turkey
1 slice tomato (optional)
4 strips bacon, cooked

Preheat your oven to 375°. Lightly grease a small casserole dish, at least 6".

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour, whisking it into the butter until smooth. Let the roux cook for about a minute.

Stir in the milk, a little at a time, whisking until smooth between each addition. Add the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Cook until the cheese is melted and incorporated, stirring constantly.

Stir in the beaten egg, and cook for an additional three minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.

To assemble the sandwich, place the toast on the bottom of the casserole dish. Top with the slices of turkey, the optional tomato slice (I leave it off) and two strips of bacon. Pour the sauce over the sandwich and top with the remaining strips of bacon.

Sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Bake at 375° for 8 minutes, or until the sauce is hot and bubbly.

Sorry, I didn't get a picture after baking - I was too anxious to dig in!

You might wonder why the tomato is optional...well, there are a few things I don't enjoy eating, and a big, juicy slice of tomato on my sandwiches is one of them. If you like tomatoes, all the better. Include a slice on your Hot Brown and enjoy!

Do you enjoy watching the Kentucky Derby? Do you have any traditions for the first Saturday in May?

Jan Drexler spent her childhood dreaming of living in the Wild West and is now thrilled to call the Black Hills of South Dakota her home. When she isn’t writing she spends much of her time satisfying her cross-stitch addiction or hiking and enjoying the Black Hills with her husband of more than thirty-six years. Her writing partner is her corgi, Thatcher, who makes life…interesting.