Email to Cat      

Hot Brown Casserole

Source of Recipe

From "The Southern Sympathy Cookbook" by Perre Coleman Magness


Recipe Introduction

"The classic hot brown sandwich is a particular favorite of mine - how could anyone resist a turkey sandwich blanketed in a creamy, cheesy sauce and crispy bacon. I've transformed the sandwich into a feeds-a-crowd, make-ahead casserole, perfect for a gathering."

List of Ingredients

• 12 ounces soft-crust Italian bread
• 1 pound bacon
• 1½ pounds deli turkey, sliced about ¼-inch thick
• 8 ounces Swiss cheese, grated
• 8 ounces Cheddar, grated
• 10 eggs
• 4 cups whole milk
• 3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• Generous grinds of black pepper

For the Topping:
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup grated cheese, reserved from the casserole
• Bacon remaining from the casserole


Recipe

Cut the bread into rough bite-sized cubes and spread out on a baking sheet or tray. Leave to dry for a few hours (but not until crisp or hard). Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish thoroughly with baking spray. Cut the bacon into small pieces and cook until crispy. Cut the turkey into small pieces, then shuffle them through your fingers to separate them. Measure out 1 cup of the mixed grated cheese and set aside for the topping. Layer half of the bread cubes in the baking dish, then spread over half the turkey, half the remaining cheese, and half the bacon. Top with another layer of bread cubes and the remaining turkey.

Mix the eggs, milk, Dijon mustard, hot sauce, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl and whisk thoroughly, or blend until smooth in a blender. Pour the milk mixture over the bread cubes slowly, making sure it is evenly covering the bread cubes. Push the bread cubes down into the mixture to cover. Let the casserole sit for at least 30 minutes to soak up much of the liquid while you make the topping. Press down on the bread with a spatula occasionally so it can soak up the milk.

For the topping:
Melt the butter in a saucepan, then whisk in the flour. Cook until you have a smooth, pale paste, then slowly whisk in the milk. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened and is smooth. Whisk in the salt and the nutmeg. Stir in the cheese until completely melted. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

When the sauce has cooled, and the bread has soaked up a great deal of the liquid, spread the sauce in an even layer over the casserole, all the way to the edges of the dish. Sprinkle over the last of the cheese and the bacon and lightly press into the sauce. Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, but overnight is fine.

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400°F.
Take the dish out of the fridge to take the chill off while the oven is heating. Place the dish on a baking sheet in case of overflow. Cook casserole, covered, for 40 minutes, then remove the cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes, until it is set and puffed up and the topping is bubbly and golden.

Serves 8