Kentucky Derby Hot Brown Flatbread (Printable Version)

Savory flatbread topped with turkey, bacon, tomatoes, creamy Mornay sauce, and melted cheese.

# Ingredient List:

→ Flatbread & Sauce

01 - 2 large flatbreads (naan or pre-baked pizza crusts)
02 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
03 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
04 - 1 cup whole milk
05 - 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
06 - 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
07 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
08 - Pinch of ground nutmeg

→ Toppings

09 - 1 1/2 cups cooked turkey breast, sliced or shredded
10 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
11 - 4 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
12 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
13 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
14 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
15 - 2-3 thin tomato slices (optional, for garnish)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened (approximately 2-3 minutes).
03 - Remove from heat. Stir in Pecorino Romano, white pepper, salt, and nutmeg until smooth. Set aside.
04 - Place flatbreads on prepared baking sheet. Spread each with a generous layer of Mornay sauce.
05 - Top evenly with turkey, cherry tomatoes, crumbled bacon, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese.
06 - Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly and edges are golden.
07 - Remove from oven. Garnish with fresh parsley and optional tomato slices. Slice and serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's the Kentucky Hot Brown reinvented for people who want to eat with their hands, not a fork and knife.
  • That silky Mornay sauce tastes like you spent an hour on it, but it takes maybe five minutes to make.
  • Bacon and melted cheese on flatbread feels indulgent without requiring a culinary degree.
02 -
  • The first time I didn't let the Mornay sauce cool slightly before spreading it, and the flatbread got soggy before it even hit the oven—thirty seconds of patience changes everything.
  • Don't skip the parchment paper; I learned the hard way that caramelized cheese stuck to a baking sheet is a tragedy you can avoid with one simple step.
03 -
  • Brown the flour in the butter for one full minute before adding milk—that extra minute of cooking gives the sauce a richer, deeper flavor that tastes less like school cafeteria and more like you actually know what you're doing.
  • Grating your own Pecorino Romano instead of using pre-grated makes an enormous difference in how the sauce tastes; something about the pre-grated stuff includes anti-caking agents that change the texture.
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