Kentucky Hot Brown Mac & Cheese

I remember the first time I ever had Kentucky Hot Brown. I fell in love with it right then. I had it at a friend’s house. She shared the recipe with me and I’ve been enjoying it for years now. I never saw it on a restaurant menu until a cool little restaurant, the Blue Canoe, opened in town a couple of years ago. I can’t help but order it every time we go. I don’t know if it’s a popular dish for them, but I sure love it.

I wanted all of the wonderful flavors in a pasta dish, because, let’s face it, I could live off pasta!  I kind of deconstructed the traditional Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich and replaced the bread with cheesy pasta. Ok, so, you could just mix everything together and call it a casserole. But, it’s so much more than that! It’s layers of creamy, cheesy, salty, smoky, crunchy goodness. Layer it. Make it pretty. Savor it.

The tomato is really more than a garnish. It adds a little acidity to all the creaminess.

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Kentucky Hot Brown Mac & Cheese

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

40 mins

 

Original recipe from Paula at CallMePMc.com

Servings: 6 to 8 servings

Author: Paula Jones

Ingredients

• 12 oz elbow macaroni prepared according to package directions
• 2 T butter
• 2 T self-rising flour
• 2 c milk
• 2 c shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
• 6 oz ham steak cubed
• 1 chicken breast cubed
• 6 slices bacon
• salt and pepper
• 4 or 5 slices sourdough bread cut into cubes
• 2 T vegetable oil
• Roma tomato

Instructions

1. Salt and pepper cubed chicken breast. Heat a skillet on med-high. Add chicken cook 2 to 3 minutes on first side then toss and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes on the second side until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Remove from skillet.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain.
3. Add ham cubes to hot skillet and just heat through. Remove from skillet
4. Cook bacon to crisp. Remove from skillet and chop.
5. Add oil to skillet. Add bread cubes to skillet and toast tossing until all sides are browned. Remove from skillet.
6. In a large pan, melt 2 T butter. Add flour and cook 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Add milk and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer until it begins to thicken. (It will not get really thick) Add cheese and stir until cheese melts.
7. Add pasta to cheese sauce; stir to combine.
8. I like to serve in individual dishes, you can plate on one large platter if you prefer. Spoon pasta on dish. Top with chicken, ham, bacon and bread. Add 1 or 2 slices of tomato on top. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Recipe from Paula @CallMePMc.com All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission that includes copying the ingredient list or entire recipe and posting in the comments on Pinterest. If you want to share this recipe, please simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you, Paula

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