Kat went to a midday feast with her mom and step-dad, which left Shane and I with several hours of free time. I spent mine in the RV, sewing. Shane spent his in, out, and under the RV, getting it winterized for the off-season. Around 4:00, we came in and started working on our Thanksgiving supper. Shane deep-fried the turkey while I heated the side dishes. By the time everything was ready, Kat was home to eat with us. We enjoyed our meal while watching a movie. Eating in front of the TV made it as much a holiday as anything else did; that's not something we do often.
We really enjoyed our casual, quiet holiday. I think making side dishes ahead of time is the way I'll "do" holidays from now on. Although we ate late in the day, we weren't tired from cooking all day, so cleaning up was a breeze.
So now, what to do with the leftovers? Enter the controversy. I plan on making Kentucky Hot Brown sandwiches. I have never had one, have never been to the Brown Hotel, and in fact, have never been to Louisville at all. I just thought the sandwich I saw in a magazine looked tasty.
Apparently, though, some folks get a little "tetchy" if the sandwich isn't made exactly according to The Brown Hotel's original recipe. And, OMG, if you accidentally (or intentionally) call it a Hot Browns instead of Hot Brown, watch out! Bobby Flay uses white cheddar and gives the bread a French toast treatment, both of which are apparently no-nos. My Recipes' version calls for Parmesan (Mornay sauce), but is otherwise similar to the original.
Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Buffy Hargett, via My Recipes
My version will probably include white cheddar (which I have on hand) and Parmesan (which I have on hand), and will probably not include the egg-dipped bread. It will probably have double the bacon. And for that reason alone, it will probably be the best recipe of the bunch.
