If you’ve been reading along, you probably know how much I love composed dishes, whether I’m eating them out and about or at home. I appreciate it when the flavors of a dish are intended to go together even though each component is interesting in its own right. This Deconstructed Kentucky Hot Brown (Keto) gives me that kind of experience and takes a low carb approach to all of the components. Savory Turkey Bites are nestled on a bed of creamy Pimento Cheese Polenta Style Chia next to a slice of Keto Gruyère Bread Pudding with pieces of crispy bacon, grape tomatoes, and a dollop of Sweet & Sour Tomato Jam.
You may remember a certain Deconstructed BLT from my Disney World Food Inspiration post earlier this year. If not, here’s the picture.
Well, I wanted to take my own pass at something like this, and my mini Kentucky Hot Brown obsession gave me the focus I needed.
Because this dish is pretty rich, I suggest you stick with smaller portions for plating and serving. This gives your guests the option of seconds if they would like them. I would also recommend starting the meal with something crisp and green like a salad before moving on to this course.
If you’re feeling ambitious, you could use even smaller portions and serve this Deconstructed Kentucky Hot Brown as part of a tasting menu with a couple of other composed tasting-size dishes. If you want an idea of how to portion and plate that kind of endeavor, take a look at my Cat Boys’ 1st Birthday Party. Some other tasting dishes that might go well with this are a Deconstructed French Dip Sandwich and a Deconstructed Monte Cristo Sandwich. (My list of such things to make is long.)
What You Need to Make a Keto Deconstructed Kentucky Hot Brown
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Chef’s Knife
- Bread Knife
- Rimmed Baking Sheet
- Wire Rack Insert for Rimmed Baking Sheet
- Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil
- Large Sauté Pan – Or Skillet with Lid
- Rubber Scraper – Or other utensil for stirring
- Cheese Grater – If you need / want to shred your own cheese.
- Saucepan – Large enough to hold and comfortably stir about a quart of liquid volume.
- Induction Burner – Completely optional, but if you have one, making the Mornay sauce is a good time to use it.
- Fine Mesh Strainer – For straining the onion, cloves, and bay leaf out of the heavy cream.
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Stand Mixer or Large Mixing Bowl with Hand Mixer
- Medium Mixing Bowl
- 9 x 13 inch Casserole Dish
- Nonstick Cooking Spray
Ingredients
Mornay Sauce:
- Heavy Cream
- Onion
- Whole Cloves
- Bay Leaves
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Shredded Gruyère Cheese
Keto Gruyère Bread Pudding:
- Dried Keto Bread Cubes – Directions for how to make them are in the recipe. You can either make them as part of this recipe or make them ahead of time and store them in a zip top bag on the counter. See the Recipe Notes below if you’d prefer a non-store bought alternative.
- Eggs – I almost always use Jumbo eggs, unless the store is out of them.
- Mornay Sauce (See above)
- Chicken Stock or Broth – I recommend my Homemade Chicken+ Broth if you have the time and inclination.
- Kosher Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
- Nutmeg – I recommend freshly ground / grated. I use a microplane zester.
- Paprika – You can use any paprika, but I recommend smoked paprika if you have it.
- Dried Parsley
- More Grated Parmesan Cheese
- More Shredded Gruyère Cheese
Bacon:
- Thick-cut Bacon
Savory Turkey Bites:
- Cooked Turkey – I buy the pre-cooked turkey breast from Sam’s Club and then just cube it up. However, this recipe would also be a tasty way to use up leftover
- Chicken Stock or Broth – I recommend my Homemade Chicken+ Broth if you have the time and inclination.
- Kosher Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
- Nutmeg – I recommend freshly ground / grated. I use a microplane zester.
- Paprika – You can use any paprika, but I recommend smoked paprika if you have it.
- Dried Parsley
Sweet and Sour Tomato Jam:
- Diced Tomatoes – Keep the liquid from the can. Don’t drain it.
- Swerve Brown – Or another brown erythritol such as Sukrin Gold.
- Apple Cider Vinegar
Pimento Cheese Polenta Style Chia:
- Chicken Stock or Broth – I recommend my Homemade Chicken+ Broth if you have the time and inclination.
- Heavy Cream
- Chia Seeds – You can use either white or black chia seeds. However, if you want this dish to have a more traditional polenta color, you should use white chia seeds. Flavor-wise, there is no difference between the two. It’s purely aesthetics.
- Cayenne Pepper
- Kosher Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
- Cheddar Cheese – You can either buy it pre-shredded or shred your own. If you buy pre-shredded just be aware that the anti-caking agents often used add about 1 gram of carbs per ¼ cup of cheese.
- Pimentos – I get the little 4 ounce jars at the grocery store.
For Plating:
- Grape Tomatoes
Getting Started with Making a Keto Deconstructed Kentucky Hot Brown
Since this Deconstructed Kentucky Hot Brown is what I’ll refer to as a composed dish, we’re going to break down the cooking process into the following components:
- Bacon
- Savory Turkey Bites
- Keto Mornay Sauce
- Sweet and Sour Tomato Jam
- Keto Gruyère Bread Pudding
- Pimento Cheese Polenta Style Chia
I know that a long recipe like this can be a little intimidating at first. However, just keep in mind that it includes the mains, sides, and condiments. Okay, here we go.
Cooking the Bacon
We’ll start with cooking the bacon. I suggest preheating the oven to 400°F, lining a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, and inserting a wire rack. You’ll lay the bacon on the rack and bake it for 20 minutes. Then you can flip it and continue baking it for about another 10 minutes or until it’s nice and crispy (not burnt). Since the exact timing will depend on your oven and the thickness of the bacon, you’ll want to keep an eye on it.
Preparing the Savory Turkey Bites
Since the turkey is already cooked, this step is really about adding some extra flavor and preparing the turkey cubes to be warmed up before serving in a way that will not dry them out. While the bacon is cooking, you can cut your Cooked Turkey into bite sized cubes. Then you’ll toss them in a zip top bag with 4 teaspoons of Nutmeg (freshly ground), 4 teaspoons of Paprika (preferably smoked), 4 teaspoons of Dried Parsley, 2 teaspoons of Kosher Salt, and 2 teaspoons of Ground Black Pepper. Then you can just seal the bag, shake to coat, and then stick it back in the fridge until you’re ready to heat up the turkey before assembly.
Making the Mornay Sauce
I just want to remind you that you can make this sauce in advance and refrigerate it if that works better for your Time Budget.
Because you’ll need 2 cups of Mornay Sauce and the cooking process will reduce the volume, we’re starting with 2 ⅔ cups of Heavy Cream. To flavor the cream, we’re placing the Heavy Cream in a medium saucepan with ¼ of a large Onion, 8 Whole Cloves, and 2 Bay Leaves.
Over medium high heat, you’ll want to bring the liquid just to a boil and then drop the heat to a simmer. To prevent scorching, burning, or a yucky skin, I recommend continuously stirring for the next 10-15 minutes or until the liquid has thickened and reduced by about a third. Then, using a fine mesh strainer, you can strain out the onion, cloves, and bay leaves. Pour the liquid back into the saucepan and set it over medium heat.
Next we’ll stir in 2 ounces of Grated Parmesan Cheese and 2 ounces of Shredded Gruyère Cheese until all the cheese is melted. Once done, you’ll remove the sauce from the heat and set it aside for the moment. We’ll use it here shortly to assemble the Keto Gruyère Bread Pudding.
Assembling the Keto Gruyère Bread Pudding
Now that we have our Mornay Sauce, we’re ready to prepare the Keto Gruyère Bread Pudding. First, in a stand mixer or large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, we’ll beat 2 Eggs, 1 cup of Chicken Broth or Stock, and 2 cups of the Mornay Sauce (as made above).
Once that mixture is cohesive, we’ll add in 1 teaspoon of Kosher Salt, 1 teaspoon of Ground Black Pepper, ½ teaspoon of Nutmeg (freshly grated), ½ teaspoon of Paprika (preferably Smoked), and ½ teaspoon of Dried Parsley. We’ll want to beat the mixture for another 30 seconds to get it all incorporated.
Then we can mix in 2 ounces Parmesan Cheese (grated) and 6 ounces Gruyère Cheese (shredded). We’ll beat it one more time to make sure everything is well mixed. Now we’re ready to fold in the Keto Bread Cubes so that they are all coated in the mixture.
Next you’ll want to liberally grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in the mixture. Then we’ll place the casserole in the refrigerator to sit overnight or for about 8 hours.
Creating the Sweet & Sour Tomato Jam
At any point while the bread pudding is resting, it’s a good time to make your Sweet & Sour Tomato Jam. I use a small saucepan (often the same one I used to make the Mornay Sauce) and an induction burner for this task. No, you don’t need an induction burner. However, if you have one, this is another good time to use it.
We’ll start this portion of things by pouring a can (14.5-ounces) of Diced Tomatoes with the juice into the saucepan along with 3 tablespoons of Brown Erythritol and 3 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar. I give everything a good whisk and then bring it to a boil. After that, you’ll drop the heat to a simmer and allow it to reduce, stirring frequently, until it reaches a thickened, jam consistency. Once done, you can remove it from the heat, cool it completely, and store it in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. I like to take it out about 30 minutes before plating to allow it to come up to room temperature.
Baking the Keto Gruyère Bread Pudding
After the bread pudding has had its nice, long rest; you’ll want to remove it from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking and preheat the oven to 325°F. We’ll bake the casserole uncovered for 1 hour or until cooked through. (Alternatively, you can put the cold casserole dish into the cold oven and then preheat it with the dish in it. Just don’t start the clock for baking time until the oven has come up to temperature.)
You can bake this in advance as well and then reheat it if that is what works best for you. However, this baking step can also be completed “day of”. If you are baking this bread pudding “day of”, then I suggest starting the bake about an hour and a half before you plan to plate and serve the Deconstructed Keto Hot Brown. We can get this going while we work on the Chia Polenta and reheat our turkey bites.
Heating up the Savory Turkey Bites
While there’s no need to “cook” the Savory Turkey Bites, we do want them heated. In a shallow sauté pan, I place about 1 cup of Chicken Broth or Stock and the seasoned Turkey Cubes. I put the pan over low heat and cover it to prevent anything from drying out. You can think of this as a gentle, moist warming method. It does not require a ton of attention, which is perfect because, we’re going to be doing this as we cook the Pimento Cheese Polenta Style Chia.
You’ll want to allow the turkey to gently warm through, periodically tossing it with tongs. The seasoning will “wash off” a bit in the chicken broth. That’s exactly what we want. I don’t want to lose the spices, but I don’t want anyone taking a bite and feeling like they just put a spoonful of the spice mix in their mouth either. This warming approach gets the spice distribution on the turkey to the right balance.
When ready to serve, you’ll remove the turkey from the pan and discard the liquid.
Making the Pimento Cheese Polenta Style Chia
We’ll start by combining 3.75 cups of Chicken Broth or Stock, 2.75 cups of Heavy Cream, and ¾ cup Chia Seeds (use white chia seeds if you want a more traditional color) in a mixing bowl. To make sure the chia seeds get as much contact with the liquid as possible, I like to start them off with a thorough stir and then stir again every 5 minutes for 15 to 20 minutes.
In between stir sessions, you’ll add ⅜ teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper, ⅜ teaspoon of Kosher Salt, and ⅜ teaspoon of Ground Black Pepper to the mixture and stir again.
Once the chia seeds have had a chance to absorb the liquid and the mixture has taken on a slightly gelled consistency, you can pour it into a saucepan over medium high heat. Then you’ll bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. After that, you can reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking and stirring until it has thickened to a loose pudding consistency.
Next you can add in 3 ounces of Pimentos and 12 ounces of Cheddar Cheese. You want to stir and cook until everything is fully incorporated, the cheese is melted, and the mixture has thickened further.
You’ll want to keep it covered on warm until you’re ready to serve, giving it a periodic stir.
Plating the Deconstructed Kentucky Hot Brown
Okay, now we’re ready to put everything together on individual plates.
You’ll start by spreading approximately ½ cup of the Pimento Cheese Polenta Style Chia on each plate. Then you’ll place a piece of the Keto Gruyère Bread Pudding on the plate so that 1 corner is in the Pimento Chia Polenta. Now you can spoon a dollop of the Sweet & Sour Tomato Jam on top of the Keto Gruyère Bread Pudding.
For the next part, you’ll arrange approximately 4 ounces of the Savory Turkey Cubes on the Pimento Chia Polenta. Then you can add the ~1.5-inch pieces of bacon throughout the plate, both among the turkey and on top of the bread pudding and the tomato jam.
Finally, you’ll slice 3 Grape Tomatoes per plate and distribute the pieces throughout the combined components of the dish. Serve warm (and congratulate yourself). You made it!
Related Recipes
If you’re interested in some variations on this Kentucky Derby food theme, you might want to check out these:
- Keto Kentucky Hot Brown Casserole
- Creamy Turkey, Bacon, and Tomato Casserole
- Keto Bourbon Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel Sauce
Or you can take a look at my Kentucky Derby Dinner Party Menu Ideas.
Deconstructed Kentucky Hot Brown (Keto)
Ingredients
For the Keto Bread Cubes:
- 12 ounces Keto Bread Usually 12 slices
For the Mornay Sauce:
- 2 ⅔ cups Heavy Cream
- ¼ Onion large onion
- 8 Whole Cloves
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2 ounces Parmesan Cheese Grated or Shredded
- 2 ounces Gruyere Cheese Shredded
For the Bacon:
- 2 pounds Thick-cut Bacon Cooked and cut into roughly 1.5-inch pieces.
For the Savory Turkey Bites:
- 4 pounds Turkey Cooked and cubed. Assume 6 ounces per person. Plan to plate approximately 4 ounces on each dish and have 2 ounces per person in reserve.
- 4 teaspoons Nutmeg Freshly Grated
- 4 teaspoons Paprika preferably Smoked
- 4 teaspoons Dried Parsley
- 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
- 2 teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
- 1 cup Chicken Broth or Stock I recommend my Homemade Chicken+ Broth.
For the Keto Gruyère Bread Pudding:
- 2 Eggs
- 1 cup Chicken Stock or Broth
- 2 cups Mornay Sauce from above
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg Freshly ground
- ½ teaspoon Paprika preferably Smoked
- ½ teaspoon Dried Parsley
- 2 ounces Parmesan Cheese Grated or Shredded
- 6 ounces Gruyère Cheese Shredded
- 12 ounces Keto Bread Cubes from above
For the Sweet & Sour Tomato Jam:
- 14.5 ounces Diced Tomatoes 1 can with the liquid. Do not drain.
- 3 tablespoons Swerve Brown or another brown erythritol such as Sukrin Gold
- 3 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
For the Pimento Cheese Polenta Style Chia:
- 3.75 cups Chicken Stock or Broth I recommend my Homemade Chicken+ Broth.
- 2.75 cups Heavy Cream
- ¾ cup Chia Seeds White chia seeds if you want a more traditional color.
- ⅜ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- ⅜ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ⅜ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 3 ounces Pimentos
- 12 ounces Cheddar Cheese Shredded
For Plating:
- 36 Grape Tomatoes
Instructions
For the Keto Bread Cubes:
- Preheat the oven to 250°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut 12 ounces Keto Bread into cubes. For me, this is usually 12 slices of keto bread. Place the cubes on the rimmed baking sheet, toast in the oven for 20 minutes, toss, and then toast them for 20 more minutes. Set them aside.12 ounces Keto Bread
For the Mornay Sauce:
- Place 2 ⅔ cups Heavy Cream in a medium saucepan with ¼ Onion (using a large onion), 8 Whole Cloves, and 2 Bay Leaves.2 ⅔ cups Heavy Cream, ¼ Onion, 8 Whole Cloves, 2 Bay Leaves
- Over medium high heat, bring the liquid just to a boil and then drop the heat to a simmer. To prevent scorching, burning, or a yucky skin, stir continuously for the next 10-15 minutes or until the liquid has thickened and reduced by about a third.
- Use a fine mesh strainer to remove the onion, cloves, and bay leaves from the sauce. Pour the liquid back into the saucepan and set it over medium heat.
- Stir in 2 ounces Parmesan Cheese (Grated) and 2 ounces Gruyere Cheese (Shredded) until all the cheese is melted. Once done, remove the sauce from the heat and set it aside until assembly time.2 ounces Parmesan Cheese, 2 ounces Gruyere Cheese
For the Bacon:
- Cook 2 pounds Thick-cut Bacon by lining a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, inserting a wire rack, and preheating the oven to 400°F. Lay out the bacon on the wire rack and bake it for 20 minutes, then flip it over, and cook for another ~10 minutes or until crispy but not burnt. Remove the cooked bacon to a paper towel lined plate to soak up excess grease. Cut the bacon into approximately 1.5-inch pieces and set it aside.2 pounds Thick-cut Bacon
For the Savory Turkey Bites:
- In a zip top bag, combine 4 pounds Turkey (cooked and cubed), 4 teaspoons Nutmeg (freshly ground), 4 teaspoons Paprika (preferably smoked), 4 teaspoons Dried Parsley, 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt, and 2 teaspoons Ground Black Pepper. Seal the bag and shake to coat.4 pounds Turkey, 4 teaspoons Nutmeg, 4 teaspoons Paprika, 4 teaspoons Dried Parsley, 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt, 2 teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
- In a shallow sauté pan, place 1 cup Chicken Broth or Stock and the seasoned Turkey Cubes. Place the pan over low heat and cover it.1 cup Chicken Broth or Stock
- Allow the turkey to gently warm through, periodically tossing it with tongs. When ready to serve, remove the turkey from the pan and discard the liquid.
For the Keto Gruyère Bread Pudding:
- In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, beat 2 Eggs, 1 cup Chicken Stock or Broth, and 2 cups Mornay Sauce (as made above).2 Eggs, 1 cup Chicken Stock or Broth, 2 cups Mornay Sauce
- Once that mixture is cohesive, add in 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper, ½ teaspoon Nutmeg (freshly grated), ½ teaspoon Paprika (preferably Smoked), and ½ teaspoon Dried Parsley. Beat for another 30 seconds to get that all incorporated.1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper, ½ teaspoon Nutmeg, ½ teaspoon Paprika, ½ teaspoon Dried Parsley
- Then add 2 ounces Parmesan Cheese (grated) and 6 ounces Gruyère Cheese (shredded). Beat it again to get everything well mixed.2 ounces Parmesan Cheese, 6 ounces Gruyère Cheese
- Fold in the Keto Bread Cubes.12 ounces Keto Bread Cubes
- Liberally grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in the mixture. Place the casserole in the refrigerator to sit overnight or for about 8 hours.
- To bake, remove the Keto Gruyère Bread Pudding from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking and preheat the oven to 325°F. Bake the casserole uncovered for 1 hour or until cooked through. (Alternatively, you can put the cold casserole dish into the cold oven and then preheat it with the dish in it. Just don’t start the clock for baking time until the oven has come up to temperature.)
For the Sweet & Sour Tomato Jam:
- In a small saucepan over medium high heat, combine 14.5 ounces Diced Tomatoes (with the liquid), 3 tablespoons Swerve Brown, and 3 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar and whisk to combine.14.5 ounces Diced Tomatoes, 3 tablespoons Swerve Brown, 3 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
- Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium, stirring frequently to prevent burning and sticking to the bottom.
- Continue cooking until the sauce has reduced by half or more and has a nice jammy consistency.
- Remove from heat until ready to serve. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator if preparing this in advance.
For the Pimento Cheese Polenta Style Chia:
- In a small bowl or large measuring cup, combine 3.75 cups Chicken Stock or Broth, 2.75 cups Heavy Cream, and ¾ cup Chia Seeds and stir thoroughly. Allow this mixture to set for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. It will have begun to thicken and gel.3.75 cups Chicken Stock or Broth, 2.75 cups Heavy Cream, ¾ cup Chia Seeds
- In between stir sessions, add ⅜ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper, ⅜ teaspoon Kosher Salt, and ⅜ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper to the mixture and stir again.⅜ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper, ⅜ teaspoon Kosher Salt, ⅜ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- Pour the thickened mixture into a small saucepan over medium high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking and stirring until it has thickened to a loose pudding consistency.
- Add in 3 ounces Pimentos and 12 ounces Cheddar Cheese. Stir and cook until everything is fully incorporated, the cheese is melted, and the mixture has thickened further.12 ounces Cheddar Cheese, 3 ounces Pimentos
- Keep it covered on warm until you’re ready to serve, giving it a periodic stir. Serve warm.
To Assemble the Deconstructed Kentucky Hot Brown:
- Start by spreading approximately ½ cup of the Pimento Cheese Polenta Style Chia on each plate.
- Place a piece of the Keto Gruyère Bread Pudding on the plate so that 1 corner is in the Pimento Chia Polenta. Spoon a dollop of the Sweet & Sour Tomato Jam on top of the Keto Gruyère Bread Pudding.
- Place approximately 4 ounces of the Savory Turkey Cubes on the Pimento Chia Polenta. Add ~1.5-inch pieces of bacon throughout the plate, both among the turkey and on top of the bread pudding and the tomato jam.
- Slice 36 Grape Tomatoes (3 per plate) and distribute the pieces throughout the combined components of the dish.36 Grape Tomatoes
- Serve warm.
Equipment
- Bread Knife
- Wire Rack Insert for Rimmed Baking Sheet For cooking the bacon
- Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil
- Cheese Grater If you need / want to shred your own cheese.
- 1 Medium to Large Saucier / Saucepan Large enough to hold and comfortably stir about a quart of liquid volume.
- Induction Burner Completely optional, but if you have one, making the Mornay sauce is a good time to use it.
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Stand Mixer Or Large Mixing Bowl with Hand Mixer
- Medium Mixing Bowl
- Nonstick Cooking Spray
Notes
- Alternative Keto Bread Cubes
- If you either can’t find or do not want to use store bought keto bread for your Keto Bread Cubes, I suggest making this Keto Cheese Bread from All Day I Dream About Food.
- Once it’s baked, allow it to cool, cube it, and then dry it in the oven on a rimmed baking sheet like you would for the store bought keto bread.
- For this Keto Gruyère Bread Pudding, I would use all of the Cheesy Keto Bread from 1 recipe.
- https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/low-carb-cheesy-skillet-bread/
- If you either can’t find or do not want to use store bought keto bread for your Keto Bread Cubes, I suggest making this Keto Cheese Bread from All Day I Dream About Food.
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