Easy Kentucky Hot Brown Crescents Recipe – Sliced turkey and candied bacon smothered with sumptuous Mornay sauce and Parmesan cheese wrapped in crescent rolls and baked until perfection!
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Kentucky Hot Browns Crescents Recipe
My son’s favorite dish is Kentucky Hot Browns. When you ask him what he wants to have for his birthday dinner, it’s Kentucky Hot Browns. When you ask him his input on what to make for dinner when menu planning, what’s his first choice? You guessed it, Kentucky Hot Browns.
Why wouldn’t my son’s first choice be this delectable dish? Candied bacon, sumptuous Mornay Sauce, turkey and Parmesan cheese. What’s not to love about it? Until now, that is, because I’ve made them easily portable for the kids’ school lunches by making these Kentucky Hot Browns Crescents. My kids love me even more now. I win!
Do not be intimidated in any way by this recipe, it really is easy to make! Even better is the fact that you have left over Mornay Sauce for dipping. Woohoo!
How to Make Kentucky Hot Browns Crescents
These crescent rollups are super easy to make, friends! Carefully separate your crescent roll dough into triangles. Using a basting brush, I spread the Mornay Sauce on each crescent, followed by the turkey, topped with candied bacon, a bit more sauce drizzled on top, and then the shredded Parmesan cheese. Roll up the crescent rolls and place in a baking dish and top with a little more Parmesan before baking.
When I roll the crescent roll dough up, I carefully pin the two triangle edges together so I can roll more easily. (Will you LOOK at how stuffed that is! Yum!)
Rolling the big side to the smaller side, I carefully tuck in any straggling ingredients that might spill out.
You might have a little cheese or sauce on the outside, and that’s okay! It’ll bake nicely on top.
Oh, yes it will bake nicely.
Just typing this up for you, I can almost taste that sweet candied bacon mixed with the Mornay on my tongue. Mmm.
The best part about this recipe (other than the incredible taste) is how easy these are to pop into lunchboxes and containers the next day for a super tasty lunch. My son said no less than five people asked if they could have some, too (including teachers)! I’m apparently a hit at the junior high, now. Heh.
Kentucky Hot Browns Crescents
Ingredients
- 4 packages crescent rolls we use Immaculate Baking
- thinly sliced deli turkey
- 10-12 slices turkey bacon
- light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Mornay Sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup grated white Cheddar cheese
- ½ cup grated Swiss cheese
- Freshly ground salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to the temperature according to the directions on your crescent rolls (probably 350-degrees).
- Lay the bacon strips onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprinkle each slice with the brown sugar, as evenly and fully covered as possible.
- Bake until the bacon is beginning to brown and crisp, but isn’t yet completely done, about 8 or so minutes.
- For the Mornay Sauce, place butter in a medium saucepan and cook until melted and bubbling.
- Add the flour and stir with a whisk to form a roux, whisking constantly for 2 to 3 minutes (do not let this roux brown).
- Pour in the milk all at once, continuing to stir with the whisk while bringing it to a simmer.
- Add freshly ground salt and pepper here, while occasionally whisking to test consistency while it continues to cook until smooth and thick; be sure to break up any lumps that form while it thickens.
- Once it becomes thick like a gravy, turn off the heat and remove the pan from the stove.
- Immediately add the Cheddar and Swiss cheeses while whisking, until melted and well combined.
- The cheese will further thicken the sauce to a thick gravy, almost paste. (You can add milk back in if you’d like it thinner. I don’t normally.)
- Season with salt and pepper again, if needed.
- Break a couple pieces of your prepared candied bacon into half or thirds.
- Using a basting brush, spread the Mornay Sauce on each crescent triangle, followed by a small slice (perhaps ½ a slice) of the turkey, a piece candied bacon slice, a bit more sauce drizzled on top, and then the shredded Parmesan Cheese.
- Fold the two end triangles into one another and begin rolling, being sure to tuck in any ingredients back in that might trickle or fall out.
- Once all the crescents are rolled, bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the crescent rolls are puffy and slightly honey brown on top (do not over cook).
What do you think? Would your kids go bonkers over something tasty like this for dinner? These taste wonderfully with my Slow Cooker Potatoes Au Gratin. Be sure to check out my full list of recipes and my Operation Awesome School Lunch page for great school lunch ideas for your family.
