This Kentucky Sandwich Recipe Hasn’t Changed in 100 Years

The hot brown is easily the most iconic culinary creation in Kentucky. This simple, melted sandwich is the ultimate crave-worthy comfort food (and hangover cure!). Created at Louisville's legendary Brown Hotel in 1926, the humble hot brown originated as a late-night snack for the hotel's hungry patrons and entertainers. In the 100 years since, the hot brown has become a bona fide Bluegrass icon, and to this day, the recipe remains the same.

There's nothing quite as satisfying as a hot, melty sandwich. It's the ultimate comfort food. And if it's topped with bacon and a creamy cheese sauce? Heaven. Or, in our case, the hot brown!

Louisville's Brown Hotel is home to the eponymous Kentucky Hot Brown sandwich. The hotel's restaurant has been serving this iconic meal for 100 years. The recipe was created by Brown Hotel chef Fred Schmidt in 1926. During the Roaring '20s, the Brown Hotel was a hotspot for riot and revelry, with performers and patrons partying into the wee hours of the morning. All of this activity worked up quite an appetite, and Schmidt wanted to offer them something a little different.

Schmidt modeled the now-iconic dish after a ham and egg sandwich, a popular pick among late-night diners. But he kicked things up a notch by adding a creamy, dreamy Mornay sauce: a Béchamel made with two types of shredded cheese.

It was an instant success, putting the Brown Hotel on every Kentuckian's radar. In the nearly 100 years since its inception, the hot brown has taken on cult-like status, even claiming the title of Louisville's official city sandwich.

During Derby week, hot browns are a hot item. On a typical event weekend, the Brown Hotel has been known to make more than 1,250 hot browns. The hotel's restaurant also serves up other Southern classics like biscuits and sausage gravy, breakfast burritos, shrimp and grits, pimento BLTs, and more. You can choose to dine at J. Graham's Cafe, which serves breakfast and lunch, or the Lobby Bar and Grill for late-night bites.

When it comes to the hot brown, however, the recipe is blessedly simple and hasn't changed. It's not a secret, either: you can find it for yourself here! When something is this good, it doesn't need to be changed. The hot brown is an iconic Kentucky dish that's a bona fide part of Bluegrass culture.

Have you tried the legendary hot brown from Louisville's Brown Hotel before? If not, definitely put it on your Bluegrass dining bucket list! You don't have to be a guest at The Brown Hotel to enjoy the food; simply visit the hotel's website to book a reservation.

Of course, the hot brown has served as inspiration to many a Kentucky restaurant, with chefs looking to emulate, elevate, and transform this classic dish. Here are some of our favorite iterations of this classic dish.