Hot Brown Casserole

Chef Patrick Dale's

2 cups toasted bread cubes, ideally from a high-quality bakery style bread

(i spread the cubes on a cookie sheet and placed under broiler; when one side was brown, I flipped the cubes.

2 cups diced, cooked turkey breast ( Kroger has cooked breast and we cubed it)

Sauce:

1 cup butter (2-sticks)

2/3 cup flour

Salt and white pepper to taste

1-1/2 cup half-and half

1-1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup milk (took a bit more)

1-1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1-1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Topping:

½ cup cooked bacon, chopped (the pre-cooked worked nicely)

½ cup diced tomatoes ( romas, thinly sliced worked ok and looked nice)

½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese.

Heat oven to 350

Place bread cubes in the bottom of a 1-quart casserole; Top with cubed turkey. Set aside.

Sauce. Melt butter in a large stockpot over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour salt and pepper. Whisk hard to create a smooth, lump-free paste. Continue to cook and stir for about 5 minutes, or until flour barely begins to brown.

Slowly whisk in half-&-half. Slowly whisk in heavy whipping cream. Slowly whisk in milk. (this is where you may decide to add more milk)

Use a whisk if mixture begins to separate. Continue to cook and stir until mixture bubbles. Add cheese (this is where I forgot to add the cheddar and resorted to sprinkling some on top; I think it went better...) Remove from heat and stir until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth.

Pour sauce over bread and turkey. Top with tomatoes, Parmesan and cheddar.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until the casserole is hot and bubbly. Serves 8

595 calories, 48 gram fat, 25 grams protein, 12 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber

The Courier Journal Wed, 21 April 2004...

This is darn good!!!!