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hot brown sliders
Blog
04.27.2021
Rachel C.

Recipes for your Kentucky Derby Party!

Need ideas on what to serve at your Kentucky Derby party at home? Check out these delicious recipes brought to you by the Derby Cafe Express at Kentucky Derby Museum!

Benedictine

Ingredients

  • 1 lb cream cheese, softened at room temperature
  • 1 English cucumber, seeded
  • 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup arugula or spinach, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1 tsp garlic, finely minced
  • salt and pepper to taste
benedictine in a bowl

Directions

Combine all ingredients EXCEPT cream cheese in a blender or food processor and purée until smooth and light green in color. Some prefer to use food coloring, but Chef John prefers a natural color enhancement from the arugula or spinach.

In a mixing bowl or stand mixer with paddle attachment, combine softened cream cheese with puréed mix.

Serve with freshly sliced vegetables, crackers or on a sandwich.

Pimento Cheese

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. cream cheese, softened at room temperature
  • 4 oz. shredded sharp cheddar or colby jack
  • 1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers (canned peppers work well)
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp finely minced garlic
  • salt and pepper to taste
pimento cheese in a glass container

Directions

Ensuring the cream cheese has been fully softened, combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.

A stand mixer with a paddle attachment will make for easy mixing, but stirring by hand will work as well.

Once mixed, serve with crackers, sliced vegetables or on a sandwich!

Optional add-ins: jalapeños, serano peppers or pickled onions.

Kentucky Hot Brown Sliders

Ingredients

  • 8 brioche slider buns or sweet dinner rolls, halved, buttered and toasted
  • 1 lb. roast turkey, sliced thin (turkey from the deli works just fine)
  • 8 strips of bacon, cooked and cut in half
  • 8 thin slices of tomato
  • Toothpicks

For the Mornay sauce:

  • 2 cups milk (or heavy cream, for a richer sauce)
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp minced yellow onion or shallot
  • 1 cup shredded cheese of your choice - sharp cheddar, or a Swiss cheese like Gruyere work great or even better, a mixture of a few cheeses
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp Frank's Red Hot or other vinegar- based hot sauce, like Tabasco
hot brown sliders

Directions

To make the Mornay:

Melt butter in a saucepan on medium heat until sizzling. Add minced garlic and onion, and sauté until translucent. Add flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture begins to brown and stick to the bottom. Add milk and whisk until the sauce begins to simmer and thicken. Turn the heat off, add cheese, cover, and wait five minutes. Whisk the sauce until smooth. Transfer the sauce into a container to cool completely in the refrigerator.

To assemble the sliders:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. On a baking sheet, lay out all the slider bottoms, and reserve the tops. Start with 2 oz of sliced turkey on each bottom, then a tomato slice, and a strip of bacon (two halves). Taking your cool sauce, which should be quite hardened after being refrigerated, and using a tablespoon, scoop a generous helping onto each slider, being careful that it doesn't slide off. Add your slider top, and gently press down to spread the Mornay. Put a toothpick through the top to hold in place. Toast for five minutes, or until the Mornay begins to drizzle down the side of the sliders. 

You may have a little extra Mornay after assembly - it can be gently reheated in the microwave and served as an extra dipping sauce.

Mint Juleps

Ingredients

Makes 8 servings

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 bunches mint, ends trimmed
  • 2 1/2 cups bourbon
  • Crushed ice
mint julep batch

Directions

Combine the sugar and 2 cups water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat and submerge 3 bunches of mint. Let stand at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight. Strain.

Stir together the mint simple syrup (you should have 2 1/2 cups) and bourbon in a pitcher. Add a couple of sprigs of mint for garnish. Refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 8 hours.

Pack 8 mint julep cups with crushed ice. Pour 4 ounces of the mint julep mixture into each; garnish with a mint sprig and serve with a straw. When the outside of the cup has frosted over, you are ready to enjoy.

Oaks Lily

Ingredients

Makes 8 servings

  • 750 ml vodka
  • 750 ml Sweet and Sour Mix 187ml Triple Sec
  • 2.25 L Cranberry Juice
  • Crushed ice

Optional: Blackberries and lemon wedges

oaks lily in a glass

Directions

Fill 8 stemless wine glasses with crushed ice.

Add in the ingredients and stir.


Add a straw and garnish with blackberries and a lemon wedge.

Plan Your Visit

Create your perfect Kentucky Derby Museum visit with our custom day builder. Explore and book available tours and experiences based on your party size and date you plan to visit to make the most out of your time at the only place you can Derby every day.