Louisville hot brown sandwich

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

MORNAY SAUCE:

5 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

SANDWICH:

1/2 pound mushrooms
8 slices bread, crust removed and toasted
8 ounces sliced cooked chicken or turkey breast
4 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled

To prepare Mornay sauce: Place 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and melt. Add onions and cook until transparent but not brown, about three minutes. Whisk in flour. Add milk, salt and pepper and whisk until smooth. Continue to cook over medium heat until thickened, about three minutes, stirring occasionally. Add Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses and continue cooking until well blended and smooth; remove from heat.

To prepare the sandwich: Melt remaining butter in a small frying pan and saute mushrooms until soft, about five minutes; reserve. Place one slice of toast in each of four, ovenproof individual serving dishes. Top each piece of toast with slices of chicken or turkey. Cut remaining toast slices diagonally and place on sides of each sandwich. Ladle 1/2 cup of the reserved cheese sauce over each sandwich and place the sandwiches under a broiler until the sauce begins to bubble and golden brown spots form, about five minutes. Remove from oven and garnish with crumbled bacon and reserved sauteed mushroom slices and serve immediately.

P. Groves, Chicago

Nutrition facts per serving: 556 calories, 30 g fat, 16 g saturated fat, 116 mg cholesterol, 38 g carbohydrates, 35 g protein, 924 mg sodium, 3 g fiber