Mini Hot Browns — The Kind of Warm You Need After a Long Clinic Week

Snow all week. Ten more inches Tuesday on top of the eight from Sunday. Clinic open Monday, closed Tuesday morning. Dr. Rashid made the call at 5:30 AM. I was grateful. The kids had a snow day. Erin came over at 9 and took them sledding at the hill at Pageant Field.

Clinic Wednesday through Friday. A lot of URIs. A lot of flu. I wore a mask for the first time in a while for patient-facing. So did Shanice. We were tired by Friday.

Nora turns five in three weeks — February 1. She is planning her party. She wants butterfly theme. She wants Maya from pre-K and two other girls. She wants a butterfly cake. She wants cupcakes. She wants a butterfly piñata. I am exhausted just listing it.

Ma has already committed to making the cake. Meghan has offered to bring the balloons. Patrick is on piñata duty (his one ask: let him light the candles). Small. Manageable. Fine.

Group Tuesday. Canceled due to weather. Bernadette emailed.

Liam has a new friend at school, a boy named Isaiah, whose father is a Boston cop. Liam asked if Isaiah could come over for a playdate. I said yes. Friday Isaiah came over after school. He and Liam built a LEGO tower. Nora tried to join. Liam was patient for about fifteen minutes and then asked if Nora could go do something else. She huffed. She went. I smiled.

Saturday pancakes. Burned the first one. The snow outside was blue with evening light when we ate. Winter morning light is different — cleaner, slower. I noticed.

Sunday dinner at Southie. Ma made beef barley soup, crusty bread, and a green salad. Winter soup weather. Dad had two bowls. Liam had one bowl and two slices of bread. Nora had soup broth (she does not do barley yet).

Food of the week: Ma's beef barley soup. Stew meat browned first, onions, carrots, celery, tomato paste, beef broth, barley simmered in for forty minutes.

Ma’s beef barley soup reminded me that winter food should do something for you — it should settle you down after the week you just survived. I’ve had Mini Hot Browns on my mind since a friend made them at a holiday gathering, and after three days of flu patients, a canceled group session, and burning the first pancake Saturday morning, a warm pan of these felt like exactly the right move for the next time I need feeding-from-the-inside food that I can actually pull together without too much left in the tank.

Mini Hot Browns

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 6 slices thick-cut white sandwich bread, toasted
• 12 oz sliced roasted turkey breast
• 6 slices bacon, cooked until crisp
• 1 medium tomato, sliced into rounds
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed
• 1 cup sharp white cheddar, shredded
• 1/4 cup Parmesan, grated (plus more for topping)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

1. Make the Mornay sauce. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly pour in the warmed milk, whisking continuously until the mixture is smooth and begins to thicken, about 4—5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until fully melted and glossy. Set aside.
2. Prep the toast. Arrange toasted bread slices in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Cut each slice in half on the diagonal if you prefer smaller bites, or leave whole for larger portions.
3. Build the Hot Browns. Layer turkey evenly over each toast slice. Place one tomato round on top of the turkey on each piece. Spoon Mornay sauce generously over each, making sure to cover the edges of the toast.
4. Add toppings. Sprinkle additional grated Parmesan over each sauced slice. Break bacon strips in half and lay two pieces over each Hot Brown in a crisscross pattern.
5. Broil. Position the oven rack about 6 inches from the broiler element and broil on high for 3—5 minutes, watching closely, until the sauce is bubbling and the tops are lightly golden and spotted with brown.
6. Serve immediately. Transfer to a platter, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve hot straight from the pan.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 28g | Fat: 22g | Carbs: 26g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 780mg