Derby Day Hot Brown Sliders (Printable Version)

Mini sliders with turkey, bacon, creamy cheese sauce, and tomato on soft rolls, perfect for parties.

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Sliders

01 - 12 soft slider rolls such as Hawaiian rolls or brioche
02 - 2 cups cooked turkey breast, sliced or shredded
03 - 8 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked crisp and cut in half
04 - 1 cup Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
05 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ For the Mornay Sauce

06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
07 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
08 - 1 cup whole milk
09 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
10 - 1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
11 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
13 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
14 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

→ For Garnish

15 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F.
02 - In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until lightly golden. Slowly whisk in milk and cream while stirring continuously. Cook until thickened, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar, Parmesan, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper until smooth. Set aside.
03 - Split the slider rolls horizontally and place the bottom halves in a 9 by 13 inch baking dish.
04 - Layer turkey evenly over the roll bottoms, followed by tomato slices and bacon pieces.
05 - Pour the Mornay sauce evenly over the top layer. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
06 - Place the top halves of the rolls over the filling.
07 - Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes.
08 - Remove foil and bake an additional 5 to 7 minutes, until tops are lightly browned and cheese is bubbling.
09 - Garnish with chopped parsley if desired. Serve warm.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • They're elegant enough for guests but casual enough that you can actually relax while making them.
  • That creamy Mornay sauce is genuinely addictive—it's the kind of thing people ask about before they even finish eating.
  • You get crispy, cheesy, meaty, and saucy all in one bite, which is basically every good sandwich dream come true.
02 -
  • Don't skip the step of cooking the flour in butter for a minute—it removes that raw flour taste and makes the sauce taste professional instead of homemade-starchy.
  • Add the milk slowly while whisking, because dumping it all in at once is how you end up with lumpy sauce that no amount of stirring can save.
  • The sauce thickens more as it cools, so if it seems a touch thin when you pour it, that's actually perfect—it'll firm up beautifully in the oven.
03 -
  • Make the Mornay sauce while your turkey and bacon cook so everything comes together at the same time and you're not waiting around.
  • Use a 9x13-inch baking dish—it's the perfect size for 12 sliders and distributes the sauce evenly across all of them.
  • If your sauce breaks or gets lumpy, strain it through a fine sieve and it'll come back together beautifully.
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