The Ultimate Kentucky Derby Party Menu

Appetizers:

Benedictine Watercress Dip with Roasted Asparagus

Hot Brown Quesadillas

Cocktail:

Mint Juleps

Main Course:

Kentucky Burgoo

Desserts:

Winner's Circle Pie

Sweet Cornmeal Cake with Fresh Strawberries

Bowl of Bourbon Whipped Cream

Featured Recipes

Benedictine Watercress Dip with Roasted Asparagus

Roasted Asparagus

Hot Brown Quesadillas

Mint Juleps

Sarah Fritschner's Kentucky Burgoo

Winner's Circle Pie

Sweet Cornmeal Cake with Fresh Strawberries

Bowl of Bourbon Whipped Cream

Bonus Recipe

Mint Julep Cheesecake

Featured Articles

The Ultimate Dip, Benedictine
Sarah Fritschner, author of Derby 101, writes: "Ah! Benedictine!  Most of the world thinks of it as a liqueur. In Louisville, we know it is a sandwich spread named after the eminent caterer of the early 20th century, Jenny Benedict."  These days, any mix of cucumber and onion will work – some Louisville restaurants sell a chunky Benedictine as a sandwich filling, but it’s traditionally served as a thin layer on crustless tea sandwiches. Tradition aside, Chef Sara notes that local residents eat Benedictine on everything. She particularly loves it as a topping for veggie burgers and served with extra cucumbers and some thinly sliced red onions.

Hot Brown Quesadillas
Who invented this sandwich? Well, Chef Sara knows at least two unrelated Louisville cooks who claim familial lineage to the original chef. Fact is, the Hot Brown is one of those dishes that has benefited from the creative touches of many folks.  According to John Mariani, Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, the Hot Brown is a sandwich of chicken, bacon, or ham with a cheese sauce, created at Louisville’s Brown Hotel in the late 1920’s.  Local food writer, Sara Fritschner believes the first Hot Brown was coined well before this time. The Brown, normally sliced turkey on toast, is covered with a cream sauce that has been augmented with a "healthy" dose of sharp cheddar cheese then all is topped with bacon and sometimes tomatoes.  Chef Sara Gibbs's version of the Hot Brown is a quesadilla, which puts this rich dish into its proper proportion and makes preparing this satisfying appetizer easy for the party hostess.

Mint Julep
The mint julep is a centerpiece of the derby which is, to a large extent, one big 'ol party. For most Yankees, the mint julep conjures bucolic images of the South but also the feeling that no good can come of a liquor cabinet with crème de menthe.  We say - fear not! Sara Fritschner writes, "The point of a mint julep is to barely season bourbon with a little fresh mint.  Mint is sometimes growing in local gardens at Derby time and with any luck you can be lavish with both it and your bourbon.  Remember, this is a cold, bold drink with a light mint essence, not a minty sweet drink that has been spiked with some anonymous liquor."  When Chef Sara told me that she spent years perfecting a Mint Julep Jello Shot - my association of mint julep and junior league garden fundraiser was banished.  Need another reason to pick up bourbon and crème de menthe? How about Chef Sara's Triple Crown Brownies.  Deep chocolate brownies topped with a cream cheese layer flavored  with mint and finally, a dark chocolate ganache spiked with bourbon.  Chef Sara writes, "As they sit, they seem to get stronger.  About a week after the Derby, the leftovers are strong enough to set you free!"

Sarah Fritschner's Kentucky Burgoo
Dig that rabbit and squirrel out of the back of the freezer! Let's make burgoo.
OK, store-bought meats including pork, veal, beef, lamb, chicken - any combination will do the trick as the basis of this rich and flavorful stew.  To put the "Kentucky" into your stew, be sure to select a variety of vegetables including potatoes, onions, celery, cabbage, carrots, sweet green peppers, corn, lima or butter beans. Chef Sara does not use okra, as Kentuckians are not as fond of okra as are diners in the more Southern states.  According to Ms. Fritschner, you'll want to make enough to feed a big gathering and cook and stir it for so long, that the soup is nearly as homogenous as gravy, with bits of corn or lima beans appearing once in a while and the meat reduced to shreds.

Derby Pie
At least two generations of the Kerns family have been baking basically one thing....chocolate but pie. Needless to say, they have it down.  They make a wonderful pie that has a perfect ratio of crust to filling and no bourbon.  At the small pie factory two workers spend some of their week sitting at a small table sorting through the walnuts for bits of shell – they always find some.  You can order their pies from www.derbypie.com. Nevertheless, scores of chocolate chip pie recipes circulate around Louisville with various names, including Horse Race Pie, Triple Crown Pie – you get the picture. Chef Sara's version has bourbon and maple syrup and is a favorite at the Brown Forman Corporation's (maker's of Jack Daniels, etc.) corporate dining room.

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