The Hot Brown sandwich is an open-faced mess of tomato, turkey, and bacon, smothered in a creamy Mornay sauce and stacked on top of Texas toast. It’s quite epic.

When Louisville's historic Brown Hotel opened its doors in the early '20s, Prohibition was in full effect. However, that didn't stop the hotel from hosting fabulous dinner dances.

Head chef Fred K. Schmidt noticed how hungry the partygoers were toward the wee hours of the morning. He decided to give them something new, and that's when the Hot Brown was born.

The southern flavors in the roasted turkey, bacon, and toast, combined with a classic French Mornay sauce, were a blend of two cuisines that Americans hadn’t experienced.

Restaurants would frequently serve cheap meats such as ham. The Hot Brown, which has lived on for decades, proved that a decidedly sloppy, late-night munchie can still be elevated.