Jalapeño Cornbread Biscuit Kentucky Hot Brown with Honey Bourbon Bacon.

Biscuits

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper. Whisk until combined. Using a fork, pastry blender or your hands, add butter pieces to the flour and mix until coarse little crumbles remain. Whisk together the buttermilk, egg and and honey and pour into the flour. Stir with a spoon until just combined, not overmixing. Use your hands if needed to bring the dough together. Fold in the cheddar cheese and jalapeños.

Use a 1/4 cup measure to drop batter onto a nonstick baking sheet, or press dough on a sheet of parchment paper or cutting board, then use a biscuit cutter to shape the dough into rounds. Brush with buttermilk. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown.

Hot Brown (the filling)

Line a baking sheet with foil. Arrange bacon strips about 1 1/2 inches apart. In a small bowl mix together the maple syrup, bourbon and cayenne pepper. Brush the mixture evenly over both sides of the bacon. Bake 14 to 16 minutes until bacon is browned and crisp. Transfer to a piece of wax paper to cool. Do not place the bacon on paper towels as it will stick to the towels. Halve the slices.

Meanwhile, to make the mornay, heat a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add the butter, and once it’s melted and bubbly add the flour. Whisk together to create a roux and cook for 1-2 minutes until mixture gets a bit golden in color. Add milk, stir and turn down heat to low. Continue stirring until the milk thickens. Add in the parmesan and cheddar cheese and continue to stir until mixture is smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Keep the sauce over low heat to keep warm.

Preheat the broiler to high.

Slice the biscuits in half horizontally and place the bottom halves on a baking sheet. Divide the turkey among the biscuits. Spoon a little of the mornay sauce over the turkey. Place the pan under the broiler for 30 seconds to 1 minutes or until the mornay sauce sauce is all bubbly. Remove from the oven and top each biscuit with bacon, sliced tomatoes and a sprig of basil. Sprinkle with salt + pepper and then add the top half of the biscuit. Enjoy warm.