“Until you go to the Kentucky Derby with your own eyes, behold the Derby, you ain’t never been nowhere, and you ain’t seen nothing.” – Irvin Cobb

Image from https://thepressboxlts.com

This delicious Southern inspired recipe roundup features all the savory and sweet drinks, eats,

and treats you need to make the ultimate Kentucky Derby Party Menu! 

This photo is from 30 or so years ago (has it really been that long?) shows me with my Kentucky family at the Churchill Downs races.

I have such wonderful memories of this time- sunny days wearing big hats, watching the horses race, and eating the decadent food!

Savory Recipes:

1. Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs with Crushed Potato Chips – How Sweet Eats

2. Pimento Cheese Sandwiches – Mandi of the Mountains

3. Kentucky Hot Brown Boxtys with White Cheddar Sauce – For the Love of Food

3. Louisville Hot Brown: Kentucky’s Turkey Sandwich – Carne Diem

5. Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwiches – Jolene’s Recipe Journal

6. Benedictine Spread – Best Appetizers

7. Bourbon Glazed Kentucky Hot Brown Turkey Burgers – For the Love of Food

8. Kentucky Hot Brown Dip Inspired Grazing Board – Tonya Staab

9. Kentucky Hot Brown Appetizer – Mom Foodie

10. Easy Homemade Southern Pimento Cheese – Cooking with Wine

11. Authentic Kentucky Beer Cheese – Blue’s Best Life

12. Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich – For the Love of Food

13. Hot Honey & Bacon Whipped Goat Cheese – How Sweet Eats

14. Simple Southern Chicken Salad – The Quicker Kitchen

15. Cajun Deviled Eggs With Shrimp – Gluten Free Supper

16. Southern Deviled Eggs – For the Love of Food

17. Creamy Kentucky Mac and Cheese – Copy Kat

18. Homemade Pimento Cheese Board – Foxes Love Lemons

19. Fried Deviled Eggs with Chow Chow Relish – For the Love of Food

20. Burrata Bruschetta – Little Nonni

21. Pimento Cheese Grilled Chicken Sandwiches – How Sweet Eats

22. Southern Shrimp and Grits with Greens – For the Love of Food

23. Bourbon Whiskey Tonic Cocktail – A Grateful Meal

24. Baked Whiskey Glazed Hot Wings – Cooking with Wine

25. Pimento Cheese Poppers with Jalapeño Ranch – How Sweet Eats

26. Southern Slow Cooked Hot Boiled Peanuts – For the Love of Food

27. Mini Cheese and Spinach Tartlets – Thriving in Parenting

28. Picnic Finger Sandwiches: Yogurt Egg Salad + Cream Cheese & Cucumber  – For the Love of Food

29. Kentucky Buck Cocktail – Casual Foodist

30. KFC Buttermilk Biscuits – Copy Kat

31. Southern 7 Layer Salad in a Mason Jar – For the Love of Food

32. Caramelized Onion and Blue Cheese Dip – Sabrina Currie

33. The Best Egg Salad Sandwiches – 4 Sons R Us

34. Horseradish Pimento Cheese Spread – Jawns I Cooked

35. Pimento Cheese Quiche – How Sweet Eats

Sweet Recipes:

1. Mint Julep Pudding Shots – Biscuits and Burlap

2. Kentucky Derby Pie Recipe (Bourbon Pecan) – Adore Foods

3. Derby Pie Shortbread Bars – Mother Would Know

4. Cream Puffs – For the Love of Food

5. Kentucky Bourbon Balls – Homemade Hooplah

6. Berries with Bourbon Cream and Honey – Pineapple Paper Co

7. Vintage Kentucky Bourbon Black Fruit Cake with Cinnamon Glaze – For the Love of Food

8. Strawberry Mango Mint Julep Fruit Salad with Whipped Marshmallow – How Sweet Eats

9. Chocolate Walnut Pie (Derby Pie Copycat) – State of Dinner

10. Fruit Filled Chocolate Waffle Cones – For the Love of Food

11. Mint Julep Brownies – Good Grief Cook

12. Kentucky Pecan Bourbon Balls – For the Love of Food

13. Gooey Butter Cake – Copy Kat

14. Lemon Blueberry Iced Tea – The Delicious Spoon

15. Peanut Butter Buckeyes – For the Love of Food

16. Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie – Champagne Tastes

17. Bourbon Bread Pudding – Cuss Kitchen

18. Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Tassies – For the Love of Food

19. Lusty Lilly (a Kentucky Derby inspired cocktail) – Cuss Kitchen

20. Glazed Cherry Hand Pies – For the Love of Food

21. Kentucky Caramel Bourbon Butter Bundt Cake – Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks

22. Chocolate Whiskey Buttermilk Cake with Praline Topping – For the Love of Food

23. Berry Mint Julep – State of Dinner

24. Kentucky Lemonade for Derby Day – The Gingerbread Pony

25. Southern Fruit Iced Tea – For the Love of Food

26. Sparkling Bourbon Peach Punch – A Taste for Travel

27. Kentucky Butter Cake Cookies – Pam’s Daily Dish

28. Derby Sundaes with Chocolate Bourbon Syrup – The Heritage Cook

29. Mint Julep Punch – Pizzazzerie

30.  Kentucky Derby Pie – For the Love of Food

31. Mini Chocolate Chip Pies – Derby Style – Saving You Dinero

32. Oh My Cherry Pie Cream Cheese Spread – For the Love of Food

33. Kentucky Butter Cake – Bunny’s Warm Oven

34. Caramel Apple Iced Tea – For the Love of Food

35. Kentucky Caramel Bourbon Butter Bundt Cake – Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks

36. Derby Cupcakes – Polka Dot Chair

37. Bourbon Pecan Chocolate Popcorn – Cupcakes and Kale Chips

Happy Derby Day! 

The post 70+ Savory and Sweet Kentucky Derby Recipes appeared first on For the Love of Food.

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Vintage Kentucky Bourbon Black Fruit Cake with Cinnamon Glaze

Makes one large bundt cake or two loaf pans.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup dried dates pitted and chopped
• 1/2 cup dried figs chopped
• 2 tbsp Bourbon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp crushed cloves
• 1/2 cup blackberry jam
• 1 cup butter softened
• 1 cup brown sugar packed
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 cup pecans chopped
• For the cinnamon glaze:
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1-2 tbsp milk

Instructions

• Add 2 cups flour to a large dry skillet (I prefer a cast iron) until it becomes golden brown, about 6-7 minutes.
• Stir from time to time to prevent sticking.
• Set aside and cool then sift.
• Mix the raisins, dates, and figs in a small bowl.
• Pour the Bourbon over the fruit and mix well. Let stand 2 hours or until the liquor has been absorbed.
• Cream butter with brown sugar in a large mixing bowl.
• Add the eggs and sour cream.
• Sift the flour once more adding the baking soda and spices.
• Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry, stirring constantly to keep from lumping.
• Add the jam and chopped nuts then the bourbon soaked fruit.
• Pour into two greased and floured loaf pans or a bundt pan.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes to 90 minutes (depending on the pan size) or until browned and a toothpick entered in the centered comes out clean.
• You can tent aluminum foil over the top if it becomes too brown.
• Remove from oven and let cool completely before removing from pan, setting on a platter, and adding glaze.
• For the glaze: in a small bowl mix together glaze ingredients until smooth. Add additional tbsp milk if needed.
• Using a spoon, drizzle glaze all over the top of the cake.
• Slice and serve.

Notes

Cake recipe adapted from Out of Kentucky Kitchens by Marion Flexner.

Sift the cooled, toasted flour into a bowl and set aside.

Mix the raisins, dates, and figs in a small bowl.

Pour the Bourbon over the fruit and mix well.
Let stand 2 hours or until the liquor has been absorbed.

Cream butter with brown sugar in a large mixing bowl.

The post Vintage Kentucky Bourbon Black Fruit Cake with Cinnamon Glaze appeared first on For the Love of Food.

Every year for Christmas I make a few treats to give to our friends and family.

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Kentucky Pecan Bourbon Balls

Makes approx 24 balls

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 lb powdered sugar about 3 1/2-4 cups
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup approx Bourbon (I recommend Maker's Mark brand), separated
• 1/4 cup pecans finely ground
• 1/3 cup approx 24 pecan halves
• 12 oz bag semi sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

• Using a mixer, combine butter and sugar until smooth.
• Add 1/4 cup Bourbon and vanilla and mix in.
• Finally, mix in the ground pecans.
• Roll into 1-inch balls and place in rows on a parchment lined baking sheet. The filling is very sticky. Add more powdered sugar if needed.
• Set in refrigerator until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag and place in the freezer for a few hours or overnight.
• Meanwhile place pecan halves in a small bowl, cover with remaining 1/4 cup of Bourbon and let soak overnight.
• Once balls are hardened/frozen melt chocolate in the microwave (30 second intervals, stirring in between until smooth). I do this in batches (1/3 of the chocolate at a time) and 6 or so balls at a time so they don't get too soft with the warm chocolate.
• Place a toothpick in each bourbon ball, sticking the toothpick into the center.
• Working quickly, dip the bourbon ball centers into the chocolate one at a time. Tap the toothpick against the side of the bowl to shake off excess chocolate.
• Set the coated bourbon balls on a waxed or parchment paper lined baking sheet.
• With another toothpick push the bourbon ball gently from the toothpick and cover the spot where it was with a bourbon soaked pecan half.
• Place coated bourbon balls in the fridge and let them set and harden.
• Store in a sealed container and give as gifts or serve at your next holiday party!

Notes

Adapted from "The Book of Bourbon" .

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Daddy's Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich

Makes 6 open faced sandwiches

Ingredients

• 6 slices of bread toasted
• 12 thick cut slices of turkey
• 3-4 cups of mashed potatoes
• 1 beefsteak tomato sliced
• 2 cups gravy we use brown, but turkey gravy is also tasty
• 12 slices bacon cooked crisp
• 3 cups shredded cheese I used mixed or Cheddar

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Lay 6 slices of toasted bread on a baking sheet.
• Spread approx 1/2 cup (or more if you want!) of mashed potatoes on top of each bread slice.
• Top with 2 slices of turkey on each.
• Add 1/4 cup shredded cheese on top of turkey.
• Add two slices crisp bacon, crisscrossed on top.
• Add one or two thick slices of tomato on top.
• Now add a ladle of gravy on each.
• Finally add remaining shredded cheese on top of each.
• Bake in the oven for about 10-15 min or until warmed through and the cheese is melted.
• Serve warm with additional gravy on top if you would like!

Notes

 Save room for dessert  (hahahaha just kidding!)

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