Putting the Southern in Southern Californian

Although she currently resides in California, Chambers jumped at the chance to develop a Kentucky Derby-inspired menu in partnership with appliance brand CAFÈ and Churchill Downs Racetrack. “I grew up watching the Derby...and I often call my cooking style Southern Californian,” Chambers says. “I have tons of Southern influence in everything that I do.”

In developing these at-home recipes, Chambers took a few creative liberties, but she wanted to stay as authentic as possible to dishes that are actually served at the iconic racetrack. “Really sticking to the heritage felt right,” she says.

A Fresh Take on Churchill Downs Staples

For the at-home menu, Chambers formulated recipes based on iconic Derby favorites that you can really enjoy all summer long. “Everything is just an updated, cool spin on classic Southern recipes,” she says. Here are our three favorites from the full lineup.

Salt & Vinegar Deviled Eggs

Nothing says "party" quite like a deviled egg. “A deviled egg felt so important on this menu,” Chambers says. Her Derby version gets an ultra-creamy boost by swapping mayo for crème fraîche and is topped with salt and vinegar chips “to give it this crunch that people have never had,” she adds.

Makes 24 deviled eggs

Cook time: ~15 minutes (plus time to hard boil eggs)

Tools:

• Small skillet
• Mixing bowl
• Fork
• Sealable plastic bag

Ingredients:

• 12 peeled hard-boiled eggs
• ½ cup crème fraîche
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp. sweet pickle juice
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon or yellow mustard
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• ¼ tsp. smoked paprika
• Zest from 1 lemon
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• Salt-and-vinegar potato chips, for topping
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh chives

Instructions:

1. Pre-peeled hard-boiled eggs are a great shortcut, but if you’re boiling them yourself, here’s the easy way:
2. Place 12 eggs in a sauté pan or saucepan that fits them in a single layer. Add water to just cover the eggs and splash in a little vinegar. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water boils, turn off the heat, move the pan off the burner, and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 10 minutes.
3. Drain the hot water and run cold water over the eggs, adding ice to chill them quickly. Once cool enough to handle, gently roll each egg on the counter to crack the shell all over. Start peeling from the wider end, then slide a spoon under the shell to help lift it off. Rinse away any stray shell pieces and you’re ready to go.
4. Slice the hard-boiled eggs in half lengthwise and scoop the yolks into a bowl.
5. Mash the yolks with a fork until smooth, then stir in crème fraîche, mayonnaise, sweet pickle juice, mustard, kosher salt, smoked paprika, lemon zest, and a few cracks of black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. If the mixture looks a little lumpy, you can switch to a whisk to make it extra smooth.
6. Spoon the filling into a plastic zip-top bag, snip a small corner off the bag, and pipe the filling back into the egg whites. If this feels too fussy, you can also just use a spoon.
7. Just before serving, top each deviled egg with a salt and vinegar chip and finish with the chopped chives.

Benedictine Chicken Salad Sandwiches

These yummy finger sandwiches are the perfect appetizer for your Kentucky Derby party guests and center on a Louisville staple: Benedictine spread. But perhaps the best part is that they take only around half an hour to make.

Serves 10

Prep time: 25 minutes

Tools:

• Chef’s knife
• Cutting board

Ingredients:

• 1½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• ½ English cucumber, sliced in half vertically, seeds scooped out
• ¼ sweet onion
• ½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. whipped cream cheese
• ⅓ cup mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp. mango chutney (optional but excellent)
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. dill weed
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 32 slices very soft white sandwich bread (1½ loaves)

Instructions:

1. Place the chicken breasts in a saucepan or skillet and cover halfway with water. Season generously with salt and pepper. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer over low heat and cover for 12-15 minutes.
2. Cut the cucumber in half down the length of the cucumber and scoop out the seeds. Using the largest hole of a box grater, grate the cucumber and 1/4th of the onion.
3. Let the chicken cool slightly, then finely chop it – it should resemble grains of rice in size. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, cucumber, and onion.
4. Add whipped cream cheese, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, mango chutney, lemon juice, kosher salt, dill weed, garlic powder, and several cracks of black pepper.
5. Taste and add more salt or lemon juice if needed. The mixture should feel light and very spreadable.
6. Lay out the slices of soft white sandwich bread and spread the chicken salad evenly over half of them. Top with the remaining bread slices.
7. Trim the crusts off the sandwiches, cut each sandwich into triangles, then stack them high on a cake stand or platter to create a sandwich tower.
8. Serve immediately.

Kentucky Hot Brown Sliders with Honey Dijonaise

Whoa, boy. Second only to the horse race, Chambers says these Hot Brown sliders should be the focal point of your gathering. “In my mind, those come out probably like right after the race—there’s a lot of adrenaline and excitement then,” she says. “They give the party that wow moment that a real catered party would.”

Here's how to make these show-stopping sliders.

Serves 6–8 (12 sliders)

Prep time: ~20 minutes

Tools:

• Small sheet pan
• Parchment paper
• Serrated knife

Ingredients:

• 8 slices bacon
• 1 large tomato (about 7–8 oz.)
• Kosher salt
• 1 pkg. Hawaiian rolls (12 rolls)
• 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
• 2 heaping tsp. Dijon mustard
• 2–3 tsp. honey, plus more for drizzling
• 6 oz. shredded Gruyère cheese
• ½ lb. thinly sliced roasted turkey
• 4 Tbsp. butter, thinly sliced into 12 pats

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Slice the tomato very thin with a serrated knife. Arrange the slices on paper towels and sprinkle lightly with salt. Let them sit for a few minutes to release some liquid, then gently blot dry with another paper towel.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the bacon slices in a single layer. Bake for 12–15 minutes, until crisp. Transfer to a plate.
4. Line a small sheet pan with parchment — this is where you’ll build and bake the sliders.
5. Using a serrated knife, slice the Hawaiian rolls in half horizontally, keeping the rolls connected. Place the bottom half of the rolls on the sheet pan with the cut side facing up.
6. Add 1 tablespoon mayonnaise to each half of the rolls and spread it evenly over the bread. Dollop 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard onto each half and spread it out so it’s evenly distributed.
7. Drizzle honey all over the cut sides of the rolls so there’s a little honey across the whole surface.
8. Sprinkle half of the grated Gruyère over the bottom half of the rolls. Layer the sliced turkey over the cheese, bunching it so it has some height rather than lying flat.
9. Arrange the tomato slices over the turkey, then lay the bacon across the top. Sprinkle with the remaining Gruyère.
10. Place the top half of the rolls over the filling. Slice the butter thinly and place a small pat on each roll.
11. At this point, the sliders can be covered with foil and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
12. When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 375. Bake the sliders covered with foil for 8 minutes, then uncover and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes until the tops are light golden brown. Don’t let them burn!
13. Use a knife to slice between the rolls and separate into 12 sliders. Serve warm.

Don't Forget the Drinks

A day at the racetrack isn't complete without a mint julep cocktail. Get your guests involved by setting up a mint julep station, which is both interactive and keeps you, as the host, out of the kitchen as much as possible. “It becomes this whole conversation moment—it’s almost like an adult activity,” Chambers says.

The secret to Chambers' successful mint julep station is swapping muddled mint for homemade simple syrups, perfect cocktail timesavers for when you're entertaining a larger group. Here's what you'll need to bring these syrups to life.

Ingredients:

• 3½ cups sugar
• 3 cups water
• 2 large bunches fresh mint
• 1 cup strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries
• 1 ripe peach, chopped, or 1 cup frozen peaches
• 1 bottle bourbon (I like Woodford Reserve)
• Crushed or pebble ice
• Club soda or sparkling water
• 2 lemons

1. Make a simple syrup by adding 3 cups sugar and 3 cups water to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat.
2. Add a large handful of fresh mint leaves to the first jar. Pour about ⅓ of the warm syrup over the mint and let it steep while you prepare the other syrups.
3. Place the berries in a blender with ⅓ of the simple syrup and blend until completely smooth. Transfer to the second jar.
4. Rinse the blender, then add the peach with the remaining ⅓ of the simple syrup and blend until fully pureed. Transfer to the third jar.
5. Let the syrups cool completely before serving.
6. To make the mint sugar, combine ½ cup sugar, zest from one lemon and 4 mint leaves in a shallow bowl. Use your fingers to rub everything together until fragrant, then remove the mint leaves and transfer the mint sugar to a small plate or bowl for rimming glasses.
7. Now the fun part! Set up the mint julep garden bar by placing the mint syrup, berry syrup, peach syrup, bottle of bourbon, club soda, crushed ice, lemon wedges, and mint sprigs together so guests can build their own drinks.
8. Once everything is set up, guests can build their drinks right at the bar.

With a drink station, guests also have the capability to customize their beverage to their heart's desire—maybe they don't want a mint julep. Me? I'm making a mojito.

Horsing Around at Home

All in all, a Kentucky Derby party is just another themed opportunity to hang out with your favorite people, and for that, we are grateful. “The best way to hang out with your friends is at your house—you get to luxuriate in each other’s company,” Chambers says.

The Kentucky Derby takes place on the first Saturday of May each year.