Welsh Rarebit Recipe (2024)

Yes, this is a gorgeous dish. But there are MUCH better ways of preparing it. Make a roux as above - but use full-cream milk . Add Beer - but onlya little - once the mixture has become very thick. Then apply to thickly sliced bread- pre toasted on one side only- put under the broiler until bubbling and then eat and go to Rarebitty heaven!!

Huge disappointment. Looked and tasted like mud. There are so many better recipes out there for Welsh Rarebit. And I usually love Bittman's renditions.

Excellent recipe, and excellent food. The key seems to be letting it set - and then spooning it on bread. There are a lot of other recipes for this dish - most people seem to like something like Stouffers made in the 1980's. This has a deeper taste and flavor, and is excellent with a glass or two wine and pleasant company.

Looks like rabbit was the original: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_rarebit

A double boiler makes this slower, but smoother

I know I'll be jumped on for this but I have always added to pinch of curry powder to the mix which adds a nice edge. Sorry to the purists but it's a wonderful counterpart to the cayenne and beer.

This is a proper comment. Why (when?) did all food creators stop using double broilers. They are a savior for many sauces and cheese making, but especially sauces made with cheese.I would gladly use two pans for such a recipe, first a saucepan to cook out the flour taste in the flour and butter, and then transfer that into a DB to add the other ingredients and get it to meld (yes, meld, not melt) gently and not be worried of any risk of burning or separating (broken sauce).

WE both loved this. Next time I will give the mixture more time to set. It wasn't thick enough to stay on the toast. But we mopped up the extra with our bites and that worked well enough.

This is really good. I followed the recipe precisely. The cayenne and mustard give it a bit of bite, which is great. If you use a good whole grain bread and add a green salad, it makes for a really good winter supper. Be sure to let the cheese mixture set, though, otherwise it will run right off your bread!

I found ¼ tsp cayenne to be plenty

I have a feeling Guinness may have been suggested due to wide availability in the US. In Britain I think many other beers would be used instead, but those are not exported much. Fuller's London Pride is, though, and would work alright. Any number of heavier US-made microbrews would work well too.

Just made this! The color is a bit blah probably from the dark Guinness. I used a mixture of sharp cheese nubs I had in the fridge. Texture wise it felt like the old Stouffers I ate in quantity as a kid. Really loved this! Brought back some great memories. This will be in the rotation to use up cheese for sure!

Made this with Peroni instead of a stout because that's what I had on hand, and added a bit of grated horseradish to the mixture along with the grated cheese. No mustard powder, so subbed a small spoonful of spicy brown mustard. Was very tasty on a whole grain seeded boule.

Absolutely delicious! Lusciously spiced, cheesy delight.

This was perfect for a cold night during a quarantine. I added a bit more cayenne and Worcestershire sauce. It was delightful with a glass of merlot. I put the remainder of the beer in my shampoo.

I serve this as a starter for our traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner for St Pat's. My friends and I love it as is. I use Kerrygold Irish cheddar and a dense dark European style rye bread. Toast the bread under the broiler, then spread on the cheese and broil again until browned.

Also, Toast the bread... it makes a huge difference. Lol You are welcome

You need leek! 2 medium leeks will elevate this meal. Never used beer, but why not? I'm willing to try.

This is totally unlike any Rarebit I have made, read about or had in a restaurant, and that is many. This is just a glorified toasted cheese sandwich.Proper Rarebit is a tasty cheese sauce made with full flavor beer (any will do, British style ale is best), quality sharp cheddar cheese and seasonings - English dry mustard, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, etc., and then served over good toasted bread. NOT broiled. Sauce pooled around the toast. Pickles on the side, and a glass of beer.

I like cheese swimming over the bread. Check dried Coleman's mustard to make sure it still has a kick. Roux should be beautiful golden color. As a beer lover, I found Guiness is just okay. The perfect beer addition is Spaten to flavor this dish. Taste it to see if it has that rare bit kick. I have added more beer, cheese or mustard to find that perfect taste. If you have to add mustard, mix it with beer so that it doesn't clump up. Used to be my dad's favorite. Wish I could make it for him.

Melt butter. To avoid lumps, remove from fire and dump in flour and mix quickly. return to fire to cook for one minute (raw flour is indigestible by humans).

Love just as is. Don't like versions that use milk. One note: if part of your enjoyment of this dish is for the nostalgia, as it is for me, use orange cheddar (not white) as the resulting color will right. Not the brown as mine did. Every bit as delicious though.

Hi, any suggestions for a beer substitute in this recipe?

Guinness is not a strong beer.

Perfection. Use Guinness and don’t hold back.

My late husband and I used Stouffer's Welsh Rabbit. On Toast with sliced tomatoes and if available a couple slice bacon pre-cooked. Was a nice Sunday night supper.

Made this with extra sharp Vermont cheddar and raclette cheeses. Used Guinness as the beer and although it tasted absolutely fantastic in taste, the resulting color was that of a pale gravy. Perhaps a lighter colored beer would make the cheese sauce more aesthetically pleasing? Topped with fresh chives, we gobbled it up nonetheless. Simple, comforting and excellent side for the tomato soup we ate it with.

Good over a pile of steamed vegetables with some bread underneath

Loved this, very retro dish! I used various cheddars and Swiss style cheeses form the cheese drawer plus a touch of Oaxaca for the melt factor. Used IPA rather than dark beer, and strong homemade mustard instead of dry powder. Just cause that’s what I had. Broiled on whole wheat sourdough and garnished with some sliced avocado. Served with Shulman’s turmeric carrot soup for an orange comfort meal that was a mix of old and new, bright and deep.

Made this with an extra sharp cheddar and Murphy's Stout. It was Beyond Good! Served it on a 7 grain whole wheat, which I lightly toasted first. I agree with the writer who commented that it is not a 1980s Stouffers Welsh rarebit recipe! Its in a different universe!