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    Home / Breakfast and Brunch Recipes / Welsh Rarebit -- Cheese On Toast

    Apr 27, 2015 · Last Updated: Mar 7, 2021

    Welsh Rarebit -- Cheese On Toast

    Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

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    This Welsh rarebit recipe is always a brunch favorite. Cheese on toast is hard to beat for a quick and delicious meal that will feed the entire family. This recipe is easy to make, and it uses widely available ingredients. While this simple recipe calls for stout to make it more in line with a traditional Welsh rarebit recipe, for a family favorite version, you can make this easy breakfast without beer. 

    Welsh Rarebit

    Welsh Rarebit is a specialty recipe for cheese on toast, and it is easy to make, delicious, and incredibly comforting. It's a family favorite, and a popular British breakfast recipe.

    Welsh Rarebit is a specialty recipe for making cheese on toast

    If you love cheese and you love bread, then this Welsh Rarebit recipe needs to be on the top of your list for dishes to try. If this is your first time hearing about this dish, don't let the name turn you away.

    Welsh Rarebit

    There are some recipes that I always follow to a T, and other recipes that I always treat as guidelines. This simple cheese on toast recipe is definitely one of those recipes that you don't have to follow exactly. There are endless ways to make Welsh Rarebit once you have the basic idea down.

    My recipe below is for a easy and simple Welsh Rarebit that is a solid workhorse recipe. But I really encourage you to play around with the different possible flavors until you end up with a recipe that is perfect for you and that you can call your own.

    Welsh Rarebit is so quick and simple to make for brunch

    I spent a good while debating whether the cheese or the bread is the most important part of this easy brunch idea, but there's no right answer to that question. The cheese provides the punch of flavor, but the bread is crucial to the texture of the dish.

    Welsh Rarebit

    How to make Welsh Rarebit with simple ingredients

    Let's start with the cheese. This recipe uses 100% strong Cheddar cheese because it gives the Welsh Rarebit an incredibly rich taste. It's also a cheese that many stock in their refrigerator, so it's a great starting point for a cheese on toast recipe.

    But there are many alternatives you can use. Other hard English cheeses to try are double gloucester, cheshire, red leicester and lancashire. You can mix and match different types of cheeses until you find one that gives you the richness, saltiness and tang that you like.

    This Welsh Rarebit recipe can be easily tweaked to tailored to your preference

    Second, the bread is an incredibly important component of Welsh Rarebit. Bread that is too flimsy (ie. sandwich bread) will end up soggy. A good bread will have a nice crust, and be soft on the inside, but still be able to hold the weight of the cheese.

    Sourdough breads made with wheat flour or rye flour will give the Welsh Rarebit a heartier texture (my preference). White bread will give you a blank canvas for your cheese mixture.

    I would stay away from specialty breads though, such as french bread, ciabatta, flat bread.

    You can use stout, beer or other liquids to make this Welsh Rarebit cheese sauce

    You'll also need some sort of liquid in your cheese mixture. I prefer stout, but you can use an ale or porter, or some other sort of liquid.

    Stout is made from roasted grains, and that process ends up giving the Welsh Rarebit a complex malty taste that you don't get with ale. However, it is a subtle difference that could be covered up with the different seasonings that you use.

    You can also make Welsh Rarebit without any beer. You can use white wine if you want a different type of alcohol. Or if you want a non-alcoholic version, you may replace it with some apple cider (the American version, also called pressed apple juice in the UK).

    Welsh Rarebit

    And lastly, you'll likely want some sort of seasoning in your Welsh Rarebit mixture. I use Worcestershire sauce, mustard seed and black pepper. It' a very conservative set of seasonings, but you can switch it up if you prefer.

    You can use a different type of mustard (dijon, english mustard, whatever mustard you have in your refrigerator) or use no mustard. You can leave out the Worcestershire sauce, or use steak sauce or soy sauce instead. Or for a kick, you can even add in some cayenne or paprika, or even tabasco sauce.

    This simple Welsh Rarebit recipe is a family friendly meal that everyone will love

    You'll nail down your own recipe for Welsh Rarebit at some point, but in the meantime the recipe below will give you a delicious Welsh Rarebit that will make for a scrumptious brunch.

    Although it is still cheese on toast at the heart of this dish, the stout, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard seeds add a fuller and more complex flavor. Just a warning, if you weren't addicted to cheese on toast already, you will be after having this Welsh Rarebit!

    Welsh Rarebit

    Welsh Rarebit - Cheese on Toast

    3.93 from 14 votes
    Print Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    Serves: 4 slices
    Prep: 5 mins
    Cook: 5 mins
    Total: 10 mins
    This Welsh rarebit recipe is always a brunch favorite. Cheese on toast is hard to beat for a quick and delicious meal that will feed the entire family. This recipe is easy to make, and it uses widely available ingredients. While this simple recipe calls for stout to make it more in line with a traditional Welsh rarebit recipe, for a family favorite version, you can make this Welsh rarebit without beer. 

    Ingredients

    • ¼ cup stout
    • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire
    • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • ⅛ teaspoon mustard seeds
    • salt - optional, to taste
    • 1 ½ cups grated strong Cheddar cheese
    • 4 slices good quality crusty bread (I used sourdough)
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • In a small saucepan, simmer the stout until it reduces by about half the amount.
    • While the stout is simmering, butter both sides of the bread and lightly grill both sides.
    • Preheat the broiler in your oven.
    • When the stout is ready, remove from heat and mix in the Worcestershire, black pepper, mustard seeds, salt (if using) and cheese.
    • Distribute and spread the cheese mixture evenly over the grilled bread. Broil in the oven for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is nicely toasted and browned.
    Course: Toasts and Sandwiches
    Author: The Worktop
    Cal : 253kcal
    Note: Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
    Love this?I would appreciate a star review! Snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram using #theworktop and tagging me @theworktop.

    Easy Welsh Rarebit Recipe - Make at Home Brunch | The Worktop

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    By Tina Jui
    Filed Under: Breads and Muffins, Breakfast and Brunch Recipes, Breakfast for a Crowd, Breakfast for Dinner Ideas, Brunch Recipes for Mother's Day, Christmas Morning Breakfast Recipes, Easter Breakfast Recipes, Father's Day Brunch Recipes, No Egg, Oven, Quick and Easy Breakfast Ideas, Quick and Easy Brunches, VegetarianTags: cheese, comfort food, toast

    About Tina Jui

    A breakfast lover and food blogger. Tina develops everyday breakfast recipes on The Worktop, and writes about all things related to breakfast and brunch. Read more about Tina Jui or drop an email to say hi.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lou says

      February 17, 2021 at 3:48 am

      5 stars
      Just FYI, Worcestershire sauce is not vegetarian. I saw you marked this a vegetarian recipe. It’ is pescatarian though!

      Reply
    2. Sarah B says

      August 11, 2018 at 11:28 pm

      5 stars
      Love this recipe for a good homemade Welsh rarebit. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    3. btjui says

      October 20, 2017 at 5:36 pm

      5 stars
      I made the Welsh Rarebit this morning. They were so good...

      Reply
    4. Allison - Celebrating Sweets says

      May 04, 2015 at 2:23 pm

      I could eat cheese toast all day every day. So glad I found your blog. Breakfast and brunch are the best!

      Reply
      • Tina Jui says

        May 06, 2015 at 9:24 pm

        Ohhh cheese on toast is so so delicious. I'm in the same boat as you - I would happily eat it every day! Thanks for stopping by the blog :)

        Reply
    5. Bec says

      April 30, 2015 at 11:15 am

      Oh my gosh... droooool! x

      Reply
    6. Catherine says

      April 30, 2015 at 2:22 am

      Dear Tina, a simple but delicious treat to try. I love the sound of this...beautiful site. xo, Catherine

      Reply
      • Tina Jui says

        May 06, 2015 at 9:19 pm

        Hi Catherine, thanks for the kind words and for stopping by!

        Reply
    7. Sabrina says

      April 29, 2015 at 12:02 am

      I'm such a sucker for everything breakfast. I'm also pretty addicted to both cheese and bread so you pretty much won me over. Red Leicester is my favorite, do you think it would work well with this?

      Reply
      • Tina Jui says

        April 29, 2015 at 2:21 pm

        Oh, that sounds delicious! The best part about cheese on toast is that you can do it so many different ways. I've never tried this with Red Leicester, but I'm sure it will work lovely, and give it a nice reddish tint :)

        Reply
    8. Stephanie says

      April 27, 2015 at 4:28 pm

      OHH we share a love for breakfast, yiiipppeeee!!! I was never meant to be a breakfast blog but lately I find myself putting so many breakfast recipes up, I can't help myself! Looking forward to looking around your site for inspiration like this one! Love it!

      Reply
      • Tina Jui says

        April 29, 2015 at 2:07 pm

        Yay for breakfasts :) I love that French Toast Egg in a Hole recipe you just shared. I've always called it toad in a hole for some reason though!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Tina and a lover of breakfast! The Worktop is where I share my everyday breakfast recipes. You can find lots of breakfasts and brunch ideas on my site. Many of the recipes are easy to make and healthy, but of course, you'll also find big brunch indulgences.

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