Welsh Rarebit is a savory dish featuring a hot cheese sauce served over toasted bread. It is often called "Welsh Rabbit," though the dish contains no rabbit. The earliest recorded use of "Welsh rabbit" dates to 1725, while the first documented use of "Welsh rarebit" is in 1781. The name change occurred to clarify that the dish does not contain rabbit. Some believe the original name was a jest at the expense of the Welsh or a reflection of a frugal diet.
A traditional Welsh Rarebit consists of a cheese sauce made with grated cheddar cheese, ale or beer, butter, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard. Some recipes include milk, eggs, or stout. The cheese sauce is spread over toasted bread and then grilled until golden brown and bubbling. Welsh Rarebit can be served alone or with a green salad or chutney. It can also be topped with a poached egg.
While it is possible to make Welsh Rarebit at home, there are some commercially produced versions available. Stouffer's offers a frozen Welsh Rarebit dish made with cheddar cheese. A 10-oz package is offered at Foods Co. for 4/$10 when you buy 4 or more. Forman & Field also offers a Welsh Rarebit topping made with Montgomery's cheddar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and locally brewed Hoxton stout.
