This is the original Stouffer’s Welsh Rarebit recipe served in their restaurants and later sold as a frozen product. It’s a rich, savory cheese sauce brightened by dry mustard and Worcestershire sauce (vegetarian Worcestershire alternatives are available).
Traditionally spread on toast and broiled until bubbling and slightly browned, this versatile sauce can also top vegetables, casseroles, or crostini.
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🏃♀️ Post Summary
In a hurry? This summary covers the essentials.
- Meal Prep: 10 minutes. Cook Time: 25 minutes.
- The sauce requires steady attention while cooking to achieve a smooth texture.
- You can make it up to 5 days ahead and reheat gently.
- Use it on toast, rye bread, roasted vegetables, casseroles, or crostini for a flavorful boost.
If you want to get this right the first time, check the Table of Contents and watch the brief video in the Recipe Card for a visual guide.
🤷♀️ Why Do They Call It Welsh Rarebit?
Despite the name, Welsh Rarebit almost certainly never included rabbit. The dish dates back several centuries in Wales, where cheese was commonly used in place of meat. The origin of the name is unclear; some historical uses of “Welsh” implied something modest or rustic, so the name may have evolved from that sense.
Whatever the origin, the dish is a simple, satisfying way to turn cheese into a rich, saucy comfort food.
🧅 Ingredient Notes
See the Recipe Card for full ingredient amounts and directions.
- Whole milk – use whole milk for the best texture; low-fat milks will thin the sauce and reduce richness.
- Worcestershire sauce – adds umami; vegetarian versions (such as Annie’s) keep the recipe meat-free.
- Sharp cheddar – provides flavor and body; mild cheddar works if that’s what you have, but sharper cheese gives the classic punch.
😋 Perfect Comfort Food
For many, including the author, Stouffer’s Welsh Rarebit is nostalgic comfort food. Toasted bread topped with bacon, tomato, and a generous pour of melted rarebit is warming and familiar—ideal after a blustery day or as a simple, satisfying dinner.
It comes together in about 30–35 minutes, making it an easy vegetarian main, a hearty lunch, or an indulgent game-day appetizer when served on crostini.
👩🍳 Tips for Making Welsh Rarebit Sauce
Start by cooking the flour and dry ingredients in butter to form a roux-like paste; this removes the raw flour taste and gives the sauce structure. Add hot milk gradually while whisking to avoid lumps, then the hot cream. Cook until the mixture thickens before adding cheese, folding it in gently until fully melted. Maintain a low to medium-low heat to keep the sauce smooth and glossy.
🍽️ Ways to Use Welsh Rarebit
Classic: spread over toast and broil briefly until bubbly and golden. Rye bread also complements the strong cheddar flavor.
Vegetables: spoon the sauce over roasted cauliflower, broccoli steaks, or asparagus for an indulgent side.
Casseroles and pies: use the sauce as a flavorful cheese topping in dishes like a cauliflower rarebit pie with a rye or regular crust.
Crostini: toast small slices of bread, top with tomato or roasted vegetables, and drizzle with rarebit for an elegant appetizer.
Sweet-savory twist: broil the sauce on toast and finish with apple chutney—apples and cheddar pair beautifully.
Stouffer’s Welsh Rarebit Recipe
Ingredients
Welsh Rarebit Cheese Sauce
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- ⅜ teaspoon paprika
- 1 ⅓ cup whole milk hot
- 1 ⅓ cup heavy cream hot
- ¾ pound sharp Cheddar cheese grated
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce or a vegetarian version
- pinch cayenne pepper
Instructions
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Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the flour, salt, dry mustard, and paprika, stirring until a paste forms. Cook 2–3 minutes to lightly toast the flour.
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Heat the milk until hot and whisk it gradually into the paste, keeping the mixture smooth. Then heat and whisk in the cream gradually. Cook 8–10 minutes, whisking occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
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Add the grated cheddar and fold it into the sauce with a silicone spatula until fully melted and smooth, about 2–3 minutes.
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Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and finish with a pinch of cayenne to taste. Serve warm over toast or vegetables.
Nutrition
Stouffer’s Welsh Rarebit Copycat
This post also includes a copycat version the author developed earlier. The copycat swaps heavy cream for a dark ale and finishes the sauce with an egg yolk for extra silkiness. The copycat makes a smaller batch—about 1 ½ cups—suitable for six servings.
If you prefer the copycat recipe you used before, it remains available here for convenience.
Stouffer’s Welsh Rarebit (Copycat)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ½ cup dark ale
- 6 ounces extra-sharp cheddar, coarsely grated (about 1 ½ cups)
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (or vegetarian alternative)
- sriracha or a pinch of cayenne to taste
- 1 large egg yolk
Instructions
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Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat.
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Whisk in flour, dry mustard, salt, and pepper to form a paste. Cook about 2 minutes until lightly toasted.
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Gradually whisk in the milk and allow it to thicken 1–2 minutes. Whisk in the ale, then add the grated cheese. Fold until melted and simmer on low for 2 minutes.
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Stir in Worcestershire and hot sauce to taste.
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Tempering the yolk: whisk the yolk in a small bowl and slowly whisk in ½ cup of the hot sauce to temper. Then whisk the tempered yolk into the pan to enrich the sauce without curdling.