Welsh Rabbit, also called Welsh Rarebit, features a creamy cheese sauce with a touch of mustard and beer, poured over pan-fried sweet onions and toasted bread. This is an outstanding vegetarian main dish — and even better if you tuck a couple of slices of crisp bacon under the cheese.
Despite its name, Welsh Rabbit contains no rabbit. In most versions there’s no meat at all; it’s essentially a savory cheese-on-toast dish.
The original name is actually Welsh Rabbit, while “Rarebit” appeared later, likely to make the name less confusing. The Oxford English Dictionary records Welsh Rabbit as far back as 1725, and it may be older.
Why “rabbit”? No one knows for sure. Historians offer theories, but the true origin of the name is lost to time.
What is Welsh Rarebit?
Though the name is debated, Welsh Rarebit (or Welsh Rabbit) is widely recognized as toasted bread topped with a rich cheese sauce. It’s a glorious concept and one I love to riff on. This version is inspired by my friend Sandii and her husband Matt.
In short: former colonies unite to refresh a British classic. I use a toasted baguette rather than sandwich bread because it holds up better under the sauce.
The toasted baguette is layered with pan-fried onions, thick slices of ripe summer tomato, crisp bacon, and finally drowned in a beer-based, mustard-forward Welsh Rabbit cheese sauce. It’s comfort food at its most joyful.
No matter which name you prefer, Welsh Rabbit is simply delicious. It’s hard to find a better word for it — rich, tangy, and deeply satisfying.
Welsh Rarebit
A long, thin baguette is ideal because it stays sturdy when brushed with olive oil, toasted, and topped with onions, tomatoes, bacon, and sauce. If you don’t have a baguette, thick slices of sourdough or hearty white bread will also work well.
I prefer sweet onions here, but any good onion is fine — note that using a stronger onion will yield a more pronounced final bite.
In summer I load this with ripe beefsteak tomatoes. In winter, skip the tomato and serve tangy pickles or cherry tomatoes on the side to cut through the richness of the sauce.
Be careful with the flour when making the sauce — too much can make it grainy and clumpy. Lightly spoon and level the flour into your measuring spoon rather than packing it in.
I usually reach for sharp cheddar, but for Welsh Rabbit I recommend regular sharp cheddar. Extra-sharp varieties can sometimes make the sauce grainy; the combination of dry mustard and Dijon will contribute punch and depth.
This recipe calls for whisking a raw egg yolk into the finished sauce to enrich and smooth it. If you prefer to avoid raw yolk for safety reasons, use a pasteurized egg yolk.
A cold beverage pairs nicely with Welsh Rabbit. A chilled beer is traditional, but a bright lemonade or a fruity mocktail can be equally refreshing.
Welsh Rabbit
Welsh Rabbit a.k.a. Welsh Rarebit
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
- 1/2 baguette, sliced in half as for a sandwich, then divided lengthwise to yield 4 pieces
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened or melted
- 2 sweet onions, peeled and cut into 1/2–3/4-inch slabs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 ounces thick-sliced bacon, cooked until crispy
- 2 beefsteak tomatoes, sliced thickly
For the Welsh Rabbit Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup beer (preferably ale)
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder (Coleman’s recommended)
- 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (grainy or smooth)
- 6 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 egg yolk
Instructions
- Preheat your broiler to HIGH. Arrange the baguette slices, cut side up, on a cookie sheet. Brush with butter and broil until evenly golden. Remove and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high. Add the onion slabs and fry undisturbed 3–4 minutes until golden; flip and cook another 3–4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.
- Reduce heat to low, melt 1 tablespoon butter, and whisk in 1 tablespoon flour. Toast 1 minute while whisking. Gradually whisk in 1/2 cup beer, then 1/3 cup milk until smooth.
- Add 1 teaspoon mustard powder, 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, and 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard; whisk until smooth. Stir in shredded cheddar until melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the egg yolk.
- Top the toasted baguette with the fried onions, tomato slices, and crispy bacon. Spoon the hot cheese sauce over the top and serve immediately.
This post was originally published August 20, 2014 and was republished in April 2022 with improved instructions, information, and photos.