Recipe Trophy

Welsh Rarebit with Spinach

Wildcard Contest Winner!

Welsh Rarebit with Spinach

Photo 1 of 2
by Sarah Shatz

Welsh Rarebit with Spinach

Photo 2 of 2
by cooklynveg

  • A&M's Testing Notes: This recipe makes us wonder why Welsh rarebit has never taken off on this side of the pond. With cooklynveg's version, there's no longer any excuse. With a wise addition of spinach (we used...

    Expand Collapse
  • Chef

    cooklynveg's Notes: Ok, for those put off by the weird name, don't be afraid, it's basically just cheese on toast. This is a very traditional British dish which we frequently ate when I was growing up - it's...

    Expand

Serves 4

4 slices of good, sturdy bread (i used a very nice gluten free flax seed bread by glutino - any will do, but please, no wonderbread!) Ask a question about this ingredient

1 cup of grated cheddar cheese (I used Denhay English cheddar) Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon of Colman's mustard powder (or 1 teaspoon of a milder mustard) Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce Ask a question about this ingredient

a little ground black pepper Ask a question about this ingredient

dash of milk (probably about a teaspoon) Ask a question about this ingredient

2 cups of fresh spinach or 1/2 cup frozen. Ask a question about this ingredient

  1. If you're using fresh spinach, heat in a pan until wilted then leave to cool. When cooled, squeeze out the excess liquid and chop roughly. If using frozen, simply defrost and squeeze out excess liquid. Place the slices of bread under the grill (or broiler) until lightly browned on one side.

    Ask a question about this step
  2. Meanwhile mix together the cheese, mustard, worcestershire sauce, pepper and milk. Next, stir in the chopped spinach. Turn the slices of bread over and top with the cheese mixture, so it's evenly distributed over each slice. Place under the hot grill for 2 - 3 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden.

    Ask a question about this step

29 Comments on Welsh Rarebit with Spinach

Reply

simple yet delicious!

Reply

I made this with frozen spinach and 1/2 cup was way too much. It was tasty and quite good but the spinach overtook the cheese. Next time I'd just double the cheese and have more to server later!

Reply

this is really good! i quartered the recipe for lunch for one person and it worked out very well. it's important to keep the flavors in balance as you say, so it's worth bringing out the measuring spoons for the 1/8 tsp. would you mind if next time i put an egg on top?

Reply

wow! perfect meatless monday snack or anytime.

Sausage2 Reply

This was a post-Thanksgiving cooking extravaganza recovery meal (with good Vermont cheddar ;0) ). So easy and delicious!

Claire Reply

Even without having the proper cheese for your recipe, I still enjoyed it! http://midnitechef.wordpress.com/2010/11/17/a-welsh-rabbit-of-sorts/

About Reply

Congrats! This looks delicious :)

Lav_in_nyc Reply

this looks great - esp for the cold days coming ahead!

Eggandcress2 Reply

My grandpop used to tell a funny story about being a MP during the war. He was in England and went on a double date. The girls ordered Welsh Rarebit and he had no idea what it was and was worried it was expensive. He and his friend didn't have much money and they actually went to the bathroom to see it there was a window big enough to climb out of if they they couldn't afford to pay their bill. They were so relieved them the food came out and it was just a (cheap) cheese sandwich!

Hib_kitchen Reply

Congrats! Now I am hungry!

Reply

This looks much nicer than the stuff Dad used to make... You've improved the recipe!

Reply

with a poached egg, i think you've shown me what everyone gets for post thanksgiving brunch.
along with cold turkey, of course.

Dsc_0019_2 Reply

Congrats on the win, great recipe!!

Claire Reply

Congrats on the win :) I'll have to try this out, I'm a cheese fiend!

Cheese_for_twitter0001 Reply

I'll make this for my British MIL when she comes for Thanksgiving, which, as you might imagine, is not one of her favorite holidays. Thanks for sharing.

Food_52 Reply

Thanks all - I'm thrilled to be a winner! I'll have to make this for dinner tonight to celebrate!

Img_1958 Reply

YUM! Will be making this soon. Congrats on the Wildcard win!!

Copy_of_me Reply

Congratulations on being the Wild Card Winner!! I love this recipe...

Mrs Reply

Sounds like a yummy snack! Congrats on the wildcard and EP, cooklynveg! Yes, do try the Cabot aged cheddar - it's pretty darn good!

Wedding_pictures_162 Reply

I missed this when you first posted it, but it sounds really wonderful... Congratulations on the Wildcard win!

Sausage2 Reply

Definitely try to cloth bound aged Cabot!! I have some right now and it's wonderfully potent and crumbly. This looks awesome! One of the best meals I ever had was Welsh Rarebit and a good beer. Heaven!

Food_52 Reply

Right, that's the second recommendation for the cloth bound aged Cabot - I'm gonna have to try it! Thanks for the tip!

Reply

Love the addition of spinach. But do try an aged VT cheddar - Shelburne Farms (online) makes a really good 3yo, Cabot (a special cloth bound aged), and another 3yo from Cabot, black waxed. The last one's available at Costco. All are sharp (too sharp for some), dry and crumbly, melt well over low heat and less expensive (but not by much) than true imported cheddars. Worth looking for.

Food_52 Reply

I'll have to look out for those - I must say, Vermont cheddar is the best I've tried in the US. Still loyal to my British cheeses though! :) Thanks for the comment.

P7260130 Reply

Agreed! As a Vermonter living in the UK I feel especially compelled to back VT cheddar. Grafton is excellent if you can find it.

New_years_kitchen_hlc_only Reply

Lovely!! This was a family favorite of ours when I was growing up (in Virginia), where my mother made it in much the same way . . . but never with tomatoes. Good sharp cheese and Worcestershire are the keys to this castle. I so like your addition of spinach. We love any dinner that's served on toast. Thanks for posting this!! ;o)

Food_52 Reply

I haven't tried the Costco Irish cheddar - the Irish varieties are usually pretty good though, so I'm sure it'll be good!

Copy_of_me Reply

This photo is very appetizing; I thought it was called Welsh Rabbit, when I was a kid too! There is an Irish cheddar at Costco, wondering if you know that one...it is the one I will use when I try this recipe....and thanks for sharing!

Reply

Thanks for this recipe. The photo's got me hungry.

Meet our Hotliners:

Family Meal