Stouffer's Welsh Rarebit (Copycat)

A wide-mouthed pan of Stouffer's Welsh Rarebit cheese sauce with a wooden spoon.

4.94 from 49 votes

This is the copycat version I created, which uses ale in place of heavy cream, a common ingredient to use in the UK. I also added an egg yolk at the end to further enrich the sauce. This recipe makes about 1 ½ cups of sauce.

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Course: Lunch or Dinner

Cuisine: Welsh

Keyword: Stouffer's Welsh Rarebit recipe (copycat)

Servings:

Calories: 166.4kcal

Author: Susan Pridmore

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder I like Coleman's
½ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup whole milk
½ cup dark ale I used Negro Modelo
6 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese about 1 ½ cups coarsely grated
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce Annie's has a vegan one
1 squirt sriracha sauce or a couple pinches of cayenne pepper
1 large egg yolk

Instructions

Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed pot, such as a Le Creuset, over medium-low heat. A large, deep skillet also works very well.
Whisk in the flour, dry mustard, salt, and pepper to form a paste. Cook the paste, occasionally nudging it around the pan it's lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.
Gradually whisk in the milk, and allow it to thicken for 1 - 2 minutes while whisking occasionally.
Whisk in the ale, followed by the grated cheese. Fold the cheese into the liquid using a silicone spatula until it's completely melted into a luscious sauce.
Simmer on low for 2 minutes.
Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and sriracha or other hot sauce.
Whisk the yolk in a small bowl and very gradually pour ½ cup of the sauce into the yolk to temper it. Add the tempered yolk sauce back to the pan.
Pro tip: Adding a yolk helps to create a velvety sauce but it's easier if you temper it first by gradually whisking some of the sauce into the yolk. You can also add the yolk directly into the pan of cheese sauce, but be sure to vigorously whisk it in so you don't end up with strands of scrambled eggs.

Nutrition