20-Min Christmas Brussels Sprouts Rarebit

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Make the most of any leftover Christmas Brussels sprouts with this tasty take on traditional Welsh rarebit, made using quality Welsh ingredients sourced from Discover Delicious.

Given that the title of my blog is derived from traditional Welsh rarebit, it’s no surprise that my classic Welsh rarebit remains one of my most popular recipes to this day.

An indulgent dish often likened to fancy cheese on toast, Welsh rarebit sees beer, ale or stout, butter, grated cheese, Worcestershire sauce and mustard slathered onto lightly toasted bread, before being grilled until bronzed and bubbling.

This is just the kind of cheesy, carb-loaded comfort food we long to be tucking into on a cold winter’s day. To add a festive touch for Christmas, I’ve thrown in some grated Brussels sprouts. Not only is this is a wonderful way to add flavour and texture to traditional rarebit, but it also boosts its nutritional value with added folate, magnesium, phosphorus and vitamin C and K, not to mention making the most of all those lovely leftover sprouts lying around after Christmas Day!

Why are Brussels sprouts traditional at Christmas?

Love them or hate them, Christmas wouldn’t be quite the same without a bowl of Brussels sprouts on the Christmas dinner table. So, where did the British obsession with these mini cabbages come from?

During the 16th Century, Brussels sprouts grew popular throughout Holland and Belgium, where they gained their name. They didn’t make their way to Britain until the late 1800s and food historian, Samantha Bilton claims they would’ve been a real novelty during the Victorian era – coincidentally, around the same time the contemporary conception of Christmas dinner began to grace our dinner tables!

Usually, sprouts are in season from late autumn to early winter, meaning they’re in abundance over the festive season and, therefore, a cheap and healthy choice for Christmas dinner. This air-fryer Brussels sprout and bacon recipe would be the perfect accompaniment for a roast turkey dinner with all the trimmings.

How to transform leftover Christmas Brussels sprouts into Welsh rarebit

Ready in less than 20 minutes, Welsh rarebit is an ideal go-to midweek meal for when you can’t be bothered to cook a big dinner from scratch.

To make this popular Welsh dish, all you’ll need is some beer, ale or stout, grated cheese, mustard, butter, Worcestershire sauce, a pinch of salt and pepper and some sliced bread.

The beer

In making my sprout rarebit, I’m using Purple Moose Brewery’s Merry X-Moose. Based at the foothills of the Snowdonia mountains in Porthmadog, north Wales, Purple Moose Brewery is a multi award-winning 40-barrel microbrewery. Currently, they offer five different beers in cask conditioned and bottled formats, with three craft beers also available.

Merry X-Moose is a strong, bitter 5% volume ale with a pleasant malty, hoppy aroma and hints of winter fruits, available for sale via the Discover Delicious website as part of Blas ar Fwyd’s Festive Ales Hamper (£22). The hamper features six ales inspired by the festive season from Purple Moose Brewery, Monty’s, Bluestone Brewery and Bragdy Conwy.

The cheese

Where the cheese is concerned, traditional Welsh rarebit usually calls for Welsh Caerphilly or a Cheddar cheese, like this Black Bomber Original Extra Mature Cheddar by the Snowdonia Cheese Company, also available via Discover Delicious.

Owned by Blas ar Fwyd, the Snowdonia Cheese Company is based in Llanwrst, on the edge of the Snowdonia National Park. This much-loved Welsh cheesemonger produces a range of flavoured Welsh Cheddar cheeses and chutneys. Currently, the Discover Delicious website sells a number of Snowdonia Cheese Company cheeses including Bouncing Berry (cranberry), Ruby Mist (Port), Amber Mist (whiskey), Red Devil (chillies and pepper) and Red Storm (Vintage Red Leicester). These are available for sale in both 200g and 400g truckles and would make for excellent Christmas stocking fillers.

Sprout rarebit: a step-by-step guide

To make sprout rarebit, preheat your grill and lightly toast some bread. Meanwhile, wash the sprouts (see recipe for exact quantities), discard any shrivelled outer leaves and grate the sprouts, taking care to avoid your fingers.

Heat 10g butter in a small saucepan or frying pan and sauté the grated sprouts for 1-2 minutes, until just softened. Heat the remaining 30g butter in a separate sauce pan (or in the microwave) until melted and set the toasted bread aside on a baking tray.

Next, add the sprouts and melted butter to a mixing bowl along with all the other ingredients, apart from the toasted bread. Stir to combine, ensuring everything is thoroughly mixed together.

Using a spatula, spread a thick layer of the mixture over each slice of bread, aiming to ensure the crusts are fully coated too. Using oven gloves to protect your hands, carefully place the tray underneath the grill and cook on a medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes, until the cheese is bronzed and bubbling.

Serve your sprout rarebit piping hot, either alone or with a crisp side salad.

Christmas Brussels Sprout Rarebit Recipe

Here’s my Christmas Brussels sprout Welsh rarebit recipe! I hope you get to try this over the festive season. If you do, please share a photo on social media and tag me @TheRareWelshBit or, alternatively, you can also leave a comment using the form at the bottom of this blog post.

If you’ve got lots of leftover sprouts to use up, why not rustle up my Brussels sprout and bacon gratin too?

Print Pin

5 from 4 votes

Christmas Brussels Sprout Rarebit

In a twist on the traditional classic Welsh rarebit, this recipe makes the most of any leftover Christmas Brussels sprouts. If you've over-indulged over Christmas this makes for a lovely light lunch, although it's just as delicious to enjoy at anytime of the year!

Course Appetizer, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine British, Christmas, Welsh

Keyword beer, Cheese, sprout, toast, Welsh rarebit

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Calories 600kcal

Equipment

• Baking tray
• Cheese grater
• Weighing scales
• Jug
• Spatula
• Small frying pan
• Small saucepan or microwave (see step 2).

Ingredients

• 125 g Snowdonia Black Bomber Extra Mature Cheddar grated
• 30 ml Purple Moose Brewery's Merry X-Moose
• ¾ tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 40 g unsalted Welsh butter
• ½ tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 slices fresh bread
• 4 fresh sprouts peeled and washed
• pinch salt and pepper

Instructions

• Heat up your grill. Pop the bread into a toaster or under the hot grill and toast it lightly, for 1-2 minutes or so.
• Melt 30g of the butter in a microwave or in a small saucepan over a low-heat, then remove from the heat and set aside.
• Carefully grate the sprouts and pan-fry in 10g of butter for 2-3 minutes, until softened, along with a pinch of salt pepper.
• Combine the grated sprouts, grated cheese, beer or ale, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and melted butter and mix well.
• Spread a thick layer of the cheesy mixture over one of the slices of bread using a spatula, transfer onto a baking tray and repeat with the remaining slices.
• Using an oven glove, carefully place the baking tray under the grill and cook for 8-10 minutes or so, until bronzed and bubbling.
• Carefully remove the tray from the oven and transfer the rarebit-topped toast onto a chopping board, before slicing each one in half. Serve hot, either alone or with a crisp side salad and chutney.

Notes

• Not keen on Brussels sprouts? Replace the sprouts with a different kind of green veg – sliced shallots or leeks are a good bet!
• If you don’t have any English mustard, you can also experiment with wholegrain, Dijon or American mustard to find what works for you. Some people prefer to use a pinch of dried mustard powder instead. 
• If you prefer, you can use stout in place of beer; it’s all a matter of personal preference!

Nutrition

Calories: 600kcal

Looking for more festive recipes? Here are some of my favourite Christmas creations:

• Leftover Turkey, Brie and Cranberry Quesadillas
• Toad-in-the-Hole with Pigs in Blankets
• Shortbread Stars AND Fig and Goat’s Cheese Salad

Before you leave, make sure you PIN my recipe so you can find it when you’re ready to make it!

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