Top 4 British Cheese Dishes

To call this creamy, savory sandwich melted cheese on toast would be a sacrilege. Welsh rarebit is a traditional snack, ideally based on locally produced Cheddar or Caerphilly cheese, melted and mixed with butter and cream or ale, then poured over a piping hot, buttered toast. The dish stems from the 14th century as a way of accentuating the greatness of wheat bread and Welsh Cheddar. The debate about rabbit versus rarebit went on until the late 19th century, when the word rarebit caught on. The rabbit version derives from the fact that the Welsh were extremely bad hunters, so their dinners resulted in cheese instead of rabbits. Today, it is one of the most famous Welsh dishes and an ideal comfort food, with a few variations such as Irish rarebit, made with Irish Cheddar; Scottish rarebit, made with Dunlop cheese; and English rarebit, made with farmhouse Cheddar, seasoned with Worcestershire sauce, then poured over toast that has been soaked in wine.Expand

Cheese and onion pie is an English comfort food dish. Although it is consumed all over the country, some sources suggest that it's a north-western tradition. The pie is typically made with a combination of shortcrust pastry, cheddar or crumbly cheeses, and cooked or fried onions. Common, yet non-traditional additions include potatoes, crème fraîche, and a sauce made with flour, milk, and cream. It is recommended to serve the pie warm or cold, preferably accompanied by chips and a salad on the side.Expand

Cauliflower cheese is a traditional dish consisting of boiled cauliflower florets doused in a sauce made from flour, milk, butter, nutmeg, and mature cheeses such as cheddar. The whole concoction is then baked in the oven and can be served either as a vegetarian main meal or as a flavorful side dish, accompanying roast meat and potatoes. It is believed that cauliflower cheese was first prepared in the 17th century, when the vegetable was first introduced to the United Kingdom. Today, the dish is also popular as a pre-made baby food.Expand

Chips, cheese, and gravy is the national dish of the Manx people. It consists of deep-fried potato chips, grated Manx Cheddar cheese, and beef gravy. This local specialty can be bought at many of the island's takeaways. In order to prepare the dish, chips are first deep-fried, topped with grated cheddar, then gravy, which melts the cheese. Every year, on the last Monday of January, chips, cheese, and gravy are celebrated with their own day, called National Chips, Cheese & Gravy Day.Expand