Vintage Tuna Rarebit
Come enjoy this makeover of the vintage classic Tuna Rarebit. With rich cheddar and healthy tuna it will please kids and adults.
Today, nutrition is in. But the sixties, when I was a child, was not the era of health food. Orange juice was mixed up from powder, spaghetti came out of a can–and hotdogs were everywhere!
Even many foods that could be natural, like cheese, got processed. There was easy-to-melt Velveeta, sandwich-ready American Cheese (separated by layers of plastic), and even cheese you could squirt from cans!
But like a formerly grand old house, some of the classic old recipes are blessed with good bones. Which means they can be tweaked, and maybe even turned healthy!
Truthfully, tuna rarebit wasn’t even difficult to convert. Swap out the Velveeta and use a nice, aged cheddar (plus some milk or beer) and you get a good dose of calcium and some omega-3s to boot. Serve it on whole grain bread for the win.
And just in case that’s too healthy, if you’re not serving kids, go with the beer instead of milk. You can thank me later.
The Sixties Era Recipe
When I decided to make this, I had a list of ingredients but no instructions, so I texted my siblings for the recipe. Their responses:
Brother: I used to gag just thinking about eating tuna rarebit.
Sister: I loved tuna rarebit. I’ll look for the recipe today.
Here is my mother’s original…
Why You’ll Love This!
Tasty. Food topped with melty cheese is always a winner. Even better if you use beer!
Easy. This is pretty much a melt and stir recipe. Yup, going natural didn’t make it hard.
Healthy Calcium and Omega-3s. Who isn’t trying to increase their intake of calcium and omega-3 fatty acids!!
Step by Step Overview
(Optional) If using fresh mushrooms slice and sautee mushrooms until golden, then set aside. If using canned mushrooms, consider sauteeing them too for more flavor.
In a medium saucepan, heat ¼ cup milk or beer until steaming.
Add dry mustard and Worcestershire, then add grated cheddar by the handful, stirring in between.
Stir in drained canned tuna and mushrooms (if using). If needed to thin as it heats, stir in additional milk or beer a tablespoon at a time.
Toast 4 slices of bread. Top with the tuna rarebit mixture, dividing evenly. Serve immediately.
Variations
There are two other dishes that are very close to this. The first, of Welsh origin, shares at least part of a name—Welsh Rarebit. To convert my recipe to this, use beer as the liquid option (rather than milk) and omit the tuna and mushrooms. Then, after spooning over toast, pop it under the broiler until lightly browned (sometimes this is skipped).
The other “cousin” is the tuna melt, which I personally make with salmon instead of tuna. So check out my easy Salmon Melt if this sounds tasty!
Tips & FAQs
As I was making this, I realized what a propensity the sauce has for over-thickening if you’re shooting pictures. And it might have the same problem if made ahead. Or if you call your kids and they dawdle coming to the table (ahem).
But if you put the pan back on low heat then stir in additional liquid a tablespoon at a time it returns to its original splendor.
I used a two-year orange cheddar as my cheese in this. Lately I’ve bought a couple “sharp” cheddars that were seriously lacking in flavor, so now I’m going for a year count as proof. You could use a (truly) sharp white cheddar but orange is preferable for the color.
All Natural Recipes
- Green Beans with Shallots and Tomatoes from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Quinoa Burgers from Creative Cynchronicity
- Sorghum Salad from Magical Ingredients
- Sprouted Quinoa Salad from That Recipe
- Tuna Rarebit from Art of Natural Living
- Vegetable Pancit from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
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Tuna Rarebit
Ingredients
- 4-8 ounces fresh mushrooms or 4 ounce can (Optional)
- 1 Tablespoon butter if using mushrooms
- ¼ - ½ cup milk or ale, divided
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar grated
- 6 ounces tuna drained (1 can)
- 4 slices bread ideally whole grain
Instructions
- (Optional) If using fresh mushrooms slice and sautee mushrooms until golden, then set aside. If using canned mushrooms, consider sauteeing them too for more flavor.
- In a medium saucepan, heat ¼ cup milk until steaming.
- Add dry mustard and Worcestershire, then add grated cheddar by the handful, stirring in between.
- Stir in drained canned tuna and mushrooms (if using).
- If needed to thin as it heats, stir in additional milk or beer a tablespoon at a time.
- Toast 4 slices of sandwich-sized bread (or the equivalent in artisan bread). Top with the tuna rarebit mixture, dividing evenly. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
