Toad in the Hole is the perfect comfort food. Sausages cooked in a delicious Yorkshire pudding batter that is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
Easy to make, and with added bacon and onions, this British family favourite is the sort of food that sticks to your ribs when it's freezing cold outside and you need to warm up.
Trust me, everyone loves this dish and will be fighting over the crispiest bits!
What are the ingredients?
Start by making the batter. I use the same quantities and ingredients as my Yorkshire Puddings recipe which works every time in this dish too.
The sausages you use are down to your own personal preference. This is really a traditional frugal dish so would have been made with plain sausages.
When I was living in France I used Toulouse sausages which have quite a strong flavour with garlic and herbs but in the UK I tend to use a Lincolnshire sausage.
You will also need onions and bacon or lardons but these additions are optional.
How to make toad in the hole
Make the batter by putting all the batter ingredients into a liquidiser for a couple of minutes. Alternatively you can put the flour in a bowl with the salt, make a well in the flour and pour in the eggs and milk. Start stirring from the middle with a wooden spoon, gradually drawing the flour in. Beat vigorously until smooth.
Fry the sausages, onions and bacon for a few minutes until they are coloured and arrange on a roasting dish.
Put the dish in a preheated oven at 230 C with added vegetable oil and heat for about 10 minutes.
Give the batter a stir, open the oven and quickly pour the batter into the tin and promptly shut the door. After about 25 minutes the twisted toad in the hole should be ready. Don't think about opening the door before then or the toad in the hole will collapse.
The Yorkshire pudding should be well risen and crispy around the edge and soft and squidgy in the middle.
This British dish was popular as a way of using leftover meats cooked in a pudding and may be a reference to how toads poke their noses out from a hole!
The traditional accompaniments would be an onion gravy but I prefer to make a red wine gravy if I am serving it with a robust sausage just for adults. For side dishes try scalloped potatoes or parmentier potatoes.
Easy vegetable sides are roasted root vegetables or roasted winter vegetables.
For kids why not use chipolatas or cocktail sausages. You can also put sausages in individual Yorkshire pudding tins. This dish is also delicious with mini meatballs.
More comfort food to try...
- Cassoulet with Chicken and Sausage
- Smoked Salmon Mac and Cheese
- Steak and Kidney Pie
- Chicken and Leek Pie
Toad in the Hole with Onions and Bacon
Ingredients
For the batter
- 4 eggs
- 140 g plain flour
- 200 ml milk
- seasoning
- 8 quality sausages
- 2 medium onions sliced
- 200 g smoked bacon lardons or sliced rashers
- 4 tablespoon oil
Instructions
- Put all of the batter ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Briefly fry or grill the sausages until coloured and place on a lipped baking sheet with the oil.
- Put the sausages in an oven preheated to 230 C for 10 minutes.
- Fry the bacon and onions together until coloured and divide around the sausages.
- When the oil is smoking hot quickly pour in the batter while the tin remains in the oven.
- Bake for 25 minutes until golden and crispy around the edge,
Notes
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
Detailed instructions for this recipe, including step by step photographs, hints and tips, can be found in the main article.
Food safety
We sometimes take for a granted that we have years (or decades) of cooking experience, that the average visitor may not. Add to, or remove from, the list below with health and safety tips.
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Lata Lala
We have heard a lot of toad in the hole but have never tried it. This seems to be a popular dish worth trying.
Ashley
So, for Americans, Toad in a Hole is a piece of bread with a hole cut out of it, with egg in the center. I like this MUCH better!!
Bless my food by payal
Pictures are clicked to perfection and recipe is detailed. Awesome post.
Lauren Vavala | Delicious Little Bites
Never saw a toad in the hole like this before - looks fun and delicious!
Sharon
I love making classic toad in a hole but this twisted version with bacon and fried onions is even better than the original!
Pete Evans
I make this using boneless lamb chops.
Excellent
As a child, my father used to catch rabbits, my mother uded strips of rabbit meat, and bacon in this style too.
Will have to try that again.
I'm going back to the ,1959,"s when rabbits were plentiful.
Like go add a pinch of paprika to the batter too.
chezlerevefrancais
Thanks David. Can't beat a bit of comfort stodge and a trip down memory lane occasionally!
chezlerevefrancais
It's one of those things that you love or hate I think! These days it is probably seen as unhealthy but, at the height of its popularity, kids and adults were a lot more active! Either way, it's yummy.
Karen
I've heard of toad in the hole but have never tried it. I knew there were sausages but didn't realize the surroundings were Yorkshire pudding based. I can see why this is such a popular dish.
David Crichton
Can't remember the last time I had one of these. Looks amazing.
chezlerevefrancais
Thank you. It has taken me a while to get used to french sausages and I did make my own for a bit but a lot of faff! We can justify the calories as so cold here right now. Hope your trip is not too cold?
chebandbecky
That looks so delicious! I miss Toad in the Hole. The sausage in Ontario just isn't the same as the UK and does not go well in this dish. Enjoy!