Family-Sized Toad in the Hole

toad in the hole recipe

Elaine Lemm

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 50 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Yorkshire Pudding is a hugely popular British dish which confusingly is not a pudding, but a savory batter dish served alongside the beef on Sunday roast and a must on Christmas dinner. But, equally, the pudding can be found on midweek lunches or dinners, perhaps filled with stew or chili and frequently as a Toad in the Hole - a Yorkshire pudding filled with sausages.

The charming name of the dish is widely believed to have come about in the 19th century when cooks used large dollops of seasoned, minced pork in the roasting pan -looking strangely like toads - rather than the sausages we are more familiar with today.

The traditional sausage for the dish is a classic thick butcher's pork sausage, but flavored sausages and now hugely popular; caramelized red onion or spicy Italian work very well.

Though historically, the fat used to cook the batter was drippings from roasting beef, lard, or vegetable oil works very well. For extra flavor, duck or goose fat is delicious.

Toad in the Hole is usually made in a large square roasting tin and sliced into hearty portions after cooking and can also be made as individual "Toads" using a 12-hole muffin tin and cutting the sausages into thirds to fit each Hole.

Ingredients

  • 4 large eggs

  • 1 cup (235 ml) milk

  • 1 cup (125 grams) all purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 3 tablespoons lard, beef drippings, or canola oil

  • 6 pork sausages

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients

  2. Combine the eggs, milk, and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk thoroughly. (Note: You can use either a stand mixer, electric hand mixer, or a wooden spoon to make your batter.) Leave to stand for 10 minutes for the bubbles to subside.

  3. Sieve the flour into the eggs and milk and beat thoroughly to create a smooth, lump-free batter. Put to one side to rest covered in a cloth for at least 30 minutes. Please do not put it into the refrigerator.

  4. Heat the oven to 475°F or as hot as possible. Heat 1 tablespoon of your chosen fat in a frying pan, add the sausages, and cook for 10 minutes, frequently turning until browned all over. Remove from the heat and keep to one side.

  5. Put the remaining fat into a 12 x 9 ½ inch deep roasting tin. Place in the oven and heat until smoking hot. Remove from the oven and evenly arrange the sausages in the pan, taking extra care as the fat may splutter. Return to the oven for 5 minutes.

  6. Once more, remove the roasting tin from the oven. Slowly and carefully pour the Yorkshire pudding batter into the hot fat and sausages, return to the oven, and leave to cook for 20 - 30 minutes or until the pudding is golden and risen.

  7. Cut the toad into four generous squares and serve with hot onion gravy. Add roast potatoes and fresh vegetables on the side for a more substantial meal.

Individual Toad in the Hole

  • Place a pea-sized piece of lard, dripping, or‚ 1/2 tsp vegetable oil in a Yorkshire pudding tin (4 x 2"/5cm hole tin) or 12-hole muffin tin and heat in the oven. Cut each sausage into pieces to fit the holes of the pudding tin, place one piece into the hot fat and return the tray to the oven for 5 minutes. Then follow from step 6 as per the recipe above.

Storing Toad in the Hole

  • Any dish made using Yorkshire puddings does not reheat, store well or freeze. Eat on the day it is made this includes Toad in the hole.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
335 Calories
18g Fat
27g Carbs
14g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 335
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 24%
Saturated Fat 7g 34%
Cholesterol 208mg 69%
Sodium 773mg 34%
Total Carbohydrate 27g 10%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 14g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 110mg 8%
Iron 2mg 14%
Potassium 233mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)