This traditional Toad In The Hole recipe is a family favourite. A huge crowd pleaser and one of the ultimate comfort food dishes. I love to serve it with this onion gravy. This is a fool proof recipe. Honest.
Sausage Toad or Toad In The Hole is something that I make midweek as well as for a casual Sunday Roast. I love the fact that I can still serve the same sides with it but have it on the table in under an hour with the wind behind me.
Sausages are such a family favourite too. Both of my children get so excited to see this billowing baby browning in the oven.
The ingredients I use are completely traditional, not a scattering of thyme or a teaspoonful of mustard anywhere. I have served it with an epic onion gravy. Enjoy.
*There is a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.*
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Pro Tips
There are a few simple but important tips to observe here.
I always use a roasting tray to make Toad In The Hole. The metal keeps the temperature high more efficiently. Most important if you want this baby to rise.
I also make sure it is no smaller than 30 cm x 20 cm tin. Any smaller and the bottom of the yorkshire pudding is too thick. The ideal tray size is 23cm x 33cm
Make sure the oven is able to be 220 C/428F/Gas Mark 7 if it can't keep that temperature you wont get the rise. I recommend you buy an independent oven thermometer so you can accurately know the temperature of your oven. You wouldn't believe how much they fluctuate. If the top starts to burn or look too dark too early then turn the oven down a little but don't open the door!
Don't use self raising flour the pudding won't rise with it.
I like to keep it plain but well seasoned.
Ingredients
8 quality sausages or your favourites
4 medium eggs
300 mls milk - semi skimmed is best
5 grams sea salt or 3 grams table salt
225 grams (8oz) plain flour - it must NOT be self raising or the pudding won't rise
4 tbsp vegetable or similar
Onion Gravy
1 large onion cut into half moons
2 tbsp flour - plain
500 mls double strength beef stock from cubes or stock pots
1 tbsp olive oil or similar
Method
- First of all turn on that oven to 220 C/ 428 F/ Gas Mark 7. It needs to be seriously hot.
- Put in your baking tray with the oil and let that get smoking hot too.
- Fry your sausages in your frying pan at a high temperature just to get a little colour on them. About five minutes is sufficient.
- You can also brown sausages in the roasting tin as it hots up in the oven.
- As the sausages are browning put the flour and salt in a mixing bowl and add the eggs.
- Whisk the eggs into the flour. It'll be a stiff batter but if you're mixing them in by hand, this way (adding the milk last), stops the lumps forming.
- Add the milk and whisk again.
- Simply blitz until smooth in the food processor if using.
- Pour into a large jug for easiness of pouring into your tin.
So blinkin simples.
- Take out the roasting tin and moving quickly but carefully put the sausages in your roasting tray (if you have browned them separately) .
- Pour in the yorkshire pudding batter.
- Put it back in the hot oven and bake at 220 C for about 35/45 minutes. Do not be tempted to open the oven door. It needs to be left completely alone.
- Whilst the Toad in the Hole is cooking put the onions back into the frying pan you used to fry the sausages in.
- Let them cook over a low heat for about 15 minutes until they start to caramelise. Sprinkle over the onions 2 tbsp of flour and mix well until you can't see the flour anymore.
- Tip in the beef stock and bring to a simmer. Keep stirring as the gravy thickens.
- This will take about 2 minutes. Taste carefully for seasoning. Set aside until you are ready for it.
- When very golden brown remove the Toad In The Hole from the oven.
Now it will deflate sadly after about 30 seconds but I scream at everyone to come see before it loses it's poof.
The children must say "Wow" or they don't get any dessert....
Talking of dessert here is a sweet version of Yorkshire Pudding. Who knew?
Why Is My Toad In The Hole Soggy?
It is usually one of two things. Either your tin is too small making the batter lay too thick or it is undercooked.
Try to leave your Toad In The Hole in the oven as long as you can and check the middle to see if it is cooked when you remove it from the oven.
Serving Suggestions
If I am making this for a Sunday Lunch then I like to serve roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese and vegetables. I feel it is a very worthy contender for the Sunday Lunch crown.
Other sides that pair really well here are slow cooker red cabbage, dauphinoise potatoes or buttery mash, especially with that beautiful onion gravy.
For reference here is my legendary recipe for the best Yorkshire Puddings ever. Family fact.
If I am making it for a midweek tea then I tend to just serve it with baked beans or frozen petit pois and sweetcorn. Maverick I know but it is a rather filling meal.
If I am serving it at lunch then I would serve with wedges or something easy to prepare.
Can I make this ahead?
Yes you can and I often do simply putting it back into the oven at 180 C until piping hot.
It is not quite as nice or proud as freshly cooked but if it makes things easier in the week then I won't hesitate.
I do feel here that it is important to not skimp on the seasoning. I don't use pepper here but salt is King. I use sea salt by default and a packet or tube sits permanently next to my hob but table salt is fine.
It is obviously too late to season once the batter goes in the oven but I sometimes fry a little spoon of batter in a spare pan to taste the seasoning.
Can I freeze it?
Although best hot and fresh from the oven you can freeze this dish.
If you are freezing it as a whole then simply allow to fully cool before covering in double layers of clingfilm (plastic wrap) and then foil, still in it's dish.
If freezing portions then either freeze in a stout plastic container or double wrap as above.
Freeze for up to a month. Defrost still covered in the fridge before reheating through in the oven until piping hot.
Freeze the gravy in a plastic container before thawing in the fridge and reheating in a saucepan until piping hot.
More sausage Recipes
Toad In The Hole with Onion Gravy
Ingredients
- 8 quality sausages
- 4 medium eggs
- 300 mls milk
- 5 grams sea salt
- 225 grams plain flour
- 4 tbsp olive oil or similar
Onion Gravy
- 1 large onion cut into half moons
- 2 tbsps flour
- 500 mls beef stock strong- I use 1 ½ stock cubes/pot
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220 C/ 425 F/ Gas Mark 7. Put 4 tbsps oil in the tin and put the tin in the oven to heat up and get smoking hot. Measure out your 225 grams flour and 5 grams salt into a large mixing bowl or food processor.
- Put the sausages in a very hot frying pan with 1 tbsp of oil and brown for a couple of minutes all you want is to get some colour on them.
- Whisk the 4 eggs into your flour. Don't worry if lumps form just keep whisking and they will disappear. It'll be a stiff batter but if you're mixing them in by hand this way (adding the milk last) stops the lumps forming. If using a food processor then whizz for twenty seconds or so.Add the milk and whisk again until smooth.
- When the tin is smoking hot about 10 mins after the oven reached 220 C then get it out. Put the sausages in the tin if you have browned them separately and moving quickly but carefully pour in the yorkshire pudding batter.
- Put back in the hot oven and bake it for approx 35-45 minutes and deeply golden brown. Do not open the oven door for anything.If the top starts to burn or look too dark too early then turn the oven down a little but don't open the door!
- Meanwhile put the onions back in the frying pan with 1 tbsp of oil and caramelise over a low heat for about 15 minutes. They should start to go a deep brown colour. Sprinkle in the flour and mix through until you can't see it anymore. Add the beef stock and mix well.
- Bring the onion and beef stock up to a simmer and stir whilst it starts to thicken. Allow to bubble away for a couple of minutes. Set aside until you are ready for it.
- Remove the Toad In The Hole from the oven and serve hot smothered in onion gravy.
- Apply to Very Grateful Face
Video
Notes
- I always use a roasting tray to make Toad In The Hole. The metal keeps the temperature high more efficiently. Most important if you want this baby to rise.
- I also make sure it is no smaller than 30 cm x 20 cm tin. Any smaller and the bottom of the yorkshire pudding is too thick. The ideal tray size is 23cm x 33cm
- Make sure the oven is able to be 220 C/428F/Gas Mark 7 if it can't keep that temperature you wont get the rise.
- I recommend you buy an independent oven thermometer so you can accurately know the temperature of your oven. You wouldn't believe how much they fluctuate.
- Don't use self raising flour the pudding won't rise with it.
- The ingredients I use are completely traditional, not a scattering of thyme or a teaspoonful of mustard anywhere.
- I like to keep it plain but well seasoned.
- If the top starts to burn or look too dark too early then turn the oven down a little but don't open the door!
- This is a Toad In The Hole of much batter. I love the wodginess of it but don't under cook it.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is approximate and intended only as a guide.
Do let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love a good old hairy chinwag.
Angie | Fiesta Friday
Toad in the hole, spotted dick, faggots, Eton mess, kedgeree....how do you guys come up with these names 😀 The names definitely make for interesting conversation. That said, I'd gladly and willingly polish off this toad in the hole.
applytofaceblog
You made me giggle!!! Don't ask me, I just love to eat the stuff!!! Thanks so much Angie xx
Antonia @Zoale
I get it, I find my kids' socks everywhere! This looks so delicious! Thank you for sharing at Fiesta Friday!
applytofaceblog
Damn socks! I think I must find at least 1 errant one from under the sofa or under the cupboards covered in fluff and god knows what at least once a week!
Dee
An this dish be frozen?
Jenny
Yes it can. But it will not be as good as served fresh from the oven. It would probably be easier frozen cut into portions and then double wrapped in clingfilm and put either in a freezer proof container, freezer bag or wrapped again in a double layer of tin foil. Reheat covered in a layer of silver foil at 180 C until the sausages are piping hot. Hope that's helps.
Lucy
I’ve made this twice for my family now and they love the Yorkshire part as it is much thicker than in some other recipes. I find it works well with 6 sausages (if only 2 kids eating) too and even using half plain and half self raising flour when I ran out!
Jenny
Oh wow Lucy! Thank you so much. I feel honoured. That's the bit about it I love. It's all about the batter baby! Thanks for letting me know x
Jenny
Brilliant Lucy! I'm honoured you have used my recipe! Thanks lots too for letting me know! It's always about the thick batter for me too!x