Jump to Recipe

Easy Toad in the Hole with Onion Gravy is a classic British comfort food, one pan dish. Pork sausages are baked with Yorkshire pudding batter that rises around the sausages turning brown and crispy. Almost a one pan meal.

A closeup of a sausage cooked in batter with gravy

This is a traditional Toad in the Hole recipe with one little addition,  a little rosemary in the batter to enhance the flavor.

Toad in the hole is another British dish with a strange name and without a definitive story behind the name (see below). It is a  typical dish from the North of England dating back to the 1700’s. Just like many old recipes, this dish was served in the poorer households using minimal and inexpensive ingredients. 

Toad in the hole batter

The batter is the same as Yorkshire Pudding (similar to popovers) but I added fresh rosemary, which is not very traditional but adds great flavor to the batter.

Toad in the hole sausages

The best sausage to use are obviously British-style pork sausages but any sausages you like will work also.

Toad in the hole in a casserole dish

More Traditional British Recipes:

Yorkshire pudding/popover batter cooked with a sausage
What do you serve with toad in the hole?

Gravy is a non-negotiable, in this case, a delicious onion gravy. The rest are a personal choice. I like peas, carrots and sometimes mashed potato.

Why is it called Toad in the Hole?

There is not one clear story on this, but the most popular one is the look of the sausages poking through the batter looked like frogs or toads peering out from

Pouring onion gravy over toad in the hole sausage

It is also said that other meats instead of sausage were used like steak and lambs kidneys. Personally, I’m not sure the dish would be quite the same using something other than a good British banger.

Pouring onion gravy over banger and mash

If you’ve tried this Toad in the Hole with Onion Gravy or any other recipe on the blog, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know it turned out in the comments below. I love to hear from my readers!

You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see daily recipe updates.

Yield: 4 servings

Easy Toad in the Hole with Onion Gravy

A piece of toad in the. hole on a plate with fresh peas

Pork sausages are baked with Yorkshire pudding batter that rises around the sausages turning brown and crispy.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 large eggs,
  • ¾ cup whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 4 pork sausages
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ½ large yellow onion,
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F/220°C with rack in the center of the oven.
  2. To a large bowl with a spout. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and eggs. Whisk the eggs until combined, then while whisking drizzle in the milk. Whisk well to combine. Stir in the rosemary, set aside.
  3. To a 9 x 13-inch/ 23 x 33 cm casserole dish, add the oil. Place the pan in the oven to heat for 10 minutes.
  4. After 10 minutes add the sausages and bake for 10 minutes. Turn the sausages. They don't have to brown, they will brown once the batter is added.
  5. Slide the rack out of the oven and  pour the batter around the sausages.
  6. Return the pan back to the oven and bake for 30  minutes until the batter is risen and brown.
  7. To a sauté pan, add the butter.  When the butter is melted add the onions and cook, stirring often until softened. 
  8. Whisk the flour into the butter and onions and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the beef stock, English mustard and Worcestershire sauce until well mixed and bring to a low simmer until thickened. Taste and add salt if needed (this depends on how much salt is in your beef stock).
  9. Cut the toad in the hole into 4 pieces and serve drizzled with the gravy and your favorite side dish.

Notes

Taste your stock, if it is salty, adjust the amount of salt you add

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 409Total Fat 24gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 187mgSodium 711mgCarbohydrates 32gFiber 1gSugar 4gProtein 17g

This nutrition calculation is provided by Nutronix that is only a guideline and not intended for any particular diet.

© Culinary Ginger
Cuisine: British / Category: Dinner Ideas