Individual Toad in the Hole for 2 with Onion Gravy
Individual toad in the hole for 2 people served with a rich port & onion gravy is the ultimate old-school British nostalgia-fuelled recipe.
The gravy is packed full of slowly cooked, properly caramelised onions, which are the perfect match for the Yorkshire pudding and sausages.
"Mini" toad in the hole
When it comes to recipes with cool names, Toad in the Hole is the Heavyweight champion of the world! Don't worry, this is not some "hubble and bubble toil and trouble" Macbeth witch stuff.
It is a simple dish of sausages cooked in a Yorkshire pudding batter.
It is one of the most enduring food memories of my childhood, and it's a recipe that I still treasure today.
I've even got a vegetarian roasted vegetable toad in the hole that would likely make my grandad, who was a butcher, spin in his grave.
We probably ate it so often because it was cheap!
It joined other dishes like cheese and potato pie, homemade crispy pancakes, corned beef stew and spam fritters as being penny-pinching recipes from my yoof.
Like most of my recipes, this makes a toad in the hole for 2 people.
Frequently Asked Questions
What sausages should I use?
Get the best that you can afford! A trip to your local butcher will generally see you right, and you want something with a bit of girth.
If you are feeling particularly bold, then you can make your own sausages. I have recipes for a good old-fashioned British breakfast sausage and for Cumberland sausages.
You can even use beef sausages, which arguably are a better match for a good onion gravy than pork sausages.
Do I have to rest the Yorkshire pudding mix overnight?
I always find that I get a better and more consistent rise when I let the batter sit overnight. But if you are in a hurry, try to at least give it an hour to sit before cooking.
Can I use cooking oil rather than hard fat?
You can, but I think that you get a much better crust on Yorkshire puddings and toad in the hole with lard, beef dripping or goose/duck fat. It also tastes much better!
Can I use something other than Port in the gravy?
Yes, you could use red wine or even a beer if you wanted to. Port doubles down on the sweetness and gives the gravy a lovely body.
If you are using red wine or beer, then you should add a little sweetness; you could use sugar, honey or even treacle.
Do I have to add the Marmite?
No, but at least give it a try. For those of you who are on the dislike side of the fence, I'm with you. I don't like Marmite.
However, I now use it in every gravy that I make; it does not make it taste like Marmite. It is like a seasoning and lifts other flavourings around it.
Serving Suggestions
Whilst these are individual toad in the holes, they are still a calorific treat, and they are properly filling.
Add my very onion-rich gravy on the side, then I tend to stick with some peas on the side, and it is enough for me.
Although on occasions I have been known to serve them with mushy peas rather than frozen peas.
Other side veggies that work well are roasted tenderstem broccoli or buttered runner beans.
My wife is naughty and prefers her toad in the hole served with ketchup and peas!
You could, of course, scale this down and use 2 eggs rather than 3, and 2 sausages each rather than 3, then you would have plenty of room for mashed potatoes!
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
For the Toad in the Hole:
- Hob/stovetop.
- Oven.
- 30cm or 12" frying pan.
- Kitchen tongs.
- 2 X 20cm or 8" diameter baking tins.
- Whisk.
- Mixing bowl.
- Jug.
- 3 identical prep bowls or jars to measure the ingredients. You can use a combination of weighing scales, measuring jugs and measuring spoons.
For the Onion Gravy, Unless Listed Above:
- 28cm or 11" frying pan.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Weighing scales and or a combination of a measuring jug, cups and spoons.
Individual Toad in the Hole Recipe for 2 People
Ingredients
- 400 g Pork Sausages 14oz (get the best quality that you can)
- 2 tablespoon Cooking Oil
- 30 g Lard, Duck Fat or Beef Dripping 2 tablespoon
- 3 Large Eggs
- 100-110 g Flour ¾ Cup (approx)
- 170 ml Full Fat Milk ¾ Cup (approx)
- ¼-½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
For the Onion Gravy:
- 3 Large Onions 600g
- 30 g Lard, Duck Fat or Beef Dripping 2 tablespoon
- 1 tablespoon Flour
- 125 ml Ruby Port ½ Cup
- 375 ml Beef Stock 1½ Cups
- 1 teaspoon Marmite
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Salt (to taste)
Instructions
- The night before you cook, place the eggs in a jar (or see-through bowl) and line up 2 identical jars next to them. Fill the second and third jars to the same level, one with milk and the other with flour. Place the ingredients in a bowl, add salt and pepper, and whisk to combine, then refrigerate overnight.
- On the day of cooking, remove the batter from the fridge and mix through the dried thyme.
- Divide the lard (or chosen fat) between two 20cm or 8" diameter baking tins and place them in the oven at 220°C or 430°F. The fat must be hot before you add the sausages and batter.
- Heat a 30cm or 12" frying pan over a medium-high heat and brown the sausages on all sides. Don't go too dark or they will burn in the oven.
- Remove the baking pans from the oven, add the sausages, then pour over the Yorkshire pudding batter. You will not need all of the batter; keep back 3-4 tablespoons, or you will get a "soggy base", although if that is your thing, pour it all in!
- Place in the oven, reduce the heat to 180°C or 350°F and cook for 30-35 minutes.
For the Onion Gravy (Start this before you cook the Toad in the Hole):
- Cut the onions in half, peel them and then cut them into half-moon shapes around 2-3mm (⅛") thick.
- Heat a 28cm or 11" frying pan (not nonstick if possible) over a low-medium heat and cook for 90 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes at the start.
- After the onions have been cooking for an hour, they should start to cook a little quicker, stir them more frequently, and if there is a residue on the bottom of the pan that can not be scraped free, add a splash of water.
- Turn the heat up to medium-high, add the flour and stir for a minute or two.
- Pour in the port and stir until it thickens and reduces a little; this will take a minute or two.
- Pour in the beef stock, stir in the marmite and black pepper, then have a taste, adding salt as required. Cook for 15 minutes before serving.
Toad in the hole is just the best comfort food!!!
I hope every child in the UK has fond memories of it??
I NEED to make my own sausages!!!! I bet it is out of the world good with home made bangers.
p.s love the thyme! I always add a spoonful of grain mustard to my pudding mixture. (Because that is was my Mum did!)
What a delicious recipe! I love this great, simple idea! Pretty photos too!
Wow! Never had toad in a hole but I'm going to make it as soon as possible, I've just brought some sausages from Switzerland that will be wonderfully used with your recipe!
Toad in the hole is just the best comfort food!!!
I hope every child in the UK has fond memories of it??
I NEED to make my own sausages!!!! I bet it is out of the world good with home made bangers.
p.s love the thyme! I always add a spoonful of grain mustard to my pudding mixture. (Because that is was my Mum did!)
Making your own sausage is pure genius, my uncle is a butcher and taught me howto link them properly but other than that it is definitely not as difficult as they made it look on the Generation Game, more childhood memories.
I've done mustard in the past and it works really well I'm pretty sure I change the flavouring everytime I cook this based on the sausages. I also do one with roasted vegetables rather than sausages that is superb, it is all about good comforting stuff in batter that really matters 😀
What a delicious recipe! I love this great, simple idea! Pretty photos too!
Thanks Julie.
Wow! Never had toad in a hole but I'm going to make it as soon as possible, I've just brought some sausages from Switzerland that will be wonderfully used with your recipe!
It is a properly old fashioned British dish dating back a couple of hundred years, I've seen the name utilised in all sorts of bizarre ways but it is essentially sausages in a batter. Enjoy, we love it as a lazy day dinner 🙂
Love Toad in the hole! Grew up with it for Sunday dinner. I 'm American , my mum is English . We've had it with veg & gravy Or
when we were kids Ketchup & Peas?Love your idea of the skillet for the health benefits. Any idea of oven Temp. ? And my local grocery has English Bangers
maybe if people request them?
Hi Yvette, glad to bring home memories, over temperature for me is as hot as it gets on my oven that is a shade over 240 celcius.
I've got to try this. I love each of the ingredients. For me, this is a dish that I've only read about in books and never thought to investigate.Thanks for showing it to me!
It is such a simple dish too cook and one I love... It aint the prettiest thing in the world but it is built for comfort and not competition 😉
Such a rustic and comforting looking dish, Brian. I love the look of it! Are those your own pork sausages? They look fantastic!
Cheers, yes they are, I spent a lot of time learning... Can't get good old fashioned sausages out here 🙁
I've never seen a dish quite like this one! What I know as "toad in a hole" is an egg cooked in a hole made in buttered toast. This version looks like a hearty savory pancake, and something worth giving a try.
I've had a couple of people say that, I guess it is an American thing us Brits know toad in the hole as this 😀
You made those sausages!? I'm not sure mine have ever looked so lovely. Usually lumpy and short. Looks beautiful. And I love me some Yorkshire pudding!
I guess I picked up some subliminal learning as I was born into a long line of 'Butchers' on my mothers side 😉 In all fairness I only started making them when I moved to Hungary and had some pretty horrendous first attempts and my uncle taught me how to link them properly on one of his visits.
This is the silliest name for a dish I've ever heard. I mean whaaaaat?
Not Fijian then 😉 Teehee, it always made me smile as a child and it still does today 🙂
I LOVE the idea behind this dish Brian -- and it sounds delicious. I'd imagine the thyme with the pudding and sausages tastes pretty much amazing 🙂 Yet another one of your AMAZING dishes going on my "to try soon" list! Question on the oil - we have a version of vegetable shortening here in the US, but I always shy away from using it because it isn't that great for you. I know that peanut oil has a high smoke point...but do you think I could I use a vegetable oil?
Thanks Paige, you should be able to get away with vegetable and sunflower oil, both have a smoke point of around 225°C I use beef fat which is closer to 250°C, but try and keep your oil below that temperature and cook a little longer. You can cook this batter (which is a basic yorkshire pudding batter) at a lower temperature and for longer although it is not a method I am fond of but many swear by it.
The best food is definitely based on memories!! This recipe looks great and super simple. 🙂
Aren't they just. It really is so simple that even my Mum could cook it 😉
I want to pin this but I don't know if it's breakfast lunch or dinnerrrrrrrr!!!! #pinningproblems
Seriously though. YUM!
Haha, you are the second person that mentioned breakfast on this, dayum you Americans take your breakfast seriously 😉
I could quite easily eat this entire recipe; man it looks SO good! Love that you made it in a skillet as well! 😀
Me too Annie, the skillet really helps with the cooking as the iron keeps the heat so well.
Brian, this is total comfort food. Love the Brits for this one.
Thanks Peter 🙂
I wish I could get good English sausage here. This totally reminds me of my childhood in England. Would love to be eating it right now.
I'm in the same position Christie so make my own, it is much easier than they made it out to be on the 'Generation Game' 😉 https://www.krumpli.co.uk/making-sausages/
It's cold and rainy here in NC this morning - would love this for breakfast! Beautiful photos, as always, Brian 🙂
Wow breakfast, don't think I have ever done that #planrequired 😉
I have never had this and I now have to make it. Looks and sounds so delicious! Beautiful pictures, too!
Thanks Valentina, it really is a wonderful homely dish.