When I was a child, there were a few foods that I wanted to try just for the novelty of the name. They were invariably English because the English love an eccentric name (Spotted Dick anyone? 
). One of them was Toad In The Hole which of course my mother never made as my father was rather strictly patriotic growing up and were only allowed Chinese food and which probably explains my now insatiable appetite and love for food from all over the world.
I loved the book The Wind in the Willows and I had always imagined that this dish was somehow linked to Mr Toad from Toad Hall and I thought that eating this dish would transport me to Toad Hall to hang out with Mr Toad. This is also the thinking I held onto when I climbed into the cupboard looking for the secret passageway into Narnia where I would hopefully feast on Turkish Delight. I spent hours in there pressing against the panels just so in the hopes of revealing the entry way, my mouth watering at the idea of consuming Turkish Delight which sounded so unlike anything I had ever tried before.
But back to Toad in the Hole. The Toads of course are the sausages and they poke out from the pastry which is like a Yorkshire Pudding. I don’t ever claim to be an expert on this especially as this was my first time making it but having made pastry I made some amendments to some recipes that I found. The oven of course needs to be hot and I thought that using soda water to lighten up the batter would help as of course the more puffed up it is, the better it is. I decided to make it a bit Italian by using Italian sausages and using vine ripened tomatoes and fresh basil although traditionally it would be made using pork sausages and rosemary.
This was a quick to make dish with hardly any preparation necessary. In fact 20 minutes of light work in the kitchen will do it as far as preparations go as the oven takes care of the rest leaving you to lie back at your leisure (or stand in front of the oven with your fingers crossed). After 40 minutes I turned on the light and peered inside. By George! It had risen and puffed up proudly, some little “toads” had poked through the Yorkshire pudding batter and the tomatoes were soft and luscious. After the obligatory photos we dug in hungrily as the smell was too tempting. It was pure comfort food with the spicy, flavoursome sausages going well with the eggy pastry-like batter. Mr NQN ate it hungrily and then swallowed patting his stomach and stole another portion before I knew it. I had my own lovable rogue, my own Mr Toad.
So tell me Dear Reader, what’s the dish you always wanted to try when you were little?
Mr Toad In The Hole
An Original Recipe by Not Quite Nigella
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 500g Italian sausages, pricked lightly with 1 hole
- 250g vine ripened cherry tomatoes on the vine
- fresh basil leaves
For Batter
- 120grams flour
- 285ml cold milk
- 3 eggs
- pinch of salt
- 50ml icy cold soda water
1. Preheat oven to 200C/400F. I used a 31×18cm oval dish but a similar sized dish would do you well as it looks great when it’s abundantly fluffy. Pour 1 tablespoon of oil in the baking dish and leave in oven while it is preheating so that it gets hot. When it has reached the correct temperature, place sausages in the baking dish and bake for 5 minutes on each side to brown.
2. While the sausages are browning, make the quick batter. Sift the flour into a bowl and add salt. In a jug whisk the milk and eggs until combined. Then add the liquid gradually to the flour whisking until the lumps are gone (doing this gradually will help prevent lumps). Just when the sausages are ready, add the soda water and whisk lightly but not too much – just combine it into the batter. Pour the batter over the sausages and then place vine ripened tomatoes on top. Bake for 35-40 minutes until risen and puffy (don’t open the oven while it is cooking). Once finished, garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve.
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73 Comments | Add your own
Wow, Lorraine.. from such simple ingredients list you made an impressive looking brunch item. I never tasted this dish before. What’s the texture of the batter after it is baked? Is it like baked custard?
Without a doubt – maple sugar candy from Little House in the Big Woods (from the Little House on the Prairie series). Laura Ingalls Wilder described boiling up maple syrup then spooning it on pails of fresh snow where it became candy.
But yours is good too
And plus, you’ve been able to have yours!
I love your take on that wonderful classic!
Cheers,
Rosa
Spotted dick!!
Not surprisingly, the fact that something edible was called spotted dick was hilarious when I was a kid.
I made it a few years ago for a laff, and despite never having made steamed puddings before (at the time) it was actually quite nice.
Obviously the ’spotted’ bit comes from the sultanas. Dunno how the ‘dick’ evolved…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_dick
Morning Lorraine. I remember, as a child, reading a book called (something like) You, Me and Hildegarde. Hildegard was imaginary and the little girl in the book describes eating a rice dish topped with a thick layer of cheese. Oh, how I wanted that dish!
That is a pretty toad-in-the-hole! Love the gorgeous red tomatoes too.
Something I’ve always wanted to try when I was little? I have no idea! Probably my grandma’s yummy dishes.
That is funny, I was just posting today about my mother lamenting how little Chinese food I cook…
Big Wind in the Willows fans here, so loved your Mr Toad in the Hole recipe. I’m also impressed by how healthy it is – most traditional recipes have a stack more oil in them!
Special what you’ve done with the tomatoes there
I’ve always wanted to try toad in the hole b/c of Roald Dahl! Thats awesome!
I can’t beliebe I’ve the first to comment…but WOW!!!
Toad in the hole, I’ve heard of it and always been curious…but I like your little twist…it’s so fabulous!! Oh that tomato with the vines! Oh that sausages peeking out of carbs!
Definitely not what the name conjures up!! Much nicer in fact. So when will we see the recipe for spotted dick???
Oh this is too funny! I made a toad in the hole this afternoon for only the second time ever, the last occasion being 10 years ago unless you count a totally disastrous attempt six months ago that went in the bin (don’t ask). @amuseboucheUK in the UK (obviously) is doing a Toad in the Hole challenge which closes this Friday. You should submit this post to him, he’d be delighted! You’ll find his web address on twitter. Will be posting my toad on Friday.
By the way, yours looks much nicer than mine and for a first time it’s knockout!
Oh my goodness – that looks so good
I loved Wind in the Willows when I was a child too! I was really disappointed that I wasn’t in Sydney for the show they were putting on in the Botanical Gardens.
I will certainly have to give this dish a go for sure – Mr BBB would LOVE it!
I have wanted to try this dish for ages too! Might do it one day soon now that I know it’s super easy =)
I always hoped my wardrobe would lead me to a magical land like in the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe…
I’ve since realised it’s just full of clothes and shoes
I have never eaten or made this which is very surprising as I adore my comfort foods.
Today I made something very similar, except that I didn´t add the sausages. But yours look much nicer than mine. I have to try this one.
I always fancied the sound of bread and milk and blackberries…which was supper for Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail (who were good little bunnies – not like naughty Peter Rabbit!)
Tried bread and milk eventually, which was unsuprisingly, a bit of a disappointment, but my 10 y.o. son made Toad in the Hole recently from a Beatrix Potter cookbook for children we found at a jumble sale – it was great – what’s not to like about Yorkshire pudding and sausages?
I like your Italian twist on it a lot – “real” Nigella of course has her infamous Yorkshire Pudding with golden syrup and cream….but that’s taking it to a whole different place entirely!
I loved Wind in the Willows and the Narnia series as well when I was a child (who am I kidding, I still do!) and I always wanted to try Turkish Delights…and fresh made ice cream, made with farm fresh cream. I was fascinated with Chinese food though, since my mother never made ANYTHING Asian…lol
Wow, this looks fantastic!! I’ll give this one a go because your recipe makes it look so easy!
I’ve always wanted to try butterbeer from Harry Potter lol
That looks so delicious and something the boyfriend would love.
Yum! And just like you as a kid I was so intrigued by these strange noveltly foods. I blame Ronald Dahl!
Wow, this is completely different to the Toad in a Hole that I grew up with and make now! Ours is an egg in a piece of bread, fried!
Otherwise known as One Eyed Sailor… (according to my husband. We may or may not have many fights about what it is called!!)
Gotta love the names of some of those English dishes. This is a much prettier toad in the hole than I am used to. As a child, I used to love the foods described in the Narnia books too – after reading The Horse and His Boy at age 8, I decided that pomegranates must be the most exotic food in the universe, but I didn’t try one until a couple of years ago(pomegranates not being the kind of thing my mother had about the house). After reading Adrian Mole, I was also desperate to try a Walnut Whip!
Heidi cheese!!! When Heidi went to live with the old man on the mountain, he used to put a huge hunk of cheddar on a stick/toasting fork, and toast it on the open fire (coals) then scrape the toasted cheese onto thick freshly baked bread – then enjoy while toasting the now smaller chunk of cheddar – oh yum.
When I was young I loved Enid Blyton’s books. I loved the Famous Five and the Secret Seven. Their club meeting where they ate ginger biscuits and drank blackberry jam with hot water to make a warm kind of cordial. The midnight feasts in the Malory Towers books and The St Clares books. The delicious food that Jo, Bessie and Fanny imbibe with Moonface and Silky in the Faraway Tree books. Le sigh – This is really taking me back to my childhood! For those who want some fun in the kitchen, I’d highly recommend Roald Dahl’s Revolting Recipes. It’s hilarious!
Fantastic – wonderful photos and I’m sure it tastes as fabulous too. Food wasn’t a focus when I was young – my English family eat to stay alive and my childhood experience was equally dull. My Grandmother had to learn to cook at 77 through necessity (not a great experience for the rest of the family) and my mother has no idea which end of saucepan you sit on, and no ‘feel’ for food at all. My wife has never heard “not as good as my mother used to cook!” My family think I’m a very exotic cook – but it’s not true, I just love food of all kinds and nationalities.
I’ve never seen this dish presented so pretty before. Its usually kinda ugly LOL. Love the look of the tomatoes.
You made me laugh… when I saw that glorious photo I thought… that’s the whole Wind in the Willows gang in that luscious dish… then I read your post…
well you know what they say about great minds!!!
This tomato row and the Italian sausages make this recipe impossible to ignore, really worth trying and soooooon
Cheers,
Gera
this looks so yummy! I recently made my first yorkshire puddings and quite liked them! I might need to give this a try!
Absolutely gorgeous…looks so yummie and love the creativity
Great pictures as always!
I’m with Sandy – I always wanted Heidi cheese too!! Wanted to try all the “candy” they ate in the Babysitters Club also, and I STILL haven’t eaten a s’more despite reading about them in pretty much every American book I read when I was younger.
Lorraine I am so pleased you made the Mr Toad connection. I thought they were linked too! Isn’t it funny the connections a young brain can make
I love the Yorkshire pudding part the best, especially the crispy salty bits at the edge of the hole. I always worry about my health when eating it though, so your addition of tomatoes is quite appealing!
Even after living in England for 2 years, I’ve never tried toad in the hole!!!!
This is actually the first I’ve ever seen a proper toad in the hole (until now I thought it was egg cooked in a slice of bread, lol!). This looks really fantastic, Lorraine! I especially love how pretty the tomatoes on the vine look on top!
Mr. Toad, Narnia AND Toad in the Hole??!! Girl, I KNEW you were a kindred spirit!
You are so funny I always get a few chuckles reading you! Well, that settles it I am going to make this to get rid of some tomatoes and extra eggs I’ve got stashed in the fridge. Merci for the inspiration!
That looks fantastic! The vine-ripened tomatoes really take it to that next level.
It’s a pretty dish and I think the name just makes it more fun to eat. The one thing I remember wanting to eat growing up was steak. The neighbors grilled these gorgeous steaks, something my divorced mom with six kids couldn’t afford to buy. xoxo Mum
Looks great.I have never used whole tomatoes in anything i have cooked so far.This looks like baked custard…..perfect one:)
Dear Mrs Toad, the dish loooks great – what a perfect dish for weekend breakfirst! By the way, I’m embarrased by the fact that I’ve never heard of this dish before.
Love the styling of this! I have always heard of this dish but have never tried it.
Hi Lorraine – You’ve done it again! What a marvelous presentation! Bravo!
Devaki @ weavethousandflavors
Your dish looks wonderful! I’ve only eaten a home-made version of this once before when Yaya and I were experimental teens but you’ve made it sound so easy that we might just have to try it again soon!
I just realised that what I thought was Toad in the hole, is actually a scotch egg
Silly me. When I was in my early teens I read a lot of Stephen King books and he made beer sound so delicious – I was so disappointed when I tried it.
yum!! Always wanted to try toad in the hole. However, the thing I wanted toe at most as a child was from the Faraway tree books, where Moonface would make Pop Biscuits, where you’d eat a biscuit and suddenly, honey would pop out and flow from it. Closest thing I’ve got to it is onde onde, the malaysian sweet made out of sweet potatoes and rice flour balls. When you bite into it, liquid gula melaka comes out. Come to thing of it, I also like siew loong pau, steamed dumplings which have a little liquid stock in them as well as the mince meat. Once you bite into those delectable morsels, the warm stock gushes out into your mouth.
Ahhh, don’t you just absolutely love things that are low on effort but maximal in enjoyment?! Love the addition of the truss tomatoes to cut through the stodginess too =)
Yum, yum and yum. The first time I tried this was 8 years ago visiting my friends’ parents in the West Country in England. Even though “Betty” burnt it a little (much to her embarrasment) I loved evey moment of it. She even made it in a 100 year old wood-fired hob!
Tried making it at home several years ago and it went severely pear-shaped.
Nice one! Yours looks perfecto!
Love the tomatoes Lorraine, I bake them this way when doing any type of roast, it just lifts the dish to another level. Have never made Toad in the Hole but in High School cooking classes we made Pigs in Blankets( frankfurts covered over by mashed potatoes) which I thought hilarious. Being Italian I had never come across this dish. haha.
I used to read all of The Famous Five adventures by Enid Blyton and she’d go on about macaroons, I used to drool at the thought of eating one!
Gorgeous toad in the hole – have never made it before (although I have made yorkshire puds) but definitely want to try this out now. The tomatoes look especially good.
I always wondered what treacle tasted like (thanks to steady diet of Enid Blyton) – when I finally tasted a spoonful, it was a bit disappointing
Absolutely gorgeous looking…brilliant Lorraine. I’ve done the Narnia and Turkish Delight bit, and don’tmuch fancy the Spotted Dick!! LOL…Mr Toad in a Hole has been delivered to perfection. WOW!! It’s purty!!
Never had this before. I have been missing out.
Lorraine… what a fab looking dish … Im soo hungry looking at it
Thanks for the recipe , will def try it 
i’ve never seen a version quite like this, lorraine, but i love it! the turkish delight in narnia always sounded delicious to me, although i don’t recall trying to barrel through my closet into the foreign land or anything like that. i also remember wanting to try the maple snow from one of the little house on the prairie books. have i tried it yet? negative.
Wow! Looks fantastic!I am drooling with those pictures.
Wowwy! Those are some seriously posh Mr Toads! I’ve always wanted to try out toad in the hole and bangers and mash but it was hard to get around when I was veggie cuz veggie sausages are quite grim. Now that I’m eating meat, I’m loving toads, bangers, frankies and all that.
I’d give Turkish delight a miss though…urk
Your toad in a hole looks yummy. You have given me an idea of what to cook for lunch.
This is beautiful, NQN! You never cease to amaze me!
And, uh, spotted dick, eh? Do we know why it’s spotted, I wonder…?
OMG yes I was exactly the same with Narnia and the Turkish delight! It was the part I always remembered the most about the lion, the witch & the wardrobe. Looks like another fabulous original recipe
i love how you’ve changed it to use diff sausages and added the tomatoes, too bad i cant eat sausages – i really miss em eheh
I love Yorkshire Pudding in any shape or form, and toad-in-the-hole makes a regular appearance at our table. I’ll definitely be giving yours a try (this weekend)! xxx
Wow, this is a great toad in the hole. What a great upgrade with better flavor and ingredients. Brilliant.
Toad in the Hole and Spotted Dick do always fascinate me as well. When husband worked part time in England he was always bringing me back cans of Spotted Dick only because we thought the name so funny and so vulgar! But I never heard of these things till I was an adult.
And I must say your Toad in the Hole looks just fantastic! Yum!
I’ve never had toad in a hole, unless you count a piece of toast with an egg in the cut out center. Your version is not only delicious looking, but stunning. Those tomatoes are to die for, and so lovely!
This looks fabulous – the cherry tomatoes on the vine make the dish look so much more sophisticated!
for a first go, this is brilliant! I think it looks beautiful and I’m glad you’ve taken a more exotic angle to the boring old English version. Looks divine and I do love the little toads poking out
Hello Lorraine,
Your version of toad in the hole looks awesome!! Much better then the old English version! I am so going to make this!
Thanks, my friend!
PS/ I nearly used up all of your Australian bush spices!
Hi Lorraine. I knew I had to give this a go when I saw your post. Always wanted to try making this but the versions I have is always complicated.
Went to the butcher yesterday to get the sausages – Hubby wanted “rocket & chilli sausages” & I wanted “Greek sausages” (which I was told is pork, beef, garlic, oregano & a few other delicious ingredients which I cannot remember”. So I am using half & half.
Then this morning I realised that I have no milk or soda water. As I am feeling rather lazy to pop into the shops I have substitue milk with Vitasoy & soda water with beer!
Fingers crossed!! Cooking in the oven as I speak!
yeah i always thought toad in the hole was a piece of bread with a hole in it and an egg in the hole, the whole thing being fried? your take is definitely different!
Very hearty dish.. love it!
Hi Tuty-Thankyou so much! It’s kind of like an eggy pastry?
Hi Hannah-Oh now I want some!
I know, now I have Turkish Delight all the time!
Hi Rosa-Thankyou!
Hi Jackie-Yes kids love those names don’t they?
I must give it a go! Maybe during winter 
haha yes perhaps it was a man called Richard? 
Hi Sue -Oooh that sounds lovely! I wonder what kind of dish that is? I can’t immediately think of one…hmmm
Hi joey-Thankyou so much! Aww that’s sweet!
Hi Celia-Hehe I try and cook some but I don’t often have the recipes
Yes this one isn’t so bad is it?
Hi Fiona-Thanks!
Hi Blond Duck-Oh I love his books!
Hi sophia-Hehe yes what’s not to love?
Hi sandra-Thankyou so much! Yes I would love to give it a go, not just for the name!
Hi Sarah-Hehe what a coincidence! Thanks for letting me know I wanted to enter that but I couldn’t copy and paste my URL and I got distracted with something else so I never ended up doing it. Yours looks great!
Hi Lisa-Thankyou so much Lisa! Oh yes I heard that was great! Cool, I hope he likes it!
Hi Iron Chef Shellie-It is so easy so I love to make it!
Haha although that’s pretty magical isn’t it?
Hi Mary-Yes me too! I always thought it would be hard because people warned me about Yorkshire pudding!
Hi Cacahuete-I bet it was lovely!
Hi Sarah -Ahh what a shame about the blackberries, bread and milk. Haha well that sounds rather amazing!
Hi Jen-Hehe yes I still love it too
Oh wow, isn’t it funny what we wanted to eat as kids!
Hi ljb-Thankyou so much! Yes honestly it’s so easy!
Ooh I made one up for Halloween although it’s not Hogwarts certified! 
Hi Esz-Fabulous! I hope he likes it
Hi Forager-Yes wasn’t he great!
Hi Talia-Ahh really? I suppose this is the English version. Funny how it shares the same name!
Lol at One Eyed Sailor and arguing over the name 
Hi Cakelaw-Yes I know!
LOL Adrian Mole is one of my favourite series. He’s so neurotic-I love it and yet I still haven’t had a Walnut Whip. He was obsessed with those fish paste sandwiches too wasn’t he?
Hi Sandy- Oh my god I used to be obsessed with the bread rolls in Heidi and the cheese too!
Hi Sian-Oh that cordial sounds interesting indeed! Wasn’t Enid Blyton great?
Hah I’m going to check that out again, I haven’t seen that in years! 
Hi John-Thankyou so much! Oh no what a shame but it sounds like you’re really making up for it now which is great!
Hi Heavenly Housewife-Thankyou darling!
Hi deana-Hehe great minds think alike!
Hehe we’re psychically linked, how cool!
Hi Gera-Thankyou so much Gera!
Hi Sarah-Oh cool! I hope you like it!
Hi Juliana-Thankyou so much that’s sweet of you to say!
Hi Conor-You know I don’t think I’ve tried a Smore?
Yes surely they’re linked right? 
Hi Arwen-Yes I was hoping that it would make it healthier!
Hi Christie-Hehe really?
Hi Faith-I think this is the English version and the bread one might be the American version! Thankyou so much!
Hi Krista-Hehe aren’t we just!
Hi tasteofbeirut-Thanks so much! You’re more than welcome!
Hi BuBbles-Thankyou so much! I love using them as they’re so pretty!
Hi Barbara-Thanks so much mum! Aww you poor thing!
xxx
Hi Nina-These arejust little ones so they are quite sweet and cute and don’t take that long to cook
Thankyou!
Hi foodwink-Hehe I so am Mrs Toad aren’t I!
Thankyou! I think it’s an English thing I would have read about in a book sometime 
Hi Wizzy-Thankyou so much! I was amazed at how easy it was!
Hi Devaki-Aww shucks thankyou! You are too kind!
Hi Gummi Baby-Thankyou!
Wow you were great cooks back then? Great stuff!
Hi Amy-Ahhh you know I’ve never made one of those. I don’t really like them so much so I guess the urge has never struck me. Hehe yes beer sounds so good doesn’t it!
Hi Perthgal-Oh those sound magical. Yes yes I love those dumplings and I guess they’re the savoury equivalent of those pop biscuits!
Hi mlle délicieuse-Absolutely! That’s what life is all about sometimes
Hi john-Oh wow a 100 year old wood fired hob sounds very special indeed! :O Thankyou!
Hi Matilda-Thanks so much! Hehe now that’s one I really ought to try!
Oh yes Enid was great with food!
Hi shaz-Thankyou! Yes it’s so overly sweet and a bit burnt tasting. I did the same!
Hi deeba-Thankyou so much!
Haha were you in the cupboard too? Thanks so much darling!
Hi penny-It’s a fun, easy dish!
Hi Isya-Thankyou!
I’d love to know what you think of it! 
Hi grace -Hehe I was never claustrophobic when I was little because of it!
Mmm that sounds lovely!
Hi Erica-Thankyou so much!
Hi Shmii -Ahh yes they’re not very good from what I’ve tasted I agree
. Ahh not for you? Too rose like?
Hi Katherine-Ahh excellent!
Hi Mary Poppins in Heels-Aww you are too sweet! Hehe it doesn’t sound well does it?
Hi Steph-Yes and it me until I was teen to try it!
Thankyou! 
Hi Betty-Thankyou! Oh no yes you poor thing!
Hi Angela-Ahh fabulous! I bet you make a gorgeous one! Xxx
Hi Divina-Thankyou so much!
Hi Jamie-Oh it comes tinned too?
Haha I’d love to get a tin of it as it sounds hilarious 
Thankyou!
Hi Lisa -Thankyou! I love using those truss tomatoes!
Hi Su-yin-Thankyou! I was hoping it would so thanks for noticing!
Hi catty-Thanks! I was hoping they would
Hi Sophie-Thankyou Sophie, you are always so sweet!
Ahh that’s great, which did you like the best?
Hi Annie-Thankyou! How did it go? I hope it worked ok with the substitutions (which sound quite brave!)
Hi sandra-I think that must be the US version of it and this is the UK version which is very different I agree!
Hi myookinghut-Thankyou!
I have a husband ready to marry you for this dish. These are HIS flavors and favorites. So I’ll make this for his birthday lunch.
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