Quick Breakfast Toad in a Hole

Start your morning with a quick and easy twist on a classic British favorite with my Quick Breakfast Toad in a Hole. Fluffy, golden Yorkshire pudding baked up around savory breakfast sausages, it's comfort food at its finest! Drizzle with maple syrup or traditional onion gravy - both are delicious choices!

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Breakfast Toad in a Hole is a traditional british dish that combines a fluffy Yorkshire pudding with savory breakfast sausage. Traditionally, this British favorite uses pork sausages, but you can easily swap in other breakfast sausages like maple or apple-flavored sausages for a hint of sweetness, Spanish chorizo for a spicy kick, or use bratwurst or kielbasa for a dinner version.

I like to cook my toad-in-a-hole in an individual mini cast iron skillet because everyone gets their own and also because I want my own puffy Yorkshire pudding. Alternatively, you can go big and bake the whole thing family-style in one large frying pan, casserole dish, or square baking pan, allowing everyone to share the same giant Yorkshire pudding filled with delicious sausages.

To finish, drizzle with warm maple syrup for a sweet contrast to the savory sausage and fluffy pancake, or go traditional and pour over with brown gravy or onion gravy. Breakfast and Brunch goes to England. Dress appropriately.

Ingredients & Substitutions

The ingredients for this baked toad in a hole are incredibly simple and easily customizable. Let's go over them and how you can make changes if you need to:

• Milk - I like to use full fat whole milk in making my toad in a hole because it makes the Yorkshire puddings so much more flavorful and delicious, but you can use skimmed milk if you prefer. If you need to use a plant-based milk I would recommend soy milk. It contains the proteins needed to get the best rise.
• Oil - Traditional Yorkshire puddings use beef drippings, or beef fat, from a Sunday roast, but I don't happen to have any of that on hand. You could use butter, but I find that it burns too easily. I find that the pre-cooking of the sausages leaves enough sausage drippings in the pan to cook the puddings.
• Butter - As I said I'm not using butter in the pans because of its tendency to burn, but I am adding a little bit of butter to my Yorkshire pudding batter because it's delicious.
• Sausages - Since I'm making these for breakfast, I usually use a traditional breakfast sausage, but I'm kind of obsessed with chicken apple sausage right now. You're welcome to use any type of sausage that you prefer, even vegetarian sausages if that's your vibe.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Variation: Full English Toad-in-a-Hole

You know I like to play with my food, and I really played with my food today and I'm super happy about it. I added most of the ingredients for a traditional Full English breakfast, minus the blood sausage and the beans. 

I simply wrap little breakfast sausages in bacon, add some ripe tomatoes and earthy mushrooms and bake in a hot pan until puffy and golden. A fried egg is optional. I'll let you know down below how I made it! 

Step-by-step Instructions

If you knew that making a toad in the hole was this easy, you would've been making them along time ago. Just follow the instructions and I guarantee you're gonna have a delicious breakfast and a have good time doing it!

Step 1: In a measuring jug with a spout, whisk your eggs and add milk to the whisked eggs, then drizzle in a couple of tablespoons of melted butter.

Step 2: Whisk in flour and salt until completely smooth. Let the batter rest for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.

• If your batter was refrigerated, allow it to come to room temperature. When your batter has rested, preheat your oven and your pans to 425°F. When ready, add 1 teaspoon of oil to each pan and place in the oven to preheat for 5 minutes.

Step 3: Remove the pans from the hot oven. Position sausages in the hot oil in each pan and place back in the oven for 5 more minutes. 

Step 4: Remove pans from the oven and flip over each sausage. Give the batter a quick whisk, then pour batter into each pan, going around the sausages.

Step 5: Place the pans back into the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, without opening the oven door, or until the batter is puffy and golden brown. Drizzle with maple syrup or gravy and enjoy!

"Almost" Full English Toad-in-the-Hole

A Full English breakfast typically includes eggs, sausages, bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms, baked beans, and black pudding (a type of blood sausage). With all due respect to the United Kingdom, there was no way I was going to put baked beans or black pudding in this, but I think I captured the essence of the Full English:

Step 1: Cut bacon strips in half and wrap one piece around each sausage, in a spiral.

Step 2: Remove the pans from the oven. Add two bacon wrapped sausages to each pan and place back in the oven for 5 more minutes. 

Step 3: Remove from the oven and flip over each sausage. Add two mushrooms and a few tomatoes to each pan, add a pinch of salt and some black pepper, and place back in the oven for another five minutes.

Step 4: Give the batter a quick whisk, then pour it into each pan, trying to go around all the ingredients.

Step 5: Place the pans back into the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, without opening the oven door or until the batter is puffy and golden brown. I like to drizzle my "Almost" Full English Toad in a Hole with brown gravy, but you might enjoy a more traditional onion gravy. Whichever you choose, it will be delicious!

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