How to make the perfect Toad in Hole every Time is a paid collaborative post with Richmond Sausages. With two growing teens, there is one thing I know is that hungry teens are unhappy teens and that my army marches on a full and satisfied tummy. This is never more important than on a cold dark winter night after a full day at school and college. Learning is hard work!
As much as I love providing a nourishing, warming, hearty and satisfying meal every single night for my family (I hope you can read the sarcasm in that statement) it can be somewhat monotonous, time-consuming, especially when you factor in busy family life. Add to that the fact that toad in the hole can be a temperamental dish to make. I mean Yorkshire pudding can sometimes be a challenge but toad in the hole is a whole different ball game (if you see what I did there) and I much prefer using fresh batter and sausages.
Toad in the hole is such a classic family favourite meal, it is one most kids love too. Serve with their favourite veggies for a balanced, comforting meal they’ll be asking for time and time again.
So read on to find out how to make the perfect toad in the hole every time and also some great toad in the hole facts.
Why is it called toad in the hole?
Some people believe is that it was once because real toads were used in the recipe, however, thankfully this thought to be an urban myth. The reference to toads is believed to be referring to the similarity in appearance to toads lying in wait of prey in their burrows, their heads visible against the earth.
It is believed that the dish started as a way to eke out scraps of meat and make them go further using Yorkshire pudding batter. Mrs Beeton’s iconic Book of Household Management, first published in 1861 it states that you can use various meets and even kidneys. Sausages are a much more recent addition but one that makes it one of my families favourite midweek meals.
The fact that the batter used is called a pudding and it being a savoury pudding shows the history of the dish as puddings were savoury long before they were sweet. Plus you can tell that it is an old dish as Yorkshire puddings were originally all square or rectangular.
How to make the perfect Toad in Hole every Time
Toad in the hole is made from sausages and Yorkshire pudding batter which is just eggs, flour, milk and fat. It sounds all so simple, but getting the perfect balance of deliciously cooked sausages with crispy, fluffy risen batter can be a real challenge, take some perfecting and can be time-consuming.
I am not the Yorkshire pudding maker in my house. That is down to the husbeast. He makes ace Yorkshire puddings, each and every time. But he is also a weekend cook and midweek meals fall to me and this is a midweek special in The Mad House usually served with mash, peas and lashings of gravy. When it comes to me and Yorkshire puddings they always fall flat, so we just turn them into Yorkshire Pudding wraps!
But I promised you speedy and perfect toad in the holes every time, so we need to take the guesswork out of it.
This is where Richmond come it, we always use them in our chicken sausage and roasted vegetable traybake. They have taken the guesswork, time and uncertainty out of it with their fabulous toad in the hole meal kit which makes mealtime so much easier. In fact, it has everything (bar tap water and oil) to go from packet to oven in less than five minutes (with only 5 simple steps) and to table in less than 40 minutes and even better they are perfect every time.
You can find Richmond Toad in the hole kids in most major supermarkets and they are a really easy, fast and consistent way to have a fuss-free delicious dinner that all the family will enjoy.
How to take the stress out of Family Mealtimes
- I am a huge advocate of meal planning. It helps you keep a budget but also everyone knows what is for dinner.
- Delegate – start small. When the boys were younger they helped prep for dinner time and set of clear the table. They still do that but now they are teenagers they also take over making dinner too when I am busy.
- Give yourself a break. Cooking all the time can be really hardwork, so there is nothing wrng with breakfast for dinner every now and then.
- Have some fall back fail safe options in the freezer. For me that is a bag of oven chips, chicken breast nuggets and frozen peas. A simle meal that always goes down a treat.
- Make Double Portions and Freeze. Whenever I make a lasagne I double up and make one for dinner and one for the freezer. I can not tell you the amount of times these extra meals have got me out of a pickle.
- Embrace Fridge Tapas – or picky plates. Whatever you call them somethimes the most fun can come from the unexpacted meals. We used to love carpet picnics!
- Make it an occasion – there is something relaxing out lighting the candles and just having fun.