Pigs in blankets toad in the hole recipe

This recipe for toad in the hole with bacon, combines two of our favourite dinners - pigs in blankets and toad in the hole. For meat lovers, the saltiness of the bacon is the perfect addition to the classic toad in the hole recipe. It is simple and cheap to make, especially if you're feeding lots of people. We recommend making our onion gravy to really impress your friends and family and of course you couldn't serve bacon toad in the hole with anything other than piles of mashed potatoes! Plus, this delicious dinner only takes 10 minutes to prep and get in the oven, making it ideal for those busy week nights.

Looking for the perfect side dish? Why not try our super easy and delicious cauliflower cheese recipe!

Ingredients

For the ‘bacon toad in the hole’:

• 8 thick pork sausages
• 8 rashers of streaky bacon
• A large glug of vegetable oil
• For the ‘hole’:100g plain flour
• A pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• 300ml milk

For the optional onion gravy:

• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• Olive oil
• A good pinch of brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon plain flour
• 500ml beef stock (preferably) or vegetable stock
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. 1. Preheat your oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7.
   2. Wrap the sausages with the bacon and put them in a deep baking dish. Drizzle them with a little vegetable oil. You want the base to have a good covering of oil too.
   3. Bake the sausages for 20 minutes until the bacon starts to go nice and crispy.
   4. While the sausages are baking, sift the flour and salt into a bowl, drop in the egg and whisk in the milk. Try not to over-whisk the batter, but you will want it to be nice and smooth.
   5. Remove the sausages from the oven. Be careful as the oil will be very hot. Pour the batter into the dish and swirl it around the sausages.
   6. Bake the toad in the hole for a further 25 to 30 minutes. Whatever you do, don’t open the oven for at least 20 minutes. The toad in the hole is ready when the batter has risen and is golden brown.
   For the onion gravy:
   1. To make the onion gravy while the sausages are cooking, fry the onion gently in a drizzle of oil in a non-stick frying pan on a moderate heat for about 15 minutes.
   2. Add the sugar and stir for a few more minutes.
   3. Stir in the flour and keep stirring until all the flour is absorbed. Pour in the stock and bring it to the boil.
   4. Let the sauce simmer gently for 5 minutes until it has thickened slightly. Season before serving.