This Springy Toad in the Hole Is the Ultimate One-Pan Brunch

When you think of Toad in the Hole, a classic, hearty British dish where sausages are cooked in Yorkshire pudding batter, spring might not immediately come to mind. But Food & Wine Culinary Director-at-Large Justin Chapple offers a seasonal twist on this week's episode of Mad Genius that's perfect for showcasing fresh produce from the market. Enter Carrot and Spring Onion Toad in the Hole, which features—you guessed it!—carrots and spring onions, as well as breakfast sausages and a hint of fresh thyme. The carrots are multicolored, which creates a nice visual contrast, and a pop of parsley adds a little color, too. The best part? Everything is cooked in one skillet, making it easy to prepare and clean up.

To make this savory dish, read on for Justin's method and follow along with the video above.

Heat Up Your Pan and Prep the Vegetables

First, you'll want to preheat the oven and preheat your cast-iron skillet (this recipe calls for a 12-inch skillet). Set the oven to 425°F and add the extra-virgin olive oil and unsalted butter to the skillet—Justin explains that the oil will help prevent the butter from burning.

Throw the skillet in the oven for 10 minutes, and get your vegetables ready in the meantime. You'll need to trim the small carrots—but leave them whole—and cut the green parts of the small spring onions into three-inch pieces, halving the bulbs lengthwise as well. Finally, grab the thyme and flat-leaf parsley and finely chop them.

Roast the Vegetables and Sausage While You Make the Batter

Next, carefully take the skillet out of the oven. Add the vegetables to the skillet, as well as the breakfast sausage links, thyme, and some kosher salt and black pepper, tossing the ingredients so they're evenly coated. Then, spread them out into an even layer and roast until everything is sizzling and just starting to brown.

While the skillet is in the oven, you can put together your batter. It's pretty simple—all you need is large eggs, whole milk, freshly grated nutmeg, more salt and pepper, and all-purpose flour. Whisk the first five ingredients together in a medium bowl until they're well-combined, and then whisk the flour in until you have a very smooth batter.

Assemble and Bake

Here's where the Toad in the Hole comes together, and you need to work fast. Take the skillet out of the oven and transfer the vegetables and sausages to a plate or sheet pan—but leave the drippings in the skillet. Pour the batter into the pan immediately and, working quickly, place the sausages and vegetables on top, leaving a half-inch border, before the batter can set. Then, bake the Toad in the Hole for 22 to 28 minutes.

Serve

The finished Toad in the Hole should come out of the oven puffy, with crispy golden brown edges and a set center. Sprinkle on the parsley and serve it right away. Justin uses a pair of kitchen scissors to cut himself a slice.

"This is ideal for breakfast, brunch—throw a salad on the side and you've got dinner," he says. "And one of the things I love about it is the edges where the batter sort of blew up are nice and crisp, but then the batter in the center that is encasing all those vegetables is really custardy. And just so good." He continues, "This Toad in the Hole is a hole-in-one."