Joe Wicks's Toad in the Hole with steamed greens recipe

Looking for a warming recipe? Here's a delicious and hearty meal everyone is bound to love.


  • Total time

    40 minutes

  • Prep time

    10 minutes

  • Amount

    Serves 4

  • Ingredients
    • 3 eggs
    • 275ml semi-skimmed milk
    • salt
    • 125g plain flour
    • 2½ tbsp sunflower oil
    • 10 sausages
    • Steamed greens (to serve)
    • ½ tbsp sunflower oil
    • 1 large onion (finely sliced)
    • 6 sage leaves (finely sliced)
    • 1 tbsp plain flour
    • splash of sherry vinegar
    • 500ml chicken or beef stock

1. Beat the eggs and the milk together, adding a little salt as you whisk. Tip the flour into a bowl and make a small well in the middle. Pour in the milk-and-egg mixture. Use a whisk to gently combine until you end up with a perfectly smooth batter. Leave to stand while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

2. Preheat your oven to 210ºC (fan 190℃/gas mark 6). Pour 2 tablespoons of the oil into the baking dish or ovenproof skillet and slide it into the oven to heat up for at least 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, pour ½ tablespoon of the oil into a frying pan over a medium to high heat. Add the sausages and briefly brown them all over – it isn’t necessary to cook them through at this point because they will finish cooking in the oven.

4. By now the oil in the baking dish should be piping hot so carefully remove the dish from the oven and, working quickly and carefully, lay the browned sausages into the dish. Give the batter one last whisk, then pour it over the top of the sausages before quickly sliding the dish back into the oven. Bake the toad in the hole for 35 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, make the onion gravy by heating up 1/2 tablespoon of oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and adding the sliced onion. Sprinkle in a pinch of salt and cook the onion slowly for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until very soft and lightly browned. 

6. Stir in the sage leaves and the flour and, stirring almost constantly, cook for 45 seconds before adding the splash of vinegar, boiling it until it has almost disappeared. Gradually pour in the stock, stirring it well before adding more, to avoid lumps in the gravy. When all the stock is in the pan, bring the gravy to the boil and then keep it warm until you are ready to eat.

7. After 35 minutes, the toad in the hole should have risen beautifully. Take it straight to the table with the gravy, and some steamed greens, and show it off to your mates.


If you're looking for more inspiration, discover all of Joe Wicks's cookbooks in our ultimate guide. This recipe has been taken from Cooking for Family and Friends, and his latest book, Joe's Family Food, is available now.

Cooking for Family and Friends

by Joe Wicks

Cooking for Family and Friends is a beautifully photographed collection of Joe Wicks's easy favourites and crowd-pleasing recipes, such as Roast Chicken with Celeriac Mash and Bacon Greens, BBQ Ribs with Dirty Corn, and Tandoori Chicken Thighs with Chapattis. All the recipes are big on flavour and packed with the hero ingredients you need to impress your mates, fuel your workout and burn fat.

Joe's Family Food

by Joe Wicks

Book cover for Joe's Family Food

As the proud dad of two kids, Joe understands the realities of life as a busy parent. Sometimes you’re short of time, and it’s hard to come up with a balanced meal when you have a thousand things to think about! This book does the hard work for you, so cooking and sharing nutritious food can become a social, fun activity for your family.

Filled with swaps to cater to all tastes and ideas for involving the kids when you’re cooking, this flexible cookbook will soon become your family favourite.