The origins of the name of this traditional British dish are unclear although Wikipedia does suggest that the name it was named toad in the hole because of the dish's resemblance to atoad sticking its head out of a hole. It is something straightforward to do and can be easily done in ways to suit either meat eaters or vegetarians.
500ml/1 pint Yorkshire Pudding batter
8 sausages of your choice (around 500g/1lb in weight)
2 Tablespoons of oil, lard or Dripping. Do not use the second two if cooking a vegetarian version
Method
Prepare the Yorkshire Pudding batter mix and allow to stand.
Pour the oil into a roasting tin and heat in an oven that is preheated to 190C/375F/Gas 5 for around 15 minutes.
Add in the sausages and allow them to cook for 5-10 minutes so that they are showing signs of cooking a little.
Arrange the sausages evenly in the roasting tin then whisk the batter a final time to aerate it. Pour it into the hot tin and ensure it is distributed evenly. Return to the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes until the batter has risen and browned on the edges.
Cut into four pieces and place each piece onto a plate. Serve with your choice of potato and vegetables plus a good amount of gravy
Serves 4
To vary the flavour, try adding herbs or spices to the batter mix because that makes for a different flavour