Note: Alex had titled this “Toad-in-the-Hole”, which refers to another dish entirely. Discussion is in the comments.
This is a fun recipe (technique really) that I picked up from Melanie. She also calls it “Bullseyes” – it has a ton of names – Wikipedia lists it as “Eggs in the basket” among many, many others. You could do it with any kind of bread (a personal favorite is corn bread, then put some salsa on top). It’s also quite popular with kids. One crazy variation I see online is to use waffles.
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| With ham and Swiss cheese melted on top in the toaster oven. |
Take some pieces of bread, butter both sides, and cut holes in the center (you can use a glass or cookie-cutter to do this). On medium-high heat, cook the bread for a minute or so, then crack an egg into the center. You can sprinkle on some salt and pepper at this point. When it looks cooked enough to flip, flip it, and cook as you like. Be careful not to singe the bread since the egg can take a while to cook.
If you like, you can also cook the parts of the bread you cut out. This is especially good with corn bread.
Actually 'toad-in-the-hole' refers to something very like popovers, where the batter is cooked in meat drippings with pieces of meat (usually sausage) mixed in. It's also very delicious.
I was going to say that but I thought it sounded too pedantic.
Toad in the hole is simply Yorkshire pudding with sausages instead of roast beef.
Has our family ever shied away from being pedantic?
I think in the US where yorkshire pudding isn't so common, "toad in the hole" is sometimes used for this dish – even the Wikipedia indicates gives "toad-in-the-hole" as an alternative. Nonetheless, I'm fine with the title change.