Let's Call it Toad in a Hole for Brunch

Back in seventh grade home economics class, I learned a classic way to prepare eggs: dropped into a piece of bread with a hole in it on a frying pan! Over the years, I have learned from various friends of the different names it has: egg-in-a-hole, egg-on-a-raft, the lazy egg, egg in a basket, and finally, how I learned it from Mrs. Johnson, toad-in-a-hole.

Traditionally, a toad-in-a-hole is a British dish containing sausages in a Yorkshire pudding batter with vegetables and onion gravy. I’m not sure why Mrs. Johnson called the recipe this variation of the name, but it is one of the common ones.

This is a go-to dish when I want something filling and oh-so-easy to make. It’s a really good starting point to get creative with add-ons. You can add some cheese to it, another piece of bread to make it a sandwich, hollandaise, spinach, mustard, the possibilities are endless!

I try to switch it up every now and then and create a new variation of the recipe. My latest creation was a sandwich which included two eggs, two pieces of bread, sharp white cheddar, stone ground mustard, and mayo. One egg was left over-hard and one over-easy, and let me tell you… that was a life-changing sammy right there; the different textures and flavors all meshed together very well in every bite!

Try it for yourself:

Toad-in-a-Hole Sandwich

• Butter or oil, enough to coat the pan
• 2 pieces of bread
• 2 eggs
• A slice of any type of cheese, sharp white cheddar worked wonderfully
• Stone ground mustard
• Mayo
• Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Pre-heat a sauté or frying pan (big enough to fit both pieces of bread at once).
2. While waiting for that to preheat, cut a hole in both pieces of bread with shot glass or biscuit cutter.
3. Add about a tablespoon of butter to the pan when hot.
4. Once the butter melts, add the bread and the pieces you cut out. Flip to coat/brown both pieces, add more butter if needed.
5. Once the bread is a bit toasty on both sides, not completely done, add the eggs. For over-easy, wait to add the egg until the bread is just about done.
6. Add cheese, mayo, and mustard, and combine both pieces of bread. Don’t break those yolks!
7. Enjoy! And call it whatever you want.

Want to learn more amazing breakfast dishes? Join us for Bagel Brunch this Sunday at the Mart. You'll learn how to make your own bagels and all of the fixin's.

We also have our New Orleans Brunch on the Grill class returning in August which was inspired by one of our chef's trip to NOLA. The Chopping Block's brunch classes are the best!