Toad in the Hole

OK, this is so seriously delicious!  Every bite has the moan factor and it’s a cozy meal that you can serve on a cooler fall night, or really anytime.  This British classic is a classic for a reason.  It’s comforting, savory and can be served with a salad but I’ve added kale to this casserole, so you could make it just a one dish night.  The technique of making and baking Yorkshire pudding is part of this recipe.  The spicy Italian sausages, with the nutty toasted kale and the sweet Yorkshire make this a really delicious meal.

6-8 hot Italian Sausages, 3-4 handfuls of soft kale leaves, 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of water, 4 eggs, 1 tbsp. smoked paprika, 1 tbsp. yellow mustard, salt and pepper.

Yorkshire with a kick:  2 cups of flour, 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of cold water, 4 eggs, 1 tbsp. of smoked paprika and 1 tbsp. of yellow mustard and a little salt.  Mix together in a bowl and put into the refrigerator for at least an hour to get cold.  You want a cold batter to pour into a hot pan.

Cook up between 6-8 hot Italian sausages – the nice long ones in a 350 degree oven until almost cooked through.

In a brand-new pan 9 by 11 casserole dish, melt ¼ cup of unsalted butter.  Swipe the sides before going in to grease it up for batter.

Once the butter is melted and hot, add the sausages and a few handfuls of soft kale (I used the kale in a carton since it’s usually soft) and put back into the oven for a minute or so.

Take the Yorkshire batter out of the refrigerator and pour into the pan with the sausages and kale.  Cook on middle rack for about ½ an hour at a 375 degree oven.  To brown the top if need be, put directly under the broiler on top rack, at 450 degrees for about 1 minutes.  Keep an eye on it.  This is a very impressive looking dish and as I mentioned, absolutely DELISH!  Enjoy.  P.S.  The pictures are so so because we already started eating out of the casserole before I could take a picture...so GOOOOOD!