Cheap family meals: Budget recipes under £1 per head

toad in the hole recipe :: Article Creator

Beef Sausage Toad-in-the-hole With Onion Gravy

Ingredients For the toad-in-the-hole For the gravy Method

For the toad-in-the-hole, place the plain flour into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Whisk in the eggs and milk to make a smooth batter. Place in the fridge overnight.

The next day, when you're ready to cook the toad-in-the-hole, preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the sausages and cook, turning frequently, until browned on all sides.

Place the beef dripping into a roasting tin and place in the oven. Remove the batter from the fridge and whisk lightly until smooth and combined - it may have separated slightly overnight. Add the thyme leaves and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Remove the roasting tin from the oven, add the sausages and pour over the batter. Transfer to the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, then open the oven door to remove the steam. Lower the oven temperature to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and cook for a further ten minutes, until golden-brown. Remove from the oven and leave to stand for a few minutes.

For the gravy, heat most of the butter in a pan, add the onions and cook for ten minutes, or until soft.

Add the gravy granules and yeast extract and stir to combine. Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes until thickened. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir in the remaining knob of butter.

To serve, place portions of the toad-in-the-hole onto serving plates and pour over the gravy.

The Death Of The Jacket Spud: Children Today Have Never Tried Classic Teatime Staples Like Toad In The Hole, Spaghetti Hoops And Chicken Dippers As Families Opt For Avocado ...

Parents said many of the things they ate as a child are simply not healthy enough

By Danya Bazaraa

Published: 06:55 EDT, 1 June 2023Updated: 07:48 EDT, 1 June 2023

Classic British childhood dinners such as jacket potatoes and beans on toast are disappearing from dinner tables across the country in favour of more sophisticated roast chicken and Mexican tacos, a survey has found.

A quarter of children under 10 have never tried toad-in-the-hole and one in five have not tasted spaghetti hoops, according to the poll.

As many as 27 per cent have never had cream of tomato soup, while a quarter (25 per cent) haven't tried tuna pasta bake.

Experts said health-conscious parents determined to pack nutrients into their children's meals were prompting the changes to meal-times, as well as social media, where ideas for more adventurous dinner ideas can be shared.

Almost two thirds (64 per cent) of the parents surveyed said the food their children eat is very different from what they were served in their youth, with half claiming many classic dinners are not healthy enough.

A quarter of modern children have never tried toad in the hole - once a classic dinner - and the popularity of jacket potatoes could also be declining...

Cream of tomato soup and chicken nuggets and chips are some old school classics

Fish finger sandwiches and tuna pasta bake are perhaps not as popular as they once were

In the survey, 77 per cent agreed that meals such as fish fingers are seen as old-fashioned and outdated now.

Toad-in-the-hole (24 per cent), frozen burgers (20 per cent) and spaghetti hoops on toast (19 per cent) made the list of children's dinners falling out of favour.

Instead, children are more likely to be served so-called superfoods such as avocado, a key ingredient in tacos and burritos, both of which made the top ten most popular family dinners, and eggs, which are also rich in brain-boosting omega-3.

Roast chicken and spaghetti bolognese topped the list of the most popular choices.

Children today also seem to have more sophisticated palates. Some 48 per cent of parents regularly serve Italian classic carbonara, 37 per cent make the Mexican staple dish tacos and 36 per cent often give their children a French omelette and salad.

However, old-fashion British favourite dippy eggs and soldiers remain a fixture of family dinner tables (40 per cent), as does shepherd's pie (57 per cent).

Andrew Joret, spokesman for British Lion Eggs, which commissioned the survey of 2,000 British parents, said social media : 'Kids' meal preferences, and what their parents choose to feed them, seems to be changing with nutrition and social media both impacting choices.

Spaghetti bolognese and carbonara feature on the list of popular modern favourites

Lasagne and 'dippy eggs and soldiers' are also modern favourites for families

Burritos and tacos are new favourites, as a survey shows how children's meals have changed

'However, our survey shows that eggs remain a constant favourite as they are nutrient-rich, quick, easy and affordable, and parents can serve them runny to children of all ages including babies when they are stamped with the Lion mark.'

Overall, 87 per cent of parents said they enjoy getting their children involved in cooking meals, which leads to them being more adventurous.

OLD CHILDHOOD FAVOURITES VERSUS THE MODERN KIDS MEAL:

CLASSIC KIDS' MEALS LOSING FAVOUR WITH MODERN PARENTS:

1 . Cream of tomato soup (27 per cent of under tens have never tried it)

2. Tuna pasta bake (25 per cent)

3. Toad-in-the-hole (24 per cent)

4. Frozen burgers (20 per cent)

5. Spaghetti hoops on toast (19 per cent)

6. Fish finger sandwich (16 per cent)

7. Baked potato with cheese and beans (15 per cent)

8. Chicken dippers and chips (13 per cent)

9. Sausage and mash (12 per cent)

10. Nuggets and chips (11 per cent)

RECIPES: The Hairy Bikers Knock Up Some Mini Toad In The Holes

THE Hairy Bikers, Dave Myers and Si King, have turned to classic British recipes for their latest collection of recipes.

"We've given you toad in the hole recipes in the past and we've been trying to think how to make this awesome favourite even better. Well, we're pleased to tell you that we can," they said.

MINI TOAD IN THE HOLES

(makes 8-12)

1tbsp (heaped) lard or goose or duck fat

1 large onion, sliced

8 pork sausages

Sea salt

For the batter

150g plain flour

1tsp dried sage

2 eggs, beaten

275ml whole milk

First make the batter. Put the flour into a bowl and whisk it lightly to get rid of any lumps, then add a generous pinch of salt and the dried sage. Make a well in the middle and add the eggs. Work the eggs into the flour, then gradually add the milk.

Alternatively, put everything in a food processor and blitz until smooth. Leave the batter to stand for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Divide the lard or goose or duck fat between two four-hole Yorkshire pudding tins or one 12-hole tin. Put the tins in the oven to heat up.

Bring a small pan of water to the boil. Add a pinch of salt and the onion slices. Simmer them for three minutes, then drain thoroughly. Cut the sausages into rounds.

Divide the onion and sausages between the tins. Put the tins back in the oven and cook for 20 minutes, until the sausages have started to look nice and brown.

Remove the tins from the oven. Pour in the batter around the sausages and onion - there should be just enough batter to reach the top of each hole. Bake for a further 20 minutes until the Yorkshire puddings have risen and are a dark golden-brown.

Serve hot straight from the oven - with some gravy if you like.

n The Hairy Bikers' British Classics by Si King and Dave Myers, priced £22

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