This recipe takes the best sweet-savory flavors of breakfast and combines them into one dish. We tweaked the classic British Toad in the Hole recipe to create an Americanized breakfast version. Mix together an easy batter of cornmeal, flour, milk, and eggs, and when you’re ready to eat, heat up a cast-iron skillet and the oven. Brown some breakfast sausages in the skillet, pour in the batter, drizzle with maple syrup, and let the whole thing bake up in the oven into one big sweet-savory pancake. Slice into wedges and serve with extra syrup and some home fries on the side.

Game plan: The batter can be made up to 1 day ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Be sure to whisk it to recombine everything before using.

  • Yield: 4 servings
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 40 mins

Ingredients (10)

  • 1/2 cup fine-ground yellow cornmeal
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick)
  • 14 uncooked breakfast sausage links (12 ounces)
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup, plus more for serving

Instructions

  1. Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Add the milk and eggs and whisk until just combined and no streaks of flour remain; set aside. (The batter can be made up to 1 day ahead, covered with plastic wrap, and stored in the refrigerator.)
  2. Heat the oven to 375°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
  3. Melt the butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat until foaming. Add the sausages and cook, turning occasionally, until browned all over and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large plate.
  4. Whisk the batter to recombine, then pour it into the skillet in an even layer. Arrange the sausages on top of the batter in a single layer and drizzle the measured maple syrup over the surface of the batter and sausages. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the batter is puffed, cooked through, and golden brown on the bottom, about 15 minutes.
  5. Cut into wedges and serve immediately, passing more maple syrup on the side.