Leftover Christmas Dinner Toad in the Hole
Boxing Day cooking doesn't need to be complicated when you have a fridge full of leftovers and a good Yorkshire pudding batter. This toad in the hole takes whatever's left from Christmas dinner - pigs in blankets, roasted vegetables, stuffing balls, sprouts - and bakes them in crisp, golden batter that puffs up dramatically around the edges. It's comfort food that uses what you already have and comes together in about 40 minutes with minimal effort.
The key is a smoking hot tin and a well-rested batter. Everything else is flexible. Use turkey instead of sausages, swap in parsnips for carrots, add chestnuts or a few dollops of cranberry sauce if that's what needs using up. Serve it straight from the tin with plenty of hot gravy and you have a proper meal that feels indulgent without requiring you to think too hard or wash up more than necessary.
Leftover Christmas Dinner Toad in the Hole
Transform Christmas leftovers into a crispy, golden toad in the hole. Use up pigs in blankets, roast vegetables, and stuffing in one comforting dish. Ready in 40 minutes.
Ingredients
- Sausages or pigs in blankets (leftover or fresh)
- Roasted baby carrots
- Herb and onion stuffing balls
- Brussels sprouts, halved
- Optional extras: roasted parsnips, bits of ham, chestnuts, roasted onions or shallots, turkey pieces, roasted potatoes, red cabbage, cranberry sauce dollops
- 180g plain flour
- 4 eggs
- 300ml whole milk
- 1-2 sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary, leaves stripped
- Salt and white pepper
- 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 tbsp duck or goose fat
- Gravy, to serve
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Put a metal roasting tin (roughly 30cm x 20cm) in the oven with the oil and duck fat so it gets smoking hot while you make the batter.
- Whisk the flour, eggs, milk, herbs, salt and white pepper together into a smooth batter. Let it rest while the tin heats up (this helps create a better rise).
- When the tin is very hot and the oil is shimmering, carefully (but quickly) add the sausages or pigs in blankets, roasted carrots, stuffing balls and sprouts. Arrange them fairly evenly across the tin. Pour the batter in quickly and steadily, making sure it reaches all corners.
- Transfer to the oven immediately and do not open the door for at least 20 minutes. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes total until the batter is risen dramatically, crisp around the edges, and deeply golden brown.
- Serve immediately with hot gravy and any remaining cranberry sauce or condiments.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
370Fat
22 gSugar
7 gProtein
16 gCarbs
32 gApproximate values per serving
Ingredients and sourcing tips
Leftover sausages and pigs in blankets
These are ideal because they're already cooked and just need reheating. Pigs in blankets work brilliantly because the bacon crisps up beautifully in the batter.
Roasted vegetables
Any roasted vegetables from Christmas dinner work here. The key is that they're already cooked, so they just need warming through. Root vegetables like carrots, parsnips and potatoes hold their shape well. If your vegetables have gone soft or soggy, pat them dry with kitchen paper first.
Stuffing balls
These add wonderful texture and herb flavour throughout the batter. Break larger ones in half so they heat through properly. Sage and onion stuffing is traditional, but chestnut stuffing or sausagemeat stuffing both work well.
Brussels sprouts
Halve them so they have a flat side to sit on the tin. This helps them crisp up and means they don't roll around when you pour the batter. If you have leftover sprouts with bacon or chestnuts mixed through, even better.
Turkey or ham
Tear or cut into chunky pieces rather than shredding finely. You want substantial bits that will stay visible in the finished dish rather than disappearing into the batter.
Batter ingredients
Whole milk gives the richest batter, but semi-skimmed works fine. The eggs should be at room temperature for the smoothest batter. Fresh herbs are better than dried here as they perfume the batter without going bitter during the high-heat cooking.
Variations and dietary swaps
Vegetarian version
Use vegetarian sausages and swap the pigs in blankets for roasted mushrooms, extra stuffing balls, or halloumi chunks. Nut roast pieces work surprisingly well if you have leftovers. Leave out the duck fat.
Other leftover options
This is endlessly adaptable to whatever's in your fridge. Try leftover roast beef, lamb, pork, or duck (dice into 2-3cm chunks), gammon or honey roast ham (adds sweet-salty flavour), roasted red onions or shallots, roasted garlic cloves squeezed from their skins, roasted beetroot for colour, roasted squash or sweet potato, roasted peppers, sautéed mushrooms, wilted greens like cavolo nero, dollops of cranberry sauce (they caramelize slightly), whole or broken chestnuts, halved pickled walnuts, or even leftover bread sauce stirred through in small amounts.
Gluten-free
Use gluten-free plain flour in the same quantity. The batter won't rise quite as dramatically but will still be delicious. Make sure your sausages and stuffing are also gluten-free.
Dairy-free
Swap the milk for oat milk or another plant-based alternative. The batter will be slightly less rich but still works well.
Herb variations
Sage works beautifully with pork-based fillings. Tarragon is excellent with turkey.
Kitchen notes
The smoking hot tin is essential
This is what creates the dramatic rise and crispy base. If the fat isn't hot enough, the batter will sink and go soggy. You want it genuinely shimmering and almost smoking when you add the ingredients.
Don't overcrowd the base
Arrange your leftover ingredients in a single layer across the bottom of the tin - they don't need to be piled high. The batter should come about two-thirds up the tin when poured over. If the tin is overfilled with ingredients, the batter won't have room to rise up the sides properly.
Resting the batter helps
Even 10 minutes of resting allows the flour to fully hydrate and creates a better texture. If you're in a rush, you can skip this, but the rise will be slightly less impressive.
Opening the oven door
Resist at all costs for the first 20 minutes. The temperature drop will cause the batter to collapse. After 20 minutes it's set enough that a quick peek won't ruin it.
Checking doneness
The toad in the hole is ready when it's puffed up dramatically around the edges, deeply golden brown all over, and crisp when you tap it. The center should still have a slight softness but shouldn't look wet or pale.
Tin size matters
A deep 30cm x 20cm roasting tin is ideal for this quantity. If your tin is much larger, the batter will spread too thin and won't rise properly. If it's smaller, reduce the filling or the batter will overflow.
Oil choice
Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point like vegetable, sunflower, or rapeseed oil. Olive oil has too low a smoke point and will burn. Beef dripping or goose fat are traditional and add wonderful flavour.
Leftover gravy
This is the perfect opportunity to use up any leftover gravy. Reheat it thoroughly and serve it piping hot alongside. If you don't have gravy, make a quick onion gravy while the toad bakes.
Make ahead limitations
The batter can be made several hours ahead and kept in the fridge but bring it back to room temperature before using (about 30 minutes).Cold batter poured into a hot tin won't rise as dramatically. The actual cooking must be done just before serving. Toad in the hole doesn't reheat well as the batter goes soft.
What counts as 'leftover'
This works with genuinely cold leftovers from the fridge or items that were cooked earlier the same day and cooled to room temperature. Everything should be fully cooked already, you're just reheating and crisping.
Serving suggestions
How to serve
Cut into generous squares and serve straight from the tin for a rustic presentation, or transfer carefully to plates. The batter is at its absolute best in the first 10 minutes after coming out of the oven when it's still crisp and puffy.
What to serve alongside
Hot gravy is essential. Leftover cranberry sauce, bread sauce, or any Christmas condiments work beautifully. Simple steamed greens cut through the richness. If you're making this for Boxing Day lunch, it's substantial enough to be the main event.
Portion sizes This serves 4-6 generously as a main course.
Drinks to pair
A light red wine like Pinot Noir works well, or stick with whatever you were drinking at Christmas. A crisp cider is excellent. For non-alcoholic options, try a sparkling apple juice or ginger beer.
Storage and reheating
Storage
Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days in an airtight container, though the batter will lose its crispness.
Reheating
Reheat individual portions in a hot oven (200°C) for 10-12 minutes to try and revive some crispness. The microwave will make the batter soggy but works in a pinch.
Freezing
Not recommended. The batter texture deteriorates significantly when frozen and reheated.
