5 Genius (and Totally Savory) Ways to Use Your Bundt Pan
Not just for cake! Try a Bundt pan for a monster stuffed sandwich, easy pull-apart pizza bread, and the most crispy edged baked spaghetti yet.
Article and featured recipes and photos by Ashley Strickland Freeman
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning if you follow the link and make a purchase, Yummly makes a commission.
I absolutely love a good kitchen hack. With all the cooking our family has been doing this past year (as I’m sure yours has too), I am always looking for ways to keep things fun and easy in the kitchen. That’s why I’m so excited to share some new and different ways to use a classic 10-inch Bundt pan — a pan that you likely already have in the cabinet. (And if not, it’s easy to find, and inexpensive to boot.)
Sure, Bundt cake pans are great for making sweet monkey bread, coffee cake, and my grandmother’s cream cheese pound cake, but did you know they’re also the perfect pan for making savory dishes like meatloaf and roasted chicken? I’ve also discovered that a Bundt pan is the ideal vessel for baked spaghetti, monster-size sandwich bread loaves, and a pizza-inspired appetizer (or dinner!) the whole family will love.
The list goes on for savory ways to use this trusty pan, but let’s start with my five favorites: two easy bread recipes I created using store-bought dough, and three hacks I couldn’t resist that are based on favorite Yummly recipes. Once you try these ideas, you just might start creating your own Bundt pan hacks.
Jump ahead to:
1. Create a mega muffuletta sandwich >>
2. Bake pull-apart pizza bread >>
3. Make a big meatloaf with extra glaze >>
4. Roast a crispy chicken, no beer can required >>
5. Bake spaghetti with crispy edges for everyone >>
1. Create a mega muffuletta sandwich
Hailing from New Orleans, the muffuletta has always been a favorite of mine ever since I tried one on a visit to the city several years ago. Filled with an olive salad, cheese, and sliced deli meat, it’s like a charcuterie board inside of a sandwich. What’s not to love? The best thing about a muffuletta is that it gets better with some standing in the refrigerator — the brininess of the olive salad infuses into the bread and meat.
Start with refrigerated French bread dough
First, I place two cans of refrigerated French bread dough into a greased Bundt pan and pinch the ends together to make one seamless ring.
After baking, I slice the giant golden bread ring in half and fill it with all of the classic muffuletta fixings. Whether you serve it cut into wedges for a game day or casual dinner, or make it for several meals’ worth of lunches, you can’t go wrong! (And keep the recipe in mind for when we can host parties again.)
Bundt Pan Mega Muffuletta Sandwich
Just look at all those layers of meat, cheese, and briny olive salad between the lofty bread. If you do make the recipe ahead, it’s best to wrap the whole sandwich or individual wedges tightly with plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out.
2. Bake pull-apart pizza bread
Pizza is always guaranteed to be a hit in our house, but why not change up the traditional pie and make a fun twist instead? This recipe is similar to monkey bread except it uses pizza dough and pizza toppings.
First, I mix together butter, oil, and seasonings and dip chunks of dough into the mixture. Then I toss them with some of my favorite pizza ingredients like pepperoni, cheese, fresh basil, and mushrooms. As the pizza bread bakes, the dough bubbles up into a crown of cheesy deliciousness. (I always place a baking pan on the rack underneath the Bundt pan to catch any melty cheese or butter mixture that bubbles over as it bakes.)
Once the pizza bread is out of the oven, the hole in the center acts as the perfect spot to place a bowl of warmed marinara sauce for dipping. Serve this as an appetizer or casual dinner — either to pull apart or cut into wedges — and watch it disappear!
Easy Pull-Apart Pizza Bread
3. Make a big meatloaf with extra glaze
Are you a meatloaf lover like I am? To me, meatloaf is one of those retro comfort foods that I never tire of. My family’s favorite part is always the glazed topping. That’s why I love making meatloaf in a Bundt pan — you get a lot more surface area for spreading the sweet ketchup glaze that makes it so delicious.
Here’s how I hacked my go-to meatloaf recipe, the Yummly Easiest Beef Meatloaf, to create a Bundt pan version.
I doubled the recipe and increased the amount of ketchup to ¾ cup for the topping.
After baking for 40 minutes, I let the loaf stand for 5 minutes before pouring off the fat and juices from the pan.
Then, I inverted the meatloaf onto a baking sheet lined with lightly greased foil.
After brushing the meatloaf with the ketchup glaze, I put it back into the oven for about 15 minutes longer.
My version of the recipe serves about 8 people — which can be a lot. But it doesn’t last long in our house, because you know what’s even better than a slice of extra-glazed meatloaf? The meatloaf sandwich you can make with the leftovers.
Give it a try with the Yummly recipe.
4. Roast a crispy chicken, no beer can required
Roast chicken is one of those recipes that I love to make when I’m short on dinner ideas. Everyone loves it, and it’s impressive without being complicated. Whenever I roast a chicken the traditional way in a pan, the skin on the underside doesn’t crisp up the way I like. That’s where baking the chicken in a Bundt pan comes in so handy. The center hole of the pan is the perfect size for propping the chicken upright, letting the sides get nicely browned as the chicken roasts.
Ready to learn how I hacked this delicious Yummly Herb and Garlic Roasted Chicken to adapt it to a Bundt pan?
First I covered the hole in the center of the Bundt pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil and coated the foil and Bundt pan with cooking spray.
I added 2 halved lemons, a whole garlic bulb cut crosswise, and a quartered onion to the bottom of the pan.
After rubbing the chicken with seasoned butter per the recipe, I placed the cavity of the chicken over the hole in the Bundt pan (much like you would for beer can chicken). Then I drizzled the chicken with a little olive oil.
Last, I baked the chicken per the recipe (on the bottom rack of the oven), tenting it with foil when it started to get dark.
Bonus: To make a simple gravy with the pan drippings, I whisked the drippings (discard the lemon, garlic, and onion) with 3 tablespoons flour in a small saucepan. Then I whisked in 2 cups of chicken broth, brought it to a boil, and simmered 5 minutes.
Try it with the Yummly recipe!
5. Bake spaghetti with crispy edges for everyone
Baked spaghetti is another family favorite. When I make it in a 9x13-inch casserole dish, we always fight over the crispy edge pieces. Making it in a Bundt pan was an aha moment for me. The whole thing has those wonderful edges!
The Yummly Easy Baked Spaghetti is the perfect mash-up of lasagna and spaghetti, with creamy ricotta cheese in between two layers of meaty spaghetti. Here’s how I hacked it for a Bundt pan.
For fun and extra flavor, I used 1 pound of mild Italian sausage instead of the ground beef.
In the Bundt pan it bakes in the same amount of time noted in the recipe, about 40 minutes covered and 15 minutes uncovered.
The recipe fills my Bundt pan to the brim, so I scooped it directly out of the pan for serving. You can also cool it slightly to firm up before inverting it and cutting into wedges.
Try baked spaghetti in a Bundt pan, starting with the Yummly recipe.
More handy kitchen hacks
Want to know another trick? I always use a Bundt pan when a recipe calls for freshly cut corn. Instead of the corn kernels bouncing all over the cutting board and falling onto the floor, the center hole in the pan acts as the perfect holder for the corn As I slice my knife down the cob, the kernels fall into the pan. It’s a game-changer.
Do you have any other favorite ways to use a Bundt pan? We’d love to see them. Post a picture on Instagram or Facebook and tag Yummly!
Now that you’re primed for hacking your favorite recipes and kitchen tasks, here are a few additional articles to explore.