Alternative Uses For Your Bundt Pan Besides Baking Cake
The elusive Bundt pan has been an essential baking tool in most kitchens for decades. Known for its unique shape, depth, and even cooking capabilities, this old-fashioned gem stepped on the scene in 1950 and is a truly multifaceted invention that people love to grab when baking to this day (even if it can be tricky to get a Bundt cake out of the pan). Often, these pans sit on the shelf because it's not every day that one bakes a cake. But, if you have been wondering what else you can do with this tired-and-true cake dish, you are in luck. There is a wealth of uses for this German-inspired piece of cookware — both in the kitchen and in everyday life.
From hearty and savory meals to side dishes and non-cake desserts, foodies can easily get creative when using their Bundt pan. Quick-thinking problem-solvers can also dust off their Bundt pan for more than a few handy applications when entertaining at home. So, if you have been curiously eyeing this one-of-a-kind piece of bakeware lately, here are the many alternative uses for your Bundt pan besides baking a cake.
Bake some savory pizza bread
Though the Bundt pan was originally made for baking cakes, there is no reason you have to stick to only sweets. Instead, you can bring out your Bundt pan in order to create a savory treat like pizza bread. All you need is 2 cans of biscuit dough, 1⁄3 cup of olive oil, a dash of Italian seasoning, parsley flakes, 1 cup of Parmesan cheese, and 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese. You will also need a package of pepperoni or your preferred pizza toppings and about 2 cups of pizza or marinara sauce, which you can set aside for dipping.
Once you have all the ingredients, cut the dough and pepperoni or toppings into smaller, bite-sized pieces (if necessary). Then, mix all the ingredients in a decent-sized bowl — making sure to distribute the olive oil throughout. After mixing, transfer your jazzed-up dough to a pre-greased Bundt pan. Cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for roughly 30 to 35 minutes and allow some time to cool before loosening, flipping, and plating your pizza bread. Serve with your chosen dipping sauce, and enjoy.
Make a mega meatloaf
Yet another way to use your Bundt pan is in place of your standard meatloaf dish, which actually works out quite well when you have to feed a fairly large or hungry group. Here, you must double typical meatloaf ingredients, which means you will need the following: 2 pounds of ground beef, ½ cup of diced onion, 2 large eggs, ½ cup of panko breadcrumbs, ½ cup of milk, 1 cup of Parmesan, and ½ cup of ketchup or BBQ sauce. In the way of seasonings, 2 teaspoons of salt, 2 teaspoons of pepper, 1 teaspoon of oregano, 2 teaspoons of garlic powder, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce should do the trick.
While preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, gently mix all the ingredients, minus the ketchup, together by hand. Transfer your meatloaf mixture to your greased Bundt pan, evenly distributing the mixture, and bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Then add your ketchup or BBQ sauce on top and cook for another 30 minutes. You can remove the meatloaf from the oven when its internal temperature reaches 160 to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow it to cool for about 10 minutes, then loosen, flip, and plate — add ketchup or sauce to the inverted dish and serve.
Roast a chicken
A Bundt pan is also perfect for roasting a chicken. With a flavorful rub and a bed of vegetables, you can have a roasted 3½ to 4-pound bird plus sides in an hour. In addition to a whole chicken, you will need 4 cloves of garlic, 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, 1 halved lemon, 15 baby red potatoes, ½ an onion, and a bag of baby carrots.
For the rub, blend ½ cup of mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons of dry ranch mix, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, and ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika together. Season the inner cavity with salt and pepper and put half a lemon, 2 sprigs of thyme, 2 sprigs of rosemary, plus 2 smashed garlic cloves inside the chicken. Halve your vegetables and combine them with the leftover ingredients in the bottom of your pan.
While preheating the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, generously apply the rub mixture and cut a single 4-inch slit down either side of the backbone. Cover the pan's center in foil and carefully place the chicken upright in the middle of the dish (as you would over a beer can). Roast for an hour and allow the fully cooked chicken to rest for 10 minutes (the internal temperatures should be 165 degrees for the breast meat and 175 degrees for anything below). In the meantime, pop the vegetables back in the oven for another 5-7 minutes until tender.
Dish up some lasagna
Baked pasta dishes and casseroles are no problem for a Bundt pan, and one fan favorite is lasagna. When you use a Bundt pan, you can expect an easy-to-serve, extra-crispy version of lasagna you likely never knew existed. All you need is a package of lasagna noodles, 1 pound of ground beef, a jar of marinara sauce, a small onion, 2 large eggs, a 16-ounce container of ricotta, ½ cup of grated Parmesan, and 1 pound of sliced mozzarella.
This recipe also calls for 2 cloves of garlic, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, kosher salt, non-stick cooking spray, and 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley. In order to execute this unusual lasagna hack, you will first need to boil the noodles according to the package and cook the ground beef with minced garlic and diced onions. After browning the meat in olive oil, add the marinara sauce — you could also use a homemade sauce — and preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine the ricotta cheese, grated Parmesan, eggs, and a teaspoon of salt in a separate bowl.
Next, spray the Bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray and place the cooked noodles crosswise. Layer the lasagna fixings like you normally would — cheese mixture, meat sauce, mozzarella slice, crosswise noodle on top, and repeat. Enclose your lasagna by folding the edges in and bake for 50 minutes. Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes, flip, pour the remaining sauce on top, and garnish with parsley and Parmesan.
Serve up a Bundtwich
A Bundt pan also works wonders for home chefs who have to whip up some serious snacks in a pinch. The Italian Bundtwich is one such snack that can help you feed party guests in a hurry while simultaneously saving you money on elaborate sandwich orders. To make a Bundtwich that everyone will love, grab 2 cans of Pillsbury French Bread, a package of smoked ham, a package of salami, a dozen slices of provolone cheese, lettuce, 2 tomatoes, a medium-sized onion, mayonnaise, and basil pesto from your nearest grocery store.
Once you have all your ingredients, bake the French bread in a greased Bundt pan for 35 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prep the other items. Combine a tablespoon of pesto with ½ cup of mayo to create your sandwich spread, and slice up the tomatoes and onion while the bread cools. After allowing the bread to rest for 10 minutes, remove the bread ring from the pan, cut it in half, and add the sandwich spread to both halves. Then, add your deli meats, cheese, tomato slices, and lettuce. Divide your Bundtwich into eight or more wedges and enjoy.
Plate one-of-a-kind appetizers
In addition to super sub sandwiches, you can use your Bundt pan to make just about any appetizer or snack you crave. From spanakopita (a savory spinach pie from Greece) to incredible party dips, tasty burger sliders, and the best jalapeño poppers, your Bundt pan can tackle them all. And for quick and easy apps like Bundt pan nachos, chances are you have most, if not all, of the necessary ingredients already at home.
Bundt pan beef nachos, in particular, can be made in less than 15 minutes with a ½ pound of ground beef, ½ cup of diced onion, 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning, a bag of tortilla chips, and shredded Colby Jack or Mexican blend cheese. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, grease your Bundt pan, and cook the ground beef and diced onion together. Remove any excess grease from the cooked meat, add your taco seasoning plus ¼ cup of water, and let simmer for a few more minutes.
Next, line the bottom of the Bundt pan with cheese, followed by a layer of seasoned beef (or beans if you prefer meat-free nachos), then add 1⁄3 of the tortilla chips and repeat until the pan is partially full. Add the remaining cheese (and any other beloved nacho toppings like black olives and sliced jalapeños) to the top and bake for 10 minutes. Serve with pico de gallo or salsa, sour cream, and maybe some homemade guacamole if you are feeling fancy.
Put a twist on side dishes
There are more than a few dinner side dishes that one can serve straight from this well-known cake dish. Whether you want to add vegetables, some good old-fashioned comfort food like stuffing, potatoes, macaroni, or savory bread bites, your Bundt pan is up for the challenge. If you want to put a twist on a favorite side dish, like scalloped potatoes, for instance, then get ready to pile all that cheesy and starchy goodness high in your Bundt pan.
For this recipe, you will need 2 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes, 1 cup of heavy cream, 2 tablespoons of melted butter, 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, ⅔ cup of grated Parmesan, 2 cloves of minced garlic, salt, and black pepper. After cleaning and prepping your Yukons, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and slice the potatoes into ⅛-inch-thick pieces with the help of a mandoline slicer. Next, mix the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese with the minced garlic.
Add salt and pepper to taste and set the mixture aside. Layer your thinly sliced potatoes in your already greased Bundt pan, covering each with a generous sprinkling of cheese. Once layered, pour the mixture over the potatoes, cover, and bake for an hour. Then, uncover and cook until golden brown or for about 20 to 30 more minutes. Your scalloped potatoes will be piping hot here, so wait at least 20 minutes before flipping and plating.
Take other desserts to the next level
Bundt pans can take other sweets to the next level as well. Delicious after-meal treats like sticky monkey bread, ice cream cakes, and Jell-O molds are all fantastic options here. That said, monkey bread and Bundt pans are often synonymous, and the sweet treat is incredibly simple to make. With only 3 cans of biscuit dough, ½ cup of butter, 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, 1 cup of white sugar, and 1 cup of brown sugar, this dessert basically makes itself.
After preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, cut the biscuits into bite-sized pieces and coat them with white sugar and cinnamon. Once coated, add your biscuit bites into a greased Bundt pan. Melt the butter and brown sugar over medium heat, and then pour the mix over your dough. Bake for roughly 30 minutes, cool for another 10, flip, plate, and dig in.
Carry your s'mores fixings and more
Speaking of sweets, s'more season is quickly approaching, and carrying around all those ingredients is not always the easiest thing to do. You may have camping gear in tow or possibly an abnormally long walk to the bonfire, but one thing is for sure — you do not want to misplace any of those s'more fixings. Well, here is where your trusty Bundt pan comes in handy.
You can quickly throw everything you need into this circular baking pan without taking away from the overall presentation. Your Bundt pan is the perfect container for bulky chocolate bars, graham crackers, pillowy marshmallows, must-have utensils, and even napkins. And if you cannot get enough of these campfire delights, well then you can have your cake and eat it, too, with a s'mores Bundt cake. In order to make a s'mores Bundt cake, you will most likely need to run to the store to pick up a few more ingredients, including a box of devil's food chocolate cake mix, marshmallow crème, and eggs.
Making a box-mix s'more Bundt cake is thankfully pretty straightforward — just cook the cake according to the instructions on the box. Then, remove the cake from the oven, cool for 10 minutes, flip, and top with melted chocolate or store-bought chocolate glaze, marshmallow crème, and crushed graham crackers.
Chill your drinks
If you are looking for a fool-proof way to keep drinks cool on a hot day or need an attention-grabbing ice display in your party punch bowl, pull out the Bundt pan. For a no-fuss ice bucket for beers, sodas, and wines, just fill the pan with some crushed ice, and you are good to go. On the other hand, for gatherings with more of a theme, you can utilize your Bundt pan's lovely design and create a seriously stunning Bundt pan ice ring. To have everything you need before the day of your event, you will want to freeze your rings of ice at least a day before. You can let your creativity shine by adding herbs, flowers, fruit, and different colors from juice or food coloring.
Whatever you decide, just make sure you have ample time to make this ice display. It also does not hurt to make more than one ice mold, especially if you have several Bundt pans at your disposal. When your ice ring appears to be fully frozen, the easiest way to flip your ring out of the pan is by using a little hot water to loosen the mold. After loosening, flip the ice ring using a plate and add it to your punch bowl. Once your first ice ring melts, you can pop in a new one and keep the party going.
Get crafty with your décor
Last but definitely not least, you can use your Bundt cake pan to design exceptional décor for most occasions. From table centerpieces, candle holders, and wall adornments to holiday wreaths, festive crafts, tree ornaments, planters, and more, why not spruce up your home with some rustic Bundt pan décor? Available in a variety of wonderful shapes, fun sizes, lovely colors, and beautiful designs, decorating with Bundt pans is great for adding homemade seasonal touches all year round.
Ultimately, Bundt pans are more than just cake dishes or the right-sized cookware for whipping up mouthwatering snacks and hearty meals for a crowd. With a little bit of creative thinking, you can truly turn an ordinary Bundt pan into something special with just a handful of craft supplies, some elbow grease, and a few Pinterest searches. Even so, if you prefer to keep your kitchenware in its intended place, don't be so quick to shy away from using your dependable Bundt pan for whatever tasty foods you plan to cook up next.