🥘🎄 Festive Bundt Meatloaf with Bacon, Feta & Peppadews
This is not your average meatloaf — it’s Christmas, reimagined.
💫 A Showstopper for the Festive Table
When it comes to holiday meals, I love serving something that surprises guests — something bold, packed with flavour, and beautifully presented. This festive meatloaf, shaped in a Bundt pan, wrapped in bacon, and filled with tangy feta and sweet peppadews, ticks all the boxes.
It’s hearty, packed with South African flavour, and makes a gorgeous centrepiece for your Christmas table. It also slices like a dream and reheats beautifully for those beloved leftovers.
🛒 Ingredients
For the Meatloaf:
- 1 kg beef mince
- 250g pork mince (optional but recommended for flavour)
- 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 150g streaky bacon, chopped (for inside the mix)
For the Filling:
- 150g feta cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup sweet piquanté peppers (Peppadews), chopped
For the Outside:
250–300g streaky bacon slices (enough to line the Bundt tin completely)
👩🏽🍳 Method
1. Prepare the Pan
Preheat your oven to 180°C. Grease your Bundt pan lightly, then carefully line it with whole slices of streaky bacon, letting the edges hang over the sides of the tin. These will wrap over the meat later.
2. Make the Meatloaf Mixture
In a large bowl, combine the beef and pork mince, breadcrumbs, eggs, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, herbs, seasoning, and chopped bacon. Mix until everything is well combined but don’t overwork the mixture.
3. Layer and Fill
Press half the meat mixture into the Bundt pan, pressing it into the curves. Create a small well in the middle and evenly distribute the feta and pepperdew filling.
Top with the remaining meat mixture and press down gently to seal in the filling. Fold the overhanging bacon over the top to close everything in.
4. Bake
Place the Bundt pan on a baking sheet (to catch drips) and bake for 50–60 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through and juices run clear.
Let it rest for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving platter. Crisp up the bacon under the grill for 5 minutes if needed.
🍽️ How to Serve
Slice into wedges and serve with:
- Creamy mashed potatoes
- A green bean and almond salad
- Homemade cranberry sauce or a sweet chilli glaze for extra festive flair
🎁 Make it Ahead
This meatloaf is ideal for prepping the day before — just assemble it in the Bundt pan and refrigerate overnight. Bake fresh on the day or warm up gently before serving.
💬 Final Thoughts
This bacon-wrapped meatloaf isn’t just delicious, it’s celebratory, beautiful, and filled with familiar South African flavours in a festive new form. It’s proof that comfort food can be elegant, and holiday meals don’t need to be complicated to be memorable.
I’d love to see your festive tables! Tag me @kholiwe_cooks if you recreate this recipe, or save it to your holiday planning board, you’ll definitely want to come back to it.
