Description
Discover the ultimate comfort food with this Cracker Barrel-inspired meatloaf recipe—perfectly moist, packed with flavor, and topped with a sweet, tangy glaze.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1½ lbs lean ground beef (85%)
- ½ cup finely diced yellow onion
- ¼ cup finely diced green bell pepper
- 3 eggs (room temperature)
- 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese (grated)
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 2 sleeves Ritz crackers (crushed)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together ketchup, brown sugar, yellow mustard, and Worcestershire sauce for the glaze. Set aside.
- Crush Ritz crackers in a plastic bag using a mallet or rolling pin.
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef, diced onion, bell pepper, eggs, cheddar, milk, crushed crackers, salt, and pepper. Mix gently.
- Shape mixture into a loaf on the prepared baking sheet or use a lined bread pan and invert.
- Bake for 30 minutes, then remove and spread the glaze evenly over the top.
- Return to oven and bake another 30 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 160°F (72°C).
- Let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Use a meat thermometer for best results and avoid overmixing to keep the meatloaf tender and juicy.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 418 kcal
- Sugar: 25g
- Sodium: 930mg
- Fat: 17g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 33g
- Cholesterol: 173mg
Keywords: cracker barrel meatloaf, meatloaf recipe, comfort food, ground beef meatloaf