This Cracker Barrel Meatloaf has been part of our regular menu rotation for years! It is a freezer-friendly, very comforting, and flavor-packed meatloaf with a savory glaze on top.
Ingredients
Meatloaf:
3 eggs
2 pounds lean ground beef (80/20 is the best for juicy meatloaf)
½ c. bell pepper – finely diced (optional)
4 ounces shredded cheese – sharp cheddar or Colby cheese
½ c. milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 small onion – finely diced
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1½ sleeves of Ritz crackers (48 crackers total) – finely crushed
Glaze:
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon Mustard
½ to ¾ c. ketchup
How to make Cracker Barrel Meatloaf
Step 1: Prepare the oven. Preheat it to 350 degrees F.
Step 2: To make the glaze, whisk the ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard in a small bowl. Set aside.
Step 3: For the meatballs, place the eggs, crushed Ritz crackers, cheese, milk, onion, bell pepper, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl. Mix well. Then, add the ground beef and mix again until just combined.
Step 4: Shape the mixture into a loaf and put it into the baking pan or baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Take the meatloaf out of the oven and spread the glaze on top.
Step 5: Resume baking the meatloaf for another 30 to 40 minutes or until the temperature in the middle reaches 160 degrees F.
Step 6: Allow the meatloaf to rest for about 15 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Notes:
To freeze, allow the meatloaf to cool completely. Leave it whole or slice it into slices. Keep the meatloaf in an airtight container or wrap it in foil. Place the meatloaf in a ziplock freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat, take the meatloaf out of the freezer and remove it from the Ziploc. Take the foil off and transfer it to a baking dish. Loosely tent the meatloaf with foil and reheat in a preheated oven (350 degrees F) for about 20 to 30 minutes until heated through. To keep the meatloaf from getting dry, you can add about 1/4 c beef broth to the bottom of the baking dish before reheating.
You can also reheat the frozen meatball in the microwave. Thaw the meatball in the fridge overnight and reheat the slices in the microwave at 50 percent power until completely heated.
Ingredients
- Meatloaf:
- 3 eggs
- 2 pounds lean ground beef (80/20 is the best for juicy meatloaf)
- ½ c. bell pepper – finely diced (optional)
- 4 ounces shredded cheese – sharp cheddar or Colby cheese
- ½ c. milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 small onion – finely diced
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1½ sleeves of Ritz crackers (48 crackers total) – finely crushed
- Glaze:
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Mustard
- ½ to ¾ c. ketchup
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the oven. Preheat it to 350 degrees F.
Step 2: To make the glaze, whisk the ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard in a small bowl. Set aside.
Step 3: For the meatballs, place the eggs, crushed Ritz crackers, cheese, milk, onion, bell pepper, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl. Mix well. Then, add the ground beef and mix again until just combined.
Step 4: Shape the mixture into a loaf and put it into the baking pan or baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Take the meatloaf out of the oven and spread the glaze on top.
Step 5: Resume baking the meatloaf for another 30 to 40 minutes or until the temperature in the middle reaches 160 degrees F.
Step 6: Allow the meatloaf to rest for about 15 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
To freeze, allow the meatloaf to cool completely. Leave it whole or slice it into slices. Keep the meatloaf in an airtight container or wrap it in foil. Place the meatloaf in a ziplock freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, take the meatloaf out of the freezer and remove it from the Ziploc. Take the foil off and transfer it to a baking dish. Loosely tent the meatloaf with foil and reheat in a preheated oven (350 degrees F) for about 20 to 30 minutes until heated through. To keep the meatloaf from getting dry, you can add about 1/4 c beef broth to the bottom of the baking dish before reheating. You can also reheat the frozen meatball in the microwave. Thaw the meatball in the fridge overnight and reheat the slices in the microwave at 50 percent power until completely heated.
