That is my simple, home made copycat of the basic Cracker Barrel meatloaf recipe with juicy floor beef, bell peppers, and cheddar cheese blended with buttery Ritz crackers and slathered with a sweet-tangy glaze.
For those who love this copycat Cracker Barrel recipe, do that Lipton Onion Soup meatloaf for one more simple dinner.
I can’t consider Cracker Barrel with out immediately craving their basic meatloaf (IYKYK). It took me a number of rounds of testing, however I lastly tailored my favourite simple meatloaf recipe right into a Cracker Barrel-inspired model! Proper right down to the buttery Ritz crackers and melty cheddar. And since I can’t maintain something THIS good all to myself, I’m sharing it with you, clearly. This meatloaf recipe is extra-moist, filled with taste, so tender, and baked beneath a sweet-tangy glaze.
Why You’ll Love This Copycat Cracker Barrel Meatloaf
- Straightforward. Recreate Cracker Barrel’s well-known meatloaf with a handful of straightforward components, together with floor beef, Ritz crackers, cheddar cheese, and bell peppers. You solely want about Quarter-hour of hands-on prep time.
- Just like the restaurant, made at dwelling. This home made recipe produces a scrumptious, super-moist, Southern-style meatloaf. I’ll even like it greater than the unique!
- Household-friendly. This Cracker Barrel meatloaf is a flexible dinner. Children and adults return for seconds! Serve it with mashed potatoes or fries for the last word consolation meals, or add a aspect of salad or roasted veggies.
Elements You’ll Want
You would possibly surprise, “What does Cracker Barrel put of their meatloaf that makes it so particular?” Nicely, I narrowed it down with some ingredient notes beneath. Scroll to the recipe card for the printable quantities and directions, together with a photograph step-by-step afterward.
- Olive Oil – I like sautéeing with olive oil, however you should use any oil you like, or butter or ghee.
- Onion and Bell Peppers – For the greens, I included a finely chopped yellow onion and seeded and chopped bell peppers. I exploit inexperienced peppers, however any coloration works.
- Ritz Crackers – Cracker Barrel’s meatloaf recipe replaces conventional breadcrumbs with buttery Ritz cracker crumbs. You should utilize different crackers, too, or just persist with breadcrumbs if that’s what you may have.
- Paprika – Candy or smoked. Contemporary spices yield the very best taste, so ensure that your paprika hasn’t been sitting within the pantry for months!
- Eggs – Egg helps bind the components within the meatloaf, identical to it does in meatballs recipes.
- Shredded Cheese – Shredded sharp cheddar is the Cracker Barrel selection. Be happy to make use of Monterey Jack, Colby, spicy Pepper Jack cheese, or any shredable, melty cheese you may have within the fridge.
- Milk – 2% or complete milk, however any variety will work.
- Floor Beef – Be sure to make use of lean beef. Floor beef with the next fats content material tends to shrink and may make the meatloaf liquidy. You can additionally swap out the meat for floor turkey or hen as an alternative.
- Glaze – Recreate a basic meatloaf glaze with ketchup (I exploit sugar-free), brown sugar, and yellow mustard. You’ll be able to substitute this glaze with BBQ sauce when you choose.
Recipe Suggestions
- Don’t overwork the meatloaf. Rule #1 when making ready the meat combination for meatloaf and meatballs is to not overmix. For those who do, the meatloaf will end up dry. Knead the bottom meat gently with the opposite components till it’s evenly mixed.
- The right way to inform when it’s completed: The best strategy to verify if this Cracker Barrel meatloaf is completed cooking is to check the interior temperature with an instant-read thermometer. Meatloaf is finished when it reaches 165ºF.
- Relaxation earlier than and after baking. Let the raw meatloaf combination stand for 10-Quarter-hour earlier than you add it to the loaf pan so the Ritz crumbs soften and the flavors mingle. Additionally, relaxation the meatloaf after it’s out of the oven. It permits the meat to arrange and keep juicy for cleaner slices.
- Use the air fryer. Divide the meatloaf combination in two and skip the loaf pan to make a Cracker Barrel model of my simple air fryer meatloaf.
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Prep. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
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Cook dinner the greens. Warmth olive oil in a skillet. Add onions and bell pepper, and stir, cooking for six minutes or till gentle and tender. Put aside to chill.
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Combine the meatloaf components. In a big bowl, mix the bottom crackers, paprika, eggs, cheddar, and milk. Stir to mix. Add floor beef and season all of it with salt and pepper.
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Mix. Add the cooked onions and peppers to the meat combination. Stir with a spatula or knead it with clear arms. Let the combination relaxation for 10 minutes.
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Bake the meatloaf. Switch the meat combination to a loaf pan and bake it for half-hour.
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In the meantime, make the glaze. In a saucepan, add all of the topping components: ketchup, darkish brown sugar, and mustard. Simmer over medium warmth till the sugar is dissolved, about 3 to 4 minutes.
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Coat the meatloaf. Take away the meatloaf from the oven and brush on the topping/glaze with a BBQ brush or unfold it with a spoon. Proceed to bake the meatloaf for one more 30-40 minutes or till the meatloaf’s inner temperature registers at 160˚F.
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End and serve. Pull the meatloaf out of the oven and let it relaxation for Quarter-hour earlier than slicing and serving it with mashed potatoes and peas.
- Glaze alternate options: You should utilize BBQ sauce as an alternative of constructing the topping.
- Floor beef: Use 80% lean floor beef. Beef with fats content material will shrink, and your meatloaf will include an excessive amount of liquid.
- Don’t overmix: Strive to not overmix the meatloaf. Overmixing could make the meatloaf dense and dry as an alternative of tender and juicy.
- Inside temp: For juicy outcomes, prepare dinner the meatloaf till its inner temperature reaches 160ºF to 165˚F, max.
Serving: 6ounces | Energy: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 30g | Fats: 15g | Saturated Fats: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 2g | Monounsaturated Fats: 5g | Trans Fats: 0.5g | Ldl cholesterol: 127mg | Sodium: 553mg | Potassium: 500mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 397IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 149mg | Iron: 3mg
Dietary information is an estimate and supplied as courtesy. Values could differ in line with the components and instruments used. Please use your most well-liked dietary calculator for extra detailed information.
The right way to Make Cracker Barrel Meatloaf
The important thing to nice meatloaf is to sauté the veggies first to construct the flavors and make them tender. Then, it’s a matter of mixing all the things together with your floor beef and popping it into the oven to bake. Comply with these steps:
Storing and Reheating Leftover Meatloaf
- Refrigerate. Enable the leftover Cracker Barrel meatloaf to chill fully, after which retailer it hermetic within the fridge. It’ll final for 3-4 days.
- Reheat. Heat up leftovers within the oven or microwave, both complete or in slices. I really like turning meatloaf slices into sandwiches for lunch!
