That is my simple, selfmade 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.
Should you love this copycat Cracker Barrel recipe, do this 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 all the way down to the buttery Ritz crackers and melty cheddar. And since I can’t hold something THIS good all to myself, I’m sharing it with you, clearly. This meatloaf recipe is extra-moist, stuffed with taste, so tender, and baked beneath a sweet-tangy glaze.
Why You’ll Love This Copycat Cracker Barrel Meatloaf
- Simple. Recreate Cracker Barrel’s well-known meatloaf with a handful of straightforward elements, 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 residence. This selfmade recipe produces a scrumptious, super-moist, Southern-style meatloaf. I could even adore it greater than the unique!
- Household-friendly. This Cracker Barrel meatloaf is a flexible dinner. Youngsters 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 may surprise, “What does Cracker Barrel put of their meatloaf that makes it so particular?” Effectively, 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 utilize any oil you favor, 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 take advantage of 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 keep on with breadcrumbs if that’s what you could have.
- Paprika – Candy or smoked. Contemporary spices yield the most effective taste, so make certain your paprika hasn’t been sitting within the pantry for months!
- Eggs – Egg helps bind the elements within the meatloaf, identical to it does in meatballs recipes.
- Shredded Cheese – Shredded sharp cheddar is the Cracker Barrel alternative. Be at liberty to make use of Monterey Jack, Colby, spicy Pepper Jack cheese, or any shredable, melty cheese you could have within the fridge.
- Milk – 2% or entire milk, however any form will work.
- Floor Beef – Make sure that to make use of lean beef. Floor beef with a better fats content material tends to shrink and might make the meatloaf liquidy. You possibly can additionally swap out the meat for floor turkey or rooster as a substitute.
- Glaze – Recreate a basic meatloaf glaze with ketchup (I take advantage of sugar-free), brown sugar, and yellow mustard. You’ll be able to substitute this glaze with BBQ sauce for those who desire.
Recipe Suggestions
- Don’t overwork the meatloaf. Rule #1 when getting ready the meat combination for meatloaf and meatballs is to not overmix. Should you do, the meatloaf will prove dry. Knead the bottom meat gently with the opposite elements till it’s evenly mixed.
- Easy methods to inform when it’s carried out: The best solution to test if this Cracker Barrel meatloaf is completed cooking is to check the inner 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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Prepare dinner the greens. Warmth olive oil in a skillet. Add onions and bell pepper, and stir, cooking for six minutes or till mushy and tender. Put aside to chill.
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Combine the meatloaf elements. 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 palms. 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 elements: 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 inside 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 a substitute of creating 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: Attempt to not overmix the meatloaf. Overmixing could make the meatloaf dense and dry as a substitute of tender and juicy.
- Inner temp: For juicy outcomes, prepare dinner the meatloaf till its inside 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 offered as courtesy. Values might differ in accordance with the elements and instruments used. Please use your most well-liked dietary calculator for extra detailed information.
Easy methods 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 every little thing together with your floor beef and popping it into the oven to bake. Observe these steps:
- Prepare dinner the veggies. Begin by sautéeing the onion and bell pepper in a skillet with oil. As soon as they’re softened, set the veggies apart to chill.
- Mix the elements. In a bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, seasoning, eggs, shredded cheese, and milk. Add the bottom beef, season to style, and use your palms or a spatula to fold within the cooked veggies. Depart the combination to relaxation for 10 minutes.
- Bake. Within the meantime, preheat the oven to 350ºF. When prepared, switch the meatloaf combination to a lined loaf pan and bake for half-hour.
- Make the topping. Whereas the meatloaf bakes within the oven, deliver the glaze elements to a low simmer in a saucepan. Prepare dinner till all of the brown sugar has dissolved.
- Glaze the meatloaf. Take your meatloaf out and brush the ready glaze excessive. Then, return the loaf to the oven for one more 30-40 minutes. Depart the meatloaf to relaxation for Quarter-hour earlier than slicing and serving.
Storing and Reheating Leftover Meatloaf
- Refrigerate. Permit 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 entire or in slices. I really like turning meatloaf slices into sandwiches for lunch!
