Cracker Barrel Meatloaf Copycat
The restaurant version at home, built on the three things that make it recognizable: a sleeve of crushed Ritz crackers, a full cup of sharp cheddar folded into the beef, and a sweet ketchup glaze spread on halfway through baking. Pull it at 155 degrees and rest it 15 minutes for clean slices.
Ingredients
For the Meatloaf
- 2 pounds lean ground beef 85 percent lean
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers crushed to coarse crumbs, about 30 crackers
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 small yellow onion finely diced
- 1/2 medium green bell pepper finely diced, optional
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
Sweet and Tangy Glaze
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
Equipment
- Loaf Pan
- Mixing bowls
- Parchment Paper or Foil
Instructions
Mix the Meatloaf
- Heat the oven and line the pan: Preheat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment, leaving an overhang on the long sides so you can lift the loaf out. Stir the ketchup, brown sugar and yellow mustard together in a small bowl and set the glaze aside.
- Build the base: Whisk the eggs in a large bowl and stir in the milk. Add the crushed crackers, shredded cheddar, diced onion, diced bell pepper, salt and black pepper. Stir until the crumbs have soaked up the liquid and the mixture looks like a thick paste.
- Add the beef, briefly: Break the ground beef over the top and mix with your hands only until no dry cracker crumb is showing, about 30 seconds. Kneading past that point compacts the protein and makes the finished loaf springy.
Bake and Glaze
- Press and bake: Press the mixture evenly into the prepared pan and flatten the top. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. It will still look pale at this stage, which is correct.
- Spread the glaze: Take the pan out and spread the glaze evenly over the top with the back of a spoon, right to the edges.
- Finish baking: Return the pan to the oven for another 30 to 40 minutes, until the center reads 155 degrees F (68 degrees C) on an instant-read thermometer. Tent loosely with foil if the glaze darkens faster than you would like.
Rest and Slice
- Rest, and do not skip it: Let the loaf rest in the pan for a full 15 minutes. Carryover heat takes it to 160 degrees F and the juices reabsorb, which is what lets it slice instead of crumble. Pour off any rendered fat.
- Lift and serve: Use the parchment overhang to lift the loaf onto a board, slice it about an inch thick, and serve warm with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable. Enjoy!
Notes
Use 85 percent lean ground beef. Leaner beef gives a dry, crumbly loaf; fattier beef leaves a pool of grease to pour off.
Mix with your hands and stop as soon as no dry cracker crumb is showing. Working the beef past that point makes the texture springy.
Pull the loaf at 155 degrees. Carryover heat during the 15 minute rest takes it to the safe 160 degrees for ground beef, and resting is what lets it slice cleanly.
To make it ahead, assemble the loaf in the pan up to a day early and keep the glaze separate. Take the pan out 30 minutes before baking and add about 10 minutes to the first bake. Raw assembled loaves freeze for 3 months; thaw a full day in the fridge.
Cooked leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge and 3 months frozen in slices. Reheat covered with a spoonful of broth in a skillet over medium-low heat, or in a covered dish at 300 degrees for 15 minutes.
For a gluten-free version, swap the Ritz for about 85 grams of any buttery gluten-free round cracker.
Nutrition values are an estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 420kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 140mg | Sodium: 790mg | Potassium: 500mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 470IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 180mg | Iron: 3.2mg