The Cracker Barrel Meatloaf is a staple on the menu of Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores, a casual dining restaurant chain in the United States. Traditionally, this dish is cooked in the oven using ground beef, breadcrumbs, eggs, onion, and a variety of spices until it is tender and flavorful. Mashed potatoes, green beans, and dinner rolls are common accompaniments to the meatloaf. Customers love the dish because of its comforting flavor and generous serving size. Meatloaf from Cracker Barrel is perfect for a relaxed evening with loved ones or a soothing dinner after a long day.
To create their signature meatloaf, Cracker Barrel uses ground beef, breadcrumbs, eggs, and a variety of seasonings. Onion, garlic, salt, and pepper are the standard seasonings, with grated carrots, sliced celery, and ketchup also making appearances. After forming the mixture into a loaf, it is baked in the oven until the meat is thoroughly cooked and the exterior is browned. The end result is a meatloaf that is crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside, with a robust, meaty flavor.
Traditional sides like mashed potatoes, green beans, and dinner rolls are served alongside the meatloaf in Cracker Barrel locations. For added taste and moisture, some customers may request gravy on the side to drizzle over their meatloaf before serving. For a relaxed supper with loved ones, nothing beats Cracker Barrel’s signature meatloaf.
This is incredible! Since Cracker Barrel’s meatloaf includes green peppers, I decided to include them. I agree with you on the cooking time, but I checked it at the recommended time and it read 180 degrees; the red color may have been due to the cheese or ketchup, but it was cooked through. A second time around, I cooked it for an extra 30 minutes till the pink color and temperature reached 195 degrees. My youngster has decided that the best meatloaf ever is the one you make every week. My family and I had this for dinner last night, and it was a huge hit. I was worried that there might be too much glazing, but it worked great. I used a total of 5.5 ounces of pork and 2.5 ounces of beef to make a double batch. For the same reason that I didn’t have any ritz on hand, I used club crackers. After reading previous comments, I bumped up the oven temperature to 400 degrees and extended the cooking time to an hour. PERFECT. YUMMY. Without a doubt, one to keep.
I remember my mother’s meatloaf being delicious. For a long time, I utilized the recipe that she had inherited from her mother. Since my spouse and children often ate it, I assumed their approval was mutual. While we were eating the very same meatloaf, my husband made a passing remark about how we should perhaps spice things up a bit the next time we made meatloaf. In his research, he discovered that brown sugar was a suggested ingredient. You know, that does have an appetizing ring to it.
The thought of ruining an entire meatloaf motivated me to seek out a recipe. I was browsing All Recipes when I came across this one. As a result, the following time I made meatloaf for dinner, we all tasted it, and I don’t think there was a single slice left in the pan.
My previous meatloaf recipes paled in comparison to this one. The brown sugar added a wonderful depth of flavor. Fantastic flavor, and no more difficult than the meatloaf I’d been making for decades.
Ingredients
The Meat Loaf
Meatloaf that is two pounds in size needs two pounds of lean ground beef (ideally 80/20).
Add 1 small onion, chopped very finely.
1/2 cup of chopped bell pepper (optional)
About 112 packages of Ritz crackers (48 crackers total) Sharp cheddar or Colby cheese, grated finely, 4 ounces
3 eggs
1/2 mug milk
A pinch of salt
Black pepper, ¼ teaspoon
As for that glistening surface:
1/2 to 3/4 cup ketchup
a tablespoon and a half of brown sugar
Mustard, one teaspoon
Turn oven temperature up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Concoct the Glaze
Mix the brown sugar, mustard, and ketchup together in a small bowl. Putting aside.
Prepare a Meatloaf
Throw the eggs, Ritz cracker crumbs, cheese, milk, onion, bell pepper, salt, and pepper into a big bowl and mix everything together. Blend together in a healthy manner.
Put the ground meat in the mix. In order to fully integrate, mix very thoroughly. Avoid over-blending.
Form into a loaf shape and bake on a baking sheet or pan coated with foil or parchment paper.
Put in an oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Take the meatloaf out of the oven and glaze it.
When the internal temperature reaches 160F, remove from the oven and bake for another 30-40 minutes.
Take it out of the oven and let it sit for 15 minutes.
Enjoy!
Notes
Because the steam builds up in a loaf pan and can’t escape, the meatloaf becomes dense and brick-like, which is why I bake it on a sheet pan. The greatest meatloaf results come from using a baking sheet or a baking dish with some breathing room around the loaf.
• Freezing: Meatloaf freezes well, so if you make two loaves, one for now and one to save for later, you’ll have a ready supply of easy meals for those nights when you don’t feel like cooking or when you’re craving a meatloaf sandwich for lunch. Let the meatloaf cool, then either leave it whole or slice it, then store it in an airtight container, foil-wrapped, in the freezer. Save it for up to three months in the freezer.
To reheat a frozen meatloaf, simply take it out of the freezer, unwrap it from its packaging, and set it in a baking dish with a loose covering of foil. The oven should be preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. To heat it thoroughly, put it in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Overcooking will result in a dry meatloaf. To prevent this, fill the bottom of the baking dish with 1/4 cup of beef stock before placing it in the oven.
When reheating frozen beef, it’s best to let the loaf defrost in the fridge overnight before microwaving. Slices can be reheated successfully in the microwave at 50% power. My typical heating procedure is a minute in the microwave followed by increments of 30 seconds.
The glaze is a recipe that I usually multiply and keep in the fridge. It’s convenient because the glaze is already made. Another option is to use chili sauce, which is what my mom always used and what I’ve used for the majority of my adult life, with the exception of when I prepare this dish.