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Copycat Cracker Barrel Meat Loaf Is the Comfort Food Dinner You'll Crave

Copycat Cracker Barrel Meat Loaf Is the Comfort Food Dinner You'll Crave
Prep Time:
15 mins
Cook Time:
5 mins
Bake Time:
1 hr 15 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 35 mins
Servings:
8
Yield:
1 9x5-inch loaf

Skip the restaurant, and make this copycat meatloaf recipe at home. It's loaded with flavor thanks to sauteed onions, bell peppers, and shredded cheese. A sweet ketchup glaze is the perfect finishing touch. Here's how to make our copycat Cracker Barrel meatloaf recipe. Serve it for dinner tonight with a fresh green salad and rolls.

Tips for Making Copycat Meatloaf

Here are a few of our Test Kitchen's best tips for making this homemade meatloaf.

  • For the best texture, finely chop your onions and peppers. This ensures no one bites into a big chunk of onion!
  • We used crushed saltines in this recipe, but you could swap in breadcrumbs or another type of crushed cracker.
  • You'll need two pounds of 80/20 ground beef. You can substitute leaner ground beef, but the texture will be drier.
  • Don't overmix the meatloaf! Use your hands to stir the ingredients together until just incorporated to ensure the finished dish is tender and moist.
  • Add the glaze 40 minutes before you're finished cooking, so it has time to caramelize.
  • Allow stand for 15 minutes before slicing to ensure clean, even cuts.

Ingredients

Meatloaf

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion

  • 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow or green bell pepper

  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten

  • 4 ounces, sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)

  • 1/2 cup whole milk

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

  • 24 rich round crackers (such as Ritz), crushed (1 cup)

  • 2 pounds 80% lean ground beef

Topper

  • 3/4 cup ketchup

  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard

  • 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 3-qt. rectangular baking dish with foil.

  2. In a medium saucepan heat oil over medium. Add onion and yellow bell pepper. Cook until tender, 5 to 8 minutes.

  3. In a large bowl combine eggs, cheese, milk, salt, and pepper. Add cooked vegetables and cracker crumbs, stirring until moistened. Add ground beef; using clean hands mix lightly until combined. Lightly pat the mixture into a 9x5-inch loaf in the prepared dish.

  4. Bake 30 minutes.

  5. For topper, in a small bowl combine ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Spoon glaze over meatloaf. Bake 40 to 45 minutes more or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center reads 160°F. Let stand 15 minutes. Gently remove loaf from baking dish and place on serving platter. Slice and serve.

Any restaurant names or trademarks in the names of our recipes are included solely for reference and do not indicate any authorization or approval by their owners. All recipes were independently created and have not been reviewed or approved by any other parties.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

515 Calories
31g Fat
20g Carbs
37g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Calories 515.1
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 31.2g 40%
Saturated Fat 11.8g 59%
Cholesterol 163mg 54%
Sodium 664.7mg 29%
Total Carbohydrate 19.9g 7%
Dietary Fiber 0.7g 3%
Total Sugars 10.3g
Protein 37.5g 75%
Vitamin D 0.6mcg 3%
Vitamin C 8mg 9%
Calcium 183.4mg 14%
Iron 4.1mg 23%
Potassium 606.9mg 13%
Fatty acids, total trans 1.2g
Vitamin D 26.1IU
Alanine 2.2g
Arginine 2.3g
Ash 3.5g
Aspartic acid 3.3g
Caffeine 0mg
Carotene, alpha 2.2mcg
Choline, total 143.3mg
Copper, Cu 0.2mg
Cystine 0.4g
Energy 2154.8kJ
Fluoride, F 3.6mcg
Folate, total 39.9mcg
Glutamic acid 6.1g
Glycine 2.3g
Histidine 1.2g
Isoleucine 1.7g
Leucine 3g
Lysine 3g
Methionine 0.9g
Magnesium, Mg 41.5mg
Manganese, Mn 0.2mg
Niacin 7.6mg
Phosphorus, P 404mg
Pantothenic acid 1.3mg
Phenylalanine 1.5g
Phytosterols 7.1mg
Proline 2.2g
Retinol 66.6mcg
Selenium, Se 34.4mcg
Serine 1.6g
Starch 6.2g
Theobromine 0mg
Threonine 1.5g
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 1.4mg
Tryptophan 0.2g
Tyrosine 1.2g
Valine 1.9g
Vitamin A, IU 404IU
Vitamin A, RAE 75.6mcg
Vitamin B-12 3.5mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.6mg
Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 13.6mcg
Water 127.3g
Zinc, Zn 8.2mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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