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slice of cracker barrel meatloaf
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5 stars from 8 reviews

Cracker Barrel Meatloaf Recipe Copycat + Video

This Cracker Barrel meatloaf recipe creates a flavorful, juicy loaf, just like the restaurant version. Make this comfort food meal tonight!
Author: Donna Elick
Servings: 8
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

Meatloaf

  • 1 1/2 pounds 80/20 ground beef 24 ounces
  • 3 large eggs beaten
  • 1 cup crushed Ritz crackers about 1 1/2 sleeves
  • 1 small yellow onion finely diced
  • 1/2 green bell pepper finely diced (you can use red too)
  • 3 cups fresh shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 teaspoon ground oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground thyme
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Topping

  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Add ground beef to a large bowl and using a spoon start breaking it into large crumbs.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients from the “Meatloaf” list to the ground beef and mix well to fully combine. You can use your hands to combine everything.
  • Cover a baking dish with aluminum foil and grease with cooking spray. Transfer the beef mixture into the center of the baking dish, and shape in into a loaf. Also, the beef mixture can be added to a 9x5 inches meatloaf pan.
  • Bake the meatloaf in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
  • In the meantime, add all the “ Topping” ingredients to a small bowl and stir to combine.
  • Spread the topping onto the meatloaf and continue to bake for another 20-30 minutes. Until the top is golden brown and or until meatloaf is cooked through with an internal temperature at the center of 160 degrees F.
  • Remove from the oven and let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Video

Notes

The best meatloaf recipes contain lots of moisture from using the best ratio of meat to fat. 80/20 is the best choice. Anything leaner and your meatloaf will be dry.
Use fresh shredded cheese. The anti-caking ingredients in preshredded cheese will absorb the moisture in the meatloaf.
I used green bell pepper in this recipe, however if you are not a fan of it, you can use red or skip it.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 538cal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 166mg | Sodium: 751mg | Sugar: 19g | Fiber: 1g | Calcium: 383mg | Iron: 3mg