Cracker Barrel Meatloaf
Meatloaf is cozy, homey, and just plain delicious. While you might prefer your uncle’s recipe or your grandmother’s, lots of Americans really love the version sold at Cracker Barrel restaurants. Made with ground beef, crushed Ritz crackers, a sweet–tangy ketchup glaze, and more, this Cracker Barrel copycat version is well worth making. Here’s how to make their recipe at home, no road trip required.
Ingredients :
- Cooking spray
- 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 medium green bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped
- 1 plum tomato, finely chopped
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 3 Tbsp. yellow mustard, divided
- 3 large eggs
- 24 Ritz crackers, crushed
- 1 cup shredded cheddar
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving
- 2 lb. lean ground beef
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
Directions :
- Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly grease a baking sheet with cooking spray. In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion, bell pepper, and tomato; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally and reducing heat if vegetables brown too quickly, until very soft, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer onion mixture to a medium bowl. Add tomato paste, Worcestershire, garlic powder, and 2 tablespoons mustard to bowl and stir to combine. Let cool until no longer steaming, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk eggs to blend. Stir in cracker crumbs and let sit until crumbs have softened, about 5 minutes. Add onion mixture, cheddar, and parsley; season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Crumble beef over onion mixture and stir until just combined.
- Transfer meatloaf mixture to prepared sheet and firmly pat to a loaf about 10" long. Tap baking sheet a few times on the counter to pop any air bubbles.
- In a small bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar, and remaining 1 tablespoon mustard; season with salt and pepper. Spread glaze on meatloaf.
- Bake meatloaf until browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 150°, 40 to 45 minutes.
- Let sit 15 minutes. (The temperature at this point should have risen to about 160°.) Sprinkle with more parsley.
