{"id":290,"date":"2026-01-09T00:37:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T00:37:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/food.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/?p=290"},"modified":"2026-01-09T00:37:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T00:37:21","slug":"cracker-barrel-meatloaf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/food.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/?p=290","title":{"rendered":"Cracker Barrel Meatloaf"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>\u00a0Cracker Barrel Meatloaf (Copycat Classic Comfort Food)<\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This <strong>Cracker Barrel Meatloaf<\/strong> recipe is a comforting, homestyle classic inspired by the famous Cracker Barrel restaurant favorite. Made with juicy ground beef, buttery crushed Ritz crackers, tender onions, eggs, milk, and melty cheddar cheese, this meatloaf bakes up moist, flavorful, and incredibly satisfying. Finished with a sweet and tangy glaze, it\u2019s the perfect family dinner that tastes just like the real thing\u2014if not better!<\/p>\n<h2>\u00a0Why You\u2019ll Love This Meatloaf<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Copycat <strong>Cracker Barrel-style recipe<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Super moist and tender (never dry!)<\/li>\n<li>Simple pantry ingredients<\/li>\n<li>Family-friendly comfort food<\/li>\n<li>Great for leftovers and meal prep<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>\u00a0Ingredients<\/h2>\n<p>To make this classic Cracker Barrel meatloaf, you will need <strong>ground beef<\/strong>, <strong>crushed Ritz crackers<\/strong> for a buttery binder, <strong>milk<\/strong>, <strong>eggs<\/strong>, <strong>finely chopped onion<\/strong>, and <strong>shredded cheddar cheese<\/strong>. For the glaze, you\u2019ll use ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard to create that signature sweet-and-savory topping.<\/p>\n<h3>Full Ingredient List<\/h3>\n<p><strong>For the Meatloaf:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>1\u00bd lbs ground beef<\/li>\n<li>1 cup crushed Ritz crackers (about 24 crackers)<\/li>\n<li>\u00bd cup milk<\/li>\n<li>2 large eggs<\/li>\n<li>1 small onion, finely chopped<\/li>\n<li>\u00bd cup shredded cheddar cheese<\/li>\n<li>1 teaspoon salt<\/li>\n<li>\u00bd teaspoon black pepper<\/li>\n<li>1 teaspoon garlic powder<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>For the Glaze:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u00be cup ketchup<\/li>\n<li>2 tablespoons brown sugar<\/li>\n<li>1 tablespoon yellow mustard<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>\u00a0Instructions<\/h2>\n<h3>Step 1: Preheat the Oven<\/h3>\n<p>Preheat your oven to <strong>350\u00b0F (175\u00b0C)<\/strong>. Lightly grease a loaf pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.<\/p>\n<h3>Step 2: Mix the Meatloaf<\/h3>\n<p>In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, crushed Ritz crackers, milk, eggs, chopped onion, shredded cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.<\/p>\n<p>Mix gently until just combined. <strong>Do not overmix<\/strong>, or the meatloaf may become dense.<\/p>\n<h3>Step 3: Shape and Glaze<\/h3>\n<p>Transfer the meat mixture into the prepared loaf pan and shape evenly.<\/p>\n<p>In a small bowl, whisk together ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard. Spread half of the glaze evenly over the top of the meatloaf.<\/p>\n<h3>Step 4: Bake<\/h3>\n<p>Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for <strong>45 minutes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Remove the meatloaf from the oven and spread the remaining glaze over the top. Return to the oven and bake for an additional <strong>15 minutes<\/strong>, or until the internal temperature reaches <strong>160\u00b0F (71\u00b0C)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3>Step 5: Rest and Serve<\/h3>\n<p>Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let it rest for <strong>10 minutes<\/strong> before slicing. This helps keep it juicy.<\/p>\n<p>Serve warm with mashed potatoes, green beans, or mac and cheese.<\/p>\n<h2>\u00a0Pro Tips for the Best Cracker Barrel Meatloaf<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Use <strong>80\/20 ground beef<\/strong> for best flavor and moisture<\/li>\n<li>Finely chop the onion so it melts into the meatloaf<\/li>\n<li>Ritz crackers add richness\u2014don\u2019t substitute unless needed<\/li>\n<li>Let meatloaf rest before slicing to avoid crumbling<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>\u00a0Variations<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Turkey Meatloaf:<\/strong> Substitute ground turkey<\/li>\n<li><strong>Extra cheesy:<\/strong> Add more cheddar or mix in mozzarella<\/li>\n<li><strong>Spicy twist:<\/strong> Add diced jalape\u00f1os or hot sauce<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mini meatloaves:<\/strong> Bake in muffin tins for quicker cooking<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>\u00a0Storage &amp; Reheating<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to <strong>4 days<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Reheat in oven or microwave<\/li>\n<li>Meatloaf freezes well for up to <strong>2 months<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>\u00a0Recipe Summary<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Prep Time:<\/strong> 15 minutes<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cook Time:<\/strong> 60 minutes<\/li>\n<li><strong>Total Time:<\/strong> 75 minutes<\/li>\n<li><strong>Servings:<\/strong> 6\u20138<\/li>\n<li><strong>Calories:<\/strong> ~480 kcal per serving (approximate)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0Cracker Barrel Meatloaf (Copycat Classic Comfort Food) &nbsp; This Cracker Barrel Meatloaf recipe is a comforting, homestyle classic inspired by&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":291,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-290","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home","category-recipes"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/food.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/food.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/food.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/food.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/food.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=290"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/food.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":292,"href":"https:\/\/food.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290\/revisions\/292"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/food.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/food.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/food.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=290"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/food.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}