My Cracker Barrel meatloaf is comfort food at its best, with onions, green bell peppers, Ritz crackers, and cheese! It's topped with a delicious glaze that’ll knock your socks off! This homemade restaurant entree is so tasty that your family is sure to love it more than the original!
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Homemade Restaurant Favorite
Craving the best-ever meatloaf recipe? This meatloaf fits the bill! This recipe tastes just like Cracker Barrel’s amazing recipe without the need to go out to a restaurant! This recipe is not only absolutely delicious, but it’s easy, too! It only takes 15 minutes to prep and will be on the table before you know it!
This meatloaf recipe is topped with an easy, delectably sweet glaze that contrasts well with the savory meatloaf. It combines ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and a little Worcestershire sauce to keep it simple and delicious!
The little bits of green peppers are a tasty addition that pulls all of the delicious flavors together in this crowd-pleasing meatloaf!
My incredible copycat Cracker Barrel Meatloaf is savory, tangy, and utterly delicious!
❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
So Delicious! Meatloaf is such a comforting classic, and this recipe is made even better with tasty veggies and cheese inside. It’s the most delicious way to prepare this meatloaf!
It’s Easy! One of the reasons meatloaf remains so popular is because of how easy it is to make! You simply mix the meat with seasonings, shape, and bake!
The Whole Family Will Love It! Kids and adults alike will love this flavorful meatloaf!
🥘 Ingredients
Take your meatloaf recipe to the next level with this Cracker Barrel Meatloaf recipe! It’s packed with flavorful veggies and tasty cheese to make it absolutely delicious.
Meatloaf Ingredients
- Ground Beef – I prefer ground beef that is 85% lean and 15% fat, so it’s a bit healthier but still rich enough to keep it juicy.
- Yellow Onion – I recommend yellow onion for this dish, but you can use white if you prefer a sharper flavor. You want the onion to be finely diced or even grated so it blends into the meatloaf perfectly. (See Tips & Recipe Notes)
- Green Bell Pepper – Green bell pepper adds that rich, savory flavor and makes the meatloaf taste just like Grandma used to make! You also want this to be finely diced or grated.
- Eggs – The eggs help bind the meat together and keep the meatloaf well-formed.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese – The cheddar is one of the special ingredients of this recipe. It adds extra flavor and a cheesy bite you’ll be sure to love! You can grate your own sharp cheddar or use pre-grated.
- Whole Milk – Milk helps to keep the meatloaf moist. If you can’t have milk, you can use an alternative, but be sure it’s unsweetened.
- Ritz Crackers – Ritz crackers are the other special ingredient in this recipe! They add such a delicious, buttery flavor that regular breadcrumbs just won’t deliver! Crush them up to make sure they blend into the dish.
- Salt & Pepper – You’ll use these to season the meatloaf. I recommend freshly ground pepper.
Meatloaf Glaze Ingredients
- Ketchup – This is the base of our glaze! It’s rich, sweet, and goes perfectly with the other ingredients.
- Brown Sugar – Brown sugar turns this sauce into a delicious sticky glaze when it bakes! You can use dark or light brown sugar, whichever you prefer!
- Yellow Mustard – Mustard adds a salty tang here, which contrasts well with the ketchup and brown sugar.
- Worcestershire Sauce – Just a little of this flavorful sauce goes a long way! It helps to season our glaze and make it irresistibly delicious.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Cracker Barrel's Meatloaf
You’re going to love this easy Cracker Barrel meatloaf recipe! Make sure you don’t overwork the meat when mixing in the ingredients so it doesn’t get tough!
- Preheat and prep glaze. Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then in a small bowl, combine ½ cup of ketchup, ½ cup of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of yellow mustard, and 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. Whisk until smooth and well combined, then set it aside to use later.
- Make the meatloaf. In a large mixing bowl, add 1 ½ lbs. ground beef, ½ cup of finely diced yellow onion, ¼ cup of finely diced green bell pepper, 3 eggs, 4 ounces of grated sharp cheddar cheese, ¼ cup of whole milk, 2 sleeves of crushed Ritz crackers, and 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, or to taste. Using clean or gloved hands, thoroughly mix the ingredients until well combined.
- Bake the meatloaf. Place the meatloaf mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and form it into a loaf shape. Bake at 350°F (176°C) for 30 minutes. Then, remove from the oven and apply the glaze generously over the top of the meatloaf.
- Finish baking the meatloaf. Return your meatloaf to the oven and continue baking for 30 minutes or until the meatloaf is at least 160°F (72°C) when the temperature is checked in the center of the loaf. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice into even pieces, then serve and enjoy!
What is an amazing meatloaf without rich and creamy mashed potatoes? I love serving this delicious Cracker Barrel-style meatloaf for dinner with my incredible garlic red skin mashed potatoes and a green veggie like Roasted Broccoli with Garlic or crisp roasted asparagus.
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Notes
If you have trouble getting a fine dice on your veggies, try grating them!
- Using the large holes on a box grater makes the onion and bell pepper fine enough to meld into the meatloaf perfectly. The big bonus here is that you can easily get grated veggies past most picky eaters!
- This is also perfect if you’re short on time, have any issues with your hands, or just aren’t super comfortable with a knife! Just be sure to watch your fingertips!
This recipe calls for a free-form meatloaf, but if you prefer, you can use a loaf pan to shape!
- If you want a more defined loaf shape, you can put the meat mixture into a parchment-lined bread/loaf pan. Press down on it evenly, then flip the bread pan upside down over the parchment-lined baking sheet. Remove the pan (and parchment paper) and bake as usual!
To ensure your meatloaf is cooked all the way through, use a meat thermometer!
- Meatloaf should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F (72°C) to be safe to eat. Unless you’re a total meatloaf pro, it can be hard to know when it’s thoroughly done.
- Using a thermometer to check temp makes this so easy – you’ll never have to cut into under-cooked meatloaf!
🥡 Storing & Reheating
This incredible meatloaf refrigerates beautifully! Store in an airtight container or wrap well with aluminum foil and it’ll last for 3 to 4 days in your fridge.
Freezing
You can also freeze either a whole cooked meatloaf or leftover meatloaf! Wrap the cooled meatloaf well with plastic cling film, place in a freezer bag or airtight container, and freeze for up to 3 months for the best quality. Read more in my freezing meatloaf guide!
Reheating
When you’re ready to reheat the meatloaf, the oven is my favorite way to keep it moist while reheating! Preheat your oven to 250°F (121°C) and place the leftover meatloaf (you want to defrost any frozen meatloaf overnight in the fridge before reheating) into a baking dish.
Add a few splashes of beef broth or water to the bottom of the dish, then cover with aluminum foil and reheat for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the center is at least 165°F (74°C) when checked with a thermometer.
See all of my meatloaf reheating tips!
🥔 Sides For Meatloaf
Here are just a few of my favorite sides for meatloaf!
- Roasted Beets
- Crockpot Mac And Cheese
- Macaroni And Tomatoes
- Wedge Salad
- Curry Roasted Potatoes
- Air Fryer Mushrooms
❓ Recipe FAQs
Definitely! If you don’t prefer beef, you can try making this recipe with turkey! Be sure not to overcook the meatloaf (you want turkey to reach a temperature of 165°F (74°C) to be safe to eat) so it doesn’t dry out.
Milk makes the meatloaf extra moist, especially when combined with the cracker crumbs! You’ll never have a dry meatloaf when using it! If dairy milk isn’t your thing, you can use beef stock or an unsweetened milk alternative.
Sure! I love the savory taste of bell pepper in this recipe because it tastes just like how Cracker Barrel (and my grandma!) makes, but not everybody loves it! You can leave it out of the recipe, and it’ll still be delicious.
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📖 Recipe Card
Cracker Barrel Meatloaf Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs ground beef (lean 85%)
- ½ cup yellow onion (finely diced)
- ¼ cup green bell pepper (finely diced)
- 3 eggs
- 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup whole milk
- Ritz crackers (2 sleeves)
- 1 teaspoon each, salt & pepper
Meatloaf Glaze
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C).
- In a small bowl combine the glaze ingredients, whisk till smooth. Set aside for later.
- In a large mixing bowl add the ground beef, onion, green pepper, eggs, cheese, milk, crushed Ritz crackers, salt, and pepper. Using your clean hands thoroughly combine all ingredients.
- Place meatloaf mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and form it into a loaf shape.
- Bake at 350°F (176°C) for 30 minutes, remove from the oven and apply the glaze over the top of the meatloaf.
- Return your meatloaf to the oven and continue baking for 30 minutes or until the meatloaf is 160°F (72°C) when the temperature is checked in the center of the loaf.
- Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- For fine bits of your onion and green bell pepper, grate the vegetables using a cheese grater.
- To get a better shaped loaf look, you can put the meat mixture into a parchment paper lined bread pan and press down on it evenly. Flip the bread pan upside down over the parchment lined baking sheet.
- Use a digital meat thermometer to check the center of the meatloaf for doneness.
Joan Hedrick says
I was on a mission to try every copycat Cracker Barrel recipe and yours is the BEST!!!
Brandy says
I worked for Cracker Barrel for 8 years and this is better than theirs. It is one of our favorite meatloaf recipes!
Barbara McFarland says
I have made this recipe a few times and loved it. Today I used ground chicken. It was so delicious! This is the only meatloaf recipe I will ever use from now on. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Debbie says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Cathy says
Out of crackers. What’s a good substitute?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Breadcrumbs, oatmeal, stuffing are all good. Enjoy!
Dena Marie Bright says
This was the best meatloaf I've ever made. My family was so excited when I made it again . Usually they would tell me no. The best ever .thank you for sharing.
Dena Bright says
My family loved this!
Stacey says
Can you add mushrooms?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Yes, you can definitely add mushrooms. The recipe, as-is, is meant to be a copycat of the popular restaurant version but please do add your favorites. Thanks for asking!
Christina says
Can you tell me how many crackers you use. My cracker sleeves are the longer ones. Should I use one? Also did I see in the video that you cooked the green peppers and onions before putting them in the mix? THX
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
The longer, standard length sleeves have 32 crackers per sleeve (fresh stacks have around 13 crackers per sleeve). This recipe uses 2 standard sleeves so you'll be OK with 60-64 crackers. I did saute the veggies in the video and that is a personal preference. Without the extra saute, your onions and bell peppers will have more of a tender-crisp texture in the baked meatloaf. Hope that helps!
Angi davis says
I always get told that I make the best meatloaf and it is because I use this recipe. No one has ever said anything negative about this meatloaf
Georgie Haman says
Love this recipe. I make it often. My husband loves it.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I love hearing that. Thanks for sharing!
Anonymous says
Yummy, easy to make!
Denise says
This was so good! I did add extra Worcestershire in the glaze to cut the sweetness a little. Will definitely make again. Glad I doubled it, can freeze for later.
Tina says
Probally one of my favorite meals is making this. I get so many compliments on it. It’s becoming everyone’s favorite!
Ken Duffield says
absolutely delicious, rich flavor and just simply reminds you of home cooked food. We always serve this with creamed potatoes and green vegetables with a slice of homemade bread. Hands down, it's a classic home cooked meal you will never get tired of.
Tracie Saxton says
I made this for my father-in-law who loved it and has asked for it again. My husband loves it too!! Great recipe!
John says
Love this recipe! always loved cracker barrels meatloaf. Only second to my mom's! She added one extra ingredient... and I challenge you to try.. one half pound of breakfast sausage like Jimmy Dean regular!
Tabitha says
Best meatloaf recipe!
Eugene Hollett says
First time trying this recipe,it was a hit,will definitely make it again,thank you 👍👍
Carrie says
This is excellent!! Everyone in my family loved it, thank you for sharing the recipe!!