Raise your hand if you love meatloaf. Not the dry as sawdust, dense brick of meat that many of us grew up eating. I’m talking about a moist, tender, melt in your mouth meatloaf; One that’s packed with flavor! Would you believe me if I told you that you could make a phenomenal tasting meatloaf and get it on the table in under an hour? And any leftovers make one of the best meatloaf sandwiches you’ve ever eaten!
This copycat Cracker Barrel recipe checks all the boxes. It’s easy to make and tastes fantastic! But let’s face it, it takes close to an hour and a half to cook a large meatloaf in the oven, and we don’t always have the luxury of time on our hands. Making it into mini meatloaves makes this a meal that you can serve up anytime. Plop the ingredients in a mixing bowl, mix it together, divide into mini loaves, bake it for 30 minutes, top with the most amazingly delectable sauce you’ve ever had, pop it back in the oven for 10 more minutes and you will be rewarded with one of the best meatloaves you’ve ever had…guaranteed!
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place beef, onion, cracker crumbs, milk, beaten eggs, shedded cheese, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl.
Combine all the ingredients together with your hands. Try not to overwork the mixture.
Divide the meat mixture into eight equal sized portions.
Press mixture into the mini loaf pan openings.
Bake for 30 minutes or until loaves reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
Most of the amazing flavor comes from the sauce you baste on top of each loaf. All the Cracker Barrel copycat recipes I found online call for adding a ton of brown sugar to the sauce. Instead of ketchup, mustard and loads of brown sugar, I omitted the brown sugar all together and made the sauce using half ketchup and half honey barbecue sauce, with a generous squeeze of yellow mustard. The mustard gives the sauce a nice tang, and the addition of the barbecue sauce gives it just the right amount of sweetness! You end up with a sauce that’s not too sweet and utterly lip smacking delectable! As Goldie Locks would say, “It’s just right”.
Combine ketchup, barbecue sauce and mustard in a small bowl.
After 30 minutes, remove meatloaves from the oven and top each loaf with a generous layer of the sauce.
Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Place each meatloaf on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes. Serve with extra sauce and add your favorite vegetable on the side to round out the meal.
You can’t serve up the best meatloaf ever with out the best mashed potatoes! Learn How to Make the World’s Creamiest, Fluffiest Mashed Potatoes. Get the potatoes boiling on the stovetop after you pop the meatloaves into the oven and everything will be ready to serve up all at the same time.
If you’re craving a comfort food meal that’s easy to make and tastes delicious, (even more delicious than you remember) then this is the meal you’ve been looking for!!!
Cracker Barrel Copycat Mini Meatloaf Recipe
Equipment
- mini loaf pan or muffin pan
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb ground beef
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- ⅔ cup milk
- 32 Ritz crackers (one entire sleeve), crushed
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
For the Sauce:
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup Honey Barbecue sauce
- 2 tbsp yellow mustard
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place beef, onion, cracker crumbs, milk, beaten eggs, shedded cheese, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl.
- Combine all the ingredients together with your hands. Do not overwork the mixture.
- Divide mixture into eight equal sized portions and press mixture into mini loaf pan.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until loaves reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
- Combine ketchup, barbecue sauce and mustard in a small bowl.
- Remove meatloaves from the oven and top each loaf with a generous layer of the sauce.
- Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- Serve each meatloaf on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes. Serve with extra sauce and add your favorite vegetable on the side to round out the meal.
Did You Make This?
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John 6:35
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