Country-Store Meatloaf (Inspired by Cracker Barrel, Not Official)
A cheesy, tender beef meatloaf made with buttery crackers, onion, green pepper and cheddar, finished with a sweet ketchup, brown sugar and mustard glaze. Inspired by the Southern roadside chain; not its recipe.
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store opened on September 19, 1969, near Interstate 40 just outside Lebanon, Tennessee, founded by Dan Evins, a former Shell Oil representative; it pairs a restaurant serving Southern "down-home" cooking with a gift store modeled on an old general store, and it now has more than 650 locations (English Wikipedia:). Taste of Home's copycat starts from the idea that meatloaf fans already know the restaurant's version.
Cracker Barrel has never published its recipe. Copycat cooks agree on what it tastes like: Todd Wilbur's Top Secret Recipes page credits the flavor to onion, green pepper and tomato (seen in search results), and Taste of Home's test kitchen builds its version with cheddar, crushed buttery crackers and a ketchup and brown sugar glaze. This recipe is ours, adapted from Taste of Home: inspired by the restaurant's, not official.
Why it works the kitchen science
Crackers and cheese
Buttery crackers soften into the meat like bread crumbs but add richness, and the melted cheddar keeps every slice tender and gives the loaf its diner-style flavor.
Glaze at the end
Added for only the last 10 to 15 minutes, the sugary glaze sets and turns glossy without scorching.
Step by step
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, cheese, crackers, onion, green pepper, salt, garlic powder and pepper.
- Step 2
Crumble the beef over the mixture and mix lightly but thoroughly; stop as soon as it is combined, because overmixing makes the loaf tough.
- Step 3
Shape a 10-by-5-inch loaf in an ungreased 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
- Step 4
Bake uncovered 50 minutes (cover loosely with foil for this stage if you like it extra moist, as Taste of Home suggests).
- Step 5
Meanwhile, stir the ketchup, brown sugar and mustard together until the sugar dissolves.
- Step 6
Spread the glaze over the top and sides of the loaf and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, uncovered, until the center reads 160°F.
- Step 7
Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
Country-Store Meatloaf (Inspired by Cracker Barrel, Not Official)
Serves 12 · 1 loaf, 10 by 5 inches (12 slices) · 1 hr 30 min total
Meatloaf
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1/3 cup 2% milk
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 sleeve round butter crackers, crushed (30 crackers)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 lb ground beef (80% lean)
Glaze
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp Dijon or yellow mustard
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, cheese, crackers, onion, green pepper, salt, garlic powder and pepper.
- Crumble the beef over the mixture and mix lightly but thoroughly; stop as soon as it is combined, because overmixing makes the loaf tough.
- Shape a 10-by-5-inch loaf in an ungreased 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
- Bake uncovered 50 minutes (cover loosely with foil for this stage if you like it extra moist, as Taste of Home suggests).
- Meanwhile, stir the ketchup, brown sugar and mustard together until the sugar dissolves.
- Spread the glaze over the top and sides of the loaf and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, uncovered, until the center reads 160°F.
- Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
Adapted from Kiersten Hickman, "Copycat Cracker Barrel Meat Loaf", Taste of Home (tested by the Taste of Home Test Kitchen; updated March 26, 2024), as written for 12. The 350°F oven, the 13-by-9-inch dish, the 50-minute first bake, the 10 to 15 minute glazed finish to 160°F and the 10-minute rest are Taste of Home's. Taste of Home recommends at least 80% lean beef; 80% is our choice. This is not Cracker Barrel's recipe, and nothing here comes from the company. Taste of Home. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
All sources (2)
Tips
- Chop the onion and pepper very fine so the loaf slices cleanly.
- Serve the way a country restaurant would: with mashed potatoes, green beans and a biscuit.
- Leftovers reheat well, covered, in a 325°F oven; bring slices to 165°F.
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- This is Cracker Barrel's recipe. Documented as not so: the company has not published one; this is adapted from Taste of Home's copycat. Keep the "inspired by, not official" label everywhere.
- Pull it at 155°F and let it coast. Disputed: Taste of Home says the loaf can come out at 155°F because it keeps cooking; FoodSafety.gov says ground beef should reach 160°F. We cook it to 160°F in the oven.
- The secret is the crackers. Folklore: copycat recipes disagree (Taste of Home uses buttery crackers; Top Secret Recipes works on the egg, crumb and milk balance).
- Cracker Barrel began in 1969 in Lebanon, Tennessee. Documented (Wikipedia).
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