It’s a traditional comfort food recipe prepared with ground beef, onions, bell pepper, cheddar cheese, Ritz crackers, and a sweet and savory glaze drizzled over the top.
This copycat recipe is simple, tasty, and a crowd-pleaser that serves the whole family at a fraction of the cost of the original. Furthermore, the leftovers are just as delicious the following day.
Meatloaf has a poor reputation for a reason. You should be particularly cautious if you’ve ever eaten the “mystery meat” that is commonly included on menus at school cafeterias.
However, when prepared with care (and a few easy modifications), this basic dish rapidly becomes a family favorite comfort food.
People frequently express dissatisfaction with their meatloaf because it is overly dry. This is often induced by the use of leaner meat. For a moist, luscious meatloaf that cooks to perfection, use 80 percent lean ground beef as the basis of the recipe.
Alternatively, you may make your loaf using half ground beef and half ground pork to improve the taste and texture. Sausages are another wonderful alternative.
INGREDIENTS:
- 80% Lean ground beef, I used 2 pounds.
- A small onion, finely diced.
- A small bell pepper, finely diced.
- Crushed Ritz crackers, I used 48 crackers total.
- Sharp cheddar or Colby cheese, I used 4-ounces shredded.
- 3 whole eggs.
- 1/2 Cup.Of milk.
- 1 small spoon.Of salt.
- 1/4 small spoon.Of black pepper.
FOR THE TOPPING, YOU CAN USE:
- 3/4 Cup.Of ketchup.
- 2 large spoons.Of brown sugar.
- 1 small spoon.Of mustard.
METHOD OF WORK:
- 1st Step: Set the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 2nd Step: Combine the ketchup, with brown sugar, and mustard in a small mixing bowl until well combined, and set the mixture aside for later use.
- 3rd Step: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, with crushed Ritz crackers, shredded cheese, milk, diced onion and bell pepper, salt, and black pepper until well combined. Ensure that everything is nicely combined.
- 4th Step: Add in the ground beef and mix well. Just enough to blend, stir thoroughly. Don’t overwork the mixture.
- 5th Step: Form the mixture into a loaf and set it in a baking pan or baking sheet that has been coated with aluminum foil or parchment paper. And bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 6th Step: When done, remove the meatloaf from the oven and cover with the crisp topping.
- 7th Step: Bake for a further 30 to 40 minutes, or until the center of the cake reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit in the middle.
- 8th Step: After 15 minutes of cooling, it’s ready to be served.
Enjoy!
