Cracker Barrel Meatloaf

 The generous person that he is, and part of a twenty-year tradition, Butch brought home to me from the pool hall, a head cold. And no, it is not Covid. I thought I was going to dodge it because 3 to 4 days after Butch suffered from it is when it paid me a visit. So no luck there. I think in all the years we have shared colds, there were only one, maybe two times when he got one but I didn't. This too shall pass...

In the making of supper I made a discovery concerning the pans and dishes already here and the ones still in the moho and there will be some serious exchanging going on and the time is getting shorter to get that done.

Here is the new-to-me recipe I tried it today. It is worth passing along.

Cracker Barrel Meatloaf

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds lean ground beef

1 small finely diced onion

1/2 cup finely diced bell pepper (optional)

1 1/2 sleeves of crushed Ritz crackers (48 crackers total)

4 oz. shredded sharp cheddar or Colby cheese

3 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

For the topping:

1/2 to 3/4 cup ketchup

2 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. mustard

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard. Place it aside. This will be used later as the topping.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, crushed Ritz crackers, cheese, milk, onion, bell pepper, salt, and black pepper. Mix well.

Add in the ground beef. Mix well just to combine. Do not overmix.

Form into a loaf and place inside a baking pan or baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and spread the topping over the meatloaf.

Bake for an additional 30 to 40 minutes or until the center is 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

Let it cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!