Ah, meatloaf with Ritz crackers—that’s a classic comfort food twist! Using Ritz crackers instead of breadcrumbs gives the meatloaf a buttery, slightly salty flavor and a tender texture. 🥩✨
Key Features
- Protein: Ground beef (sometimes mixed with pork or veal)
- Binder: Crushed Ritz crackers instead of traditional breadcrumbs
- Flavor boosters: Onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, or mustard
- Topping: Often a ketchup glaze, barbecue sauce, or even a mixture of brown sugar and mustard
Basic Ingredients (Serves 4–6)
- 1 ½ lb ground beef
- 1 cup crushed Ritz crackers (about 1 sleeve)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tbsp ketchup (plus more for topping)
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- Salt & pepper to taste
Simple Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Mix ingredients: In a large bowl, combine ground beef, crushed Ritz crackers, chopped onion, egg, milk, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix gently—don’t overwork.
- Shape meatloaf: Form mixture into a loaf and place in a greased baking dish or loaf pan.
- Top: Spread a thin layer of ketchup or glaze over the top.
- Bake: 55–65 minutes until internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C).
- Rest & serve: Let rest 5–10 minutes before slicing to retain juices.
💡 Tips:
- For extra flavor, sauté the onions and garlic before mixing them in.
- You can mix in shredded cheese or chopped bell peppers for a twist.
- Leftover meatloaf makes great sandwiches the next day!
If you want, I can give a super-moist Ritz cracker meatloaf recipe with a sweet-and-savory glaze that’s almost foolproof. Do you want me to do that?
