Description
Comfort meets innovation in this mac and cheese meatloaf casserole, blending hearty Midwestern flavors with creamy pasta perfection. Cheese-lovers will savor each forkful of this classic comfort dish that promises satisfaction in every comforting bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein:
- 2 pounds (907 grams) lean ground beef
- 2 eggs
Sauce and Seasoning Ingredients:
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 cup Sweet Baby Rays Hickory & Brown Sugar barbecue sauce
- 2 ounces (57 grams) Lipton onion soup mix
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
Pasta, Cheese, and Crackers:
- 3 cups macaroni noodles
- 2 cups milk
- 10.5 ounces (298 grams) condensed cheddar cheese soup
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese blend
- 30 Ritz Crackers
Instructions
- Prepare the flavor base by whisking together ketchup and barbecue sauce in a medium bowl, setting aside for later use.
- Crush Ritz crackers thoroughly in a large Ziploc bag using a rolling pin until finely ground.
- Combine ground beef with crushed cracker crumbs, Lipton onion soup mix, eggs, and half of the prepared sauce mixture in a large mixing bowl.
- Gently mix ingredients by hand until uniformly incorporated, taking care not to overwork the meat.
- Transfer the meat mixture into a greased 9×13 inch baking dish, pressing to create an even layer.
- Spread the remaining sauce mixture evenly across the top of the meatloaf.
- Roast the meatloaf in a preheated 350°F oven for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook macaroni according to package instructions, then drain completely.
- Create a creamy sauce by whisking milk and condensed cheddar cheese soup until smooth.
- Season the sauce with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder, mixing thoroughly.
- Fold cooked macaroni into the seasoned sauce, ensuring complete coating.
- Incorporate 2 cups of shredded cheese into the macaroni mixture.
- After the initial baking, remove meatloaf from oven and carefully spread macaroni layer on top.
- Sprinkle remaining 2 cups of cheese over the macaroni layer.
- Return casserole to oven and bake for an additional 17-20 minutes until cheese melts and develops a light golden color.
- Allow casserole to rest for 5 minutes before serving to help set and make cutting easier.
Notes
- Cracker Crushing Tip: Use a rolling pin or the bottom of a heavy skillet to crush Ritz crackers, ensuring they break into fine, even crumbs for better meatloaf texture.
- Meat Mixing Technique: Mix the meatloaf ingredients gently with clean hands to prevent overworking the meat, which can make the final dish tough and dense.
- Cheese Melting Hack: Cover the casserole with aluminum foil for the last few minutes of baking to prevent cheese from burning while ensuring complete melting.
- Low-Carb Adaptation: Replace Ritz crackers with crushed pork rinds and use cauliflower instead of macaroni for a lower-carbohydrate version of the dish.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 510
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 1000 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg