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Southern Meatloaf

Southern meatloaf that bakes up tender with cracker crumbs and a tangy-sweet ketchup-mustard glaze. Inside, diced sweet onion and green bell pepper stay juicy while the top caramelizes deep amber.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Rest 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Southern American
Calories: 410
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

ground beef
  • 2 lb ground beef
saltine cracker crumbs
  • 1 cup saltine cracker crumbs
eggs
  • 2 eggs
whole milk
  • 0.5 cup whole milk
sweet onion, finely diced
  • 0.5 cup sweet onion, finely diced
green bell pepper, finely diced
  • 0.25 cup green bell pepper, finely diced
Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
garlic powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
onion powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
salt
  • salt to taste
black pepper
  • black pepper to taste
ketchup
  • 0.33 cup ketchup
yellow mustard
  • 1 tbsp yellow mustard
brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
  2. Combine ground beef, saltine cracker crumbs, eggs, whole milk, sweet onion, finely diced, green bell pepper, finely diced, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
  3. Press the mixture into the loaf pan so it’s evenly packed.
Glaze and Bake
  1. Mix ketchup, yellow mustard, and brown sugar, then spread evenly over the top in an even layer.
  2. Bake for 60–70 minutes at 350°F until the internal temperature reaches 160°F and the glaze looks caramelized and deep amber.
Rest and Serve
  1. Rest the meatloaf 10 minutes at room temperature before slicing, so the juices set and the slices hold together.
  2. Slice and serve warm with classic Southern sides.

Notes

For best sliceable texture, press the loaf firmly into the pan and don’t skip the 10-minute rest—cutting early can cause crumbling. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days in a covered container; freeze baked meatloaf slices for up to 3 months. For a lighter swap, use 90% lean ground beef instead of regular ground beef while keeping the same glaze.