Description
A comforting casserole that layers a savory meatloaf base with creamy mac and cheese, topped with melted cheese for a hearty, crowd‑pleasing meal.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs lean ground beef
- 30 Ritz Crackers, crushed
- 2 oz Lipton onion soup mix
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s Hickory & Brown Sugar barbecue sauce
- 3 cups macaroni noodles
- 2 cups milk
- 10.5 oz condensed cheddar cheese soup
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese blend
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F (175 °C) and grease a 9×13‑inch baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, combine ketchup and barbecue sauce; set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix ground beef, crushed Ritz crackers, onion soup mix, eggs, and half of the sauce mixture until just combined. Press evenly into the prepared dish and spread the remaining sauce on top.
- Bake meatloaf layer for 30 minutes.
- While it bakes, cook macaroni according to package directions; drain.
- In a large bowl, whisk together milk and cheddar cheese soup until smooth. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder. Stir in cooked macaroni and 2 cups shredded cheese.
- Remove meatloaf from oven. Spread mac and cheese mixture evenly over it. Top with remaining 2 cups shredded cheese.
- Bake an additional 17–20 minutes, until cheese is melted and starts to brown.
- Let rest a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- Can be assembled ahead and refrigerated before baking.
- Freezes well—freeze after baking or just the assembled unbaked dish.
- Leftovers reheat nicely; cover and bake at 350 °F until warmed through.
- To avoid soggy texture, drain excess fat after the first bake.
- Optional: add chopped vegetables (e.g. bell peppers, spinach) or use gluten‑free substitutions (GF pasta, crackers, soup).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approximately 1/8 of casserole)
