Barbecue Meatloaf Casserole with Cheddar-Soup Macaroni (Print-Friendly Version)
This large casserole uses a ketchup-and-barbecue glaze beneath macaroni mixed with condensed cheddar soup, milk and shredded cheese. Its sauce and cracker-bound meat layer differ from a scratch-roux macaroni bake. Check dish capacity before assembling; the full quantity needs a deep baking dish with headroom.
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House placeholder — AdSense units launch here# Ingredients You’ll Need:
→ Meatloaf Base
01 -
2 pounds lean ground beef
02 -
30 Ritz crackers, crushed (about 1 1/2 cups), or 1 1/2 cups plain breadcrumbs
03 -
1 (2 ounce) packet onion soup mix
04 -
2 large eggs
→ Sauces
05 -
1 cup ketchup
06 -
1 cup barbecue sauce
→ Macaroni and Cheese Layer
07 -
3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
08 -
2 cups milk
09 -
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cheddar cheese soup
10 -
1 teaspoon salt
11 -
1 teaspoon black pepper
12 -
1 tablespoon garlic powder
13 -
1 tablespoon onion powder
14 -
4 cups shredded cheese (combination of cheddar and mozzarella)
# How to Make It:
01 -
Heat the oven to 350°F and prepare a deep baking dish with sufficient headroom.
02 -
Mix the ketchup and barbecue sauce and divide into two equal portions.
03 -
Combine beef, crushed crackers, onion soup mix, eggs and one portion of sauce gently.
04 -
Press the meat evenly into the dish and spread the remaining sauce over it.
05 -
Bake about thirty minutes, continuing until the meat center reaches 160°F.
06 -
Meanwhile, boil the three cups of dry macaroni to al dente and drain well. Whisk the condensed cheese soup with the milk, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper.
07 -
Taste this sauce before adding the listed salt as needed.
08 -
Fold in the cooked macaroni and two cups of shredded cheese.
09 -
Spoon excess fat carefully from the cooked meat without scraping away its glaze.
10 -
Spread the macaroni over the meat and scatter the remaining two cups of cheese.
11 -
Bake about seventeen to twenty minutes, continuing until the middle reaches 165°F. Rest ten minutes before serving.
# Extra Suggestions:
01 -
Stir the cup of ketchup and cup of barbecue sauce together, then divide that combined mixture evenly. This is the two-pound meatloaf version with a ketchup-barbecue glaze and condensed cheese soup, distinct from the smaller roux-based macaroni casserole. Mix the two sauces first, then divide evenly between the meat mixture and its surface. Measure the three cups of macaroni dry and boil it before layering. Split the four cups of shredded cheese into two equal portions. Keep enough headroom in the baking dish for the cooked pasta topping. Remove pooled fat carefully from the cooked meat with a spoon before adding pasta. Check the final layered center, not just the previously cooked meat, before serving.