Mac and Cheese Meatloaf Casserole puts two comfort foods in one 9×13-inch pan: a pressed meatloaf layer with crushed crackers and onion soup mix, glazed with a ketchup and barbecue sauce, then covered with creamy cheddar macaroni and a blanket of melted cheese. It serves 8 and takes a little over an hour.
How to make it: Mix the beef, crushed crackers, onion soup mix, eggs and some of the ketchup-barbecue sauce, press it into the dish, top with the rest of the sauce, and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. While it bakes, stir cooked macaroni into a milk and cheddar soup sauce with half the cheese. Spread it over the meatloaf, add the rest of the cheese, and bake 17 to 20 minutes more.
Why You’ll Love It
- Two favorites, one pan: a sweet, tangy meatloaf under creamy mac and cheese.
- No loaf to shape: the meat is simply pressed into the baking dish.
- Everything cooks at once: the macaroni boils while the meatloaf bakes.
- Feeds a crowd: 8 hearty servings.
Ingredient Notes
Ketchup and barbecue sauce: One cup of each, mixed. Half a cup goes into the meat and the rest glazes the top. A hickory and brown sugar barbecue sauce works well.
Lean ground beef: Two pounds.
Ritz crackers, onion soup mix and eggs: Thirty crushed crackers, 2 ounces of onion soup mix (about 2 packets) and 2 large eggs go into the meat.
Elbow macaroni: Three cups, dry, cooked and drained.
Milk and cheddar cheese soup: Two cups of milk and a 10.5-ounce can of condensed cheddar cheese soup make the sauce.
Seasonings: A teaspoon each of salt and pepper and a tablespoon each of garlic powder and onion powder.
Cheese: Four cups of shredded mozzarella and cheddar blend: 2 cups in the macaroni and 2 cups on top.
Ingredients
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 cup hickory and brown sugar barbecue sauce
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 30 Ritz crackers, crushed
- 2 ounces onion soup mix (about 2 packets)
- 2 large eggs
- 3 cups dry elbow macaroni
- 2 cups milk
- 1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed cheddar cheese soup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese blend, divided
How to Make Meatloaf Mac and Cheese Casserole
1. Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Mix the sauce. Stir together the ketchup and barbecue sauce and set aside.
3. Make the meatloaf. Mix the ground beef, crushed crackers, onion soup mix, eggs and 1/2 cup of the ketchup-barbecue sauce. Press into the baking dish and spread the remaining sauce on top.
4. Bake the meatloaf. Bake for 30 minutes.
5. Make the mac and cheese. Meanwhile, cook the macaroni according to the package and drain well. Whisk the milk, cheddar cheese soup, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder until smooth, then stir in the macaroni and 2 cups of the cheese.
6. Top and bake. Spread the macaroni over the meatloaf and sprinkle with the remaining 2 cups of cheese. Bake 17 to 20 minutes more, until the cheese melts and turns light golden and the meatloaf reaches 160°F in the center.
7. Serve. Let it cool a little, then cut into slices.
How to Get Both Layers Done at the Same Time
The meatloaf needs longer in the oven than the macaroni does, so the layers go in at different times.
Give the meatloaf a head start. The pressed meat bakes alone for 30 minutes. Use that time to boil and drain the macaroni and whisk the cheese sauce.
Glaze before the pasta goes on. Spread the rest of the ketchup-barbecue sauce over the meat before it bakes, so the sauce ends up between the meatloaf and the macaroni.
Finish together. Once the mac and cheese and the last of the cheese are on top, 17 to 20 more minutes melts the cheese to light golden. Check the center of the meatloaf with a thermometer before serving; it should read the temperature in step 6.
Tips for Success
- Press the meat evenly: spread it to the corners of the dish in one even layer.
- Drain the macaroni well: before it goes into the cheese sauce.
- Whisk the sauce smooth: combine the milk, soup and seasonings before the pasta goes in.
- Let it cool a little: before cutting it into slices.
Smaller Batch in an 8×8
For a smaller pan, mix 1 pound of lean ground beef with 15 crushed Ritz crackers, 1 packet of onion soup mix, 1 egg, 1/4 cup of ketchup and 1/4 cup of barbecue sauce, pat it into an 8×8-inch dish and bake 30 minutes at 350°F. Make the mac and cheese with 8 ounces of elbow macaroni, then spread another 1/4 cup of barbecue sauce over the baked meatloaf, top with the macaroni and cheese, and bake 15 minutes more.
Variations
- From-scratch cheese sauce: make a butter and flour roux, whisk in milk, and melt in sharp cheddar with a little mustard powder.
- Classic meatloaf base: use breadcrumbs, diced onion, garlic and Worcestershire in place of crackers and soup mix.
- Evaporated milk: use evaporated milk with the cheddar cheese soup for the macaroni.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. Reheat slices to 165°F.
What to Serve With It
Serve it with green beans or a simple salad. If you love meatloaf, try old fashioned momma’s meatloaf, parmesan meatloaf or French onion meatloaf. For more cheesy dinners, there is good ole fashion mac and cheese, Big Mac casserole and beef Lombardi casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make an easy mac and cheese meatloaf casserole?
Press a cracker-and-onion-soup meatloaf into a 9×13 dish, glaze it with ketchup and barbecue sauce, and bake 30 minutes. Top with macaroni stirred into a cheddar soup sauce, add more cheese, and bake 17 to 20 minutes more.
Do meatloaf and mac and cheese go together?
Yes. In this casserole the sweet, tangy glazed meatloaf sits right under the creamy macaroni and cheese.
Can I make a mac and cheese casserole with ground beef?
Yes. This one uses 2 pounds of lean ground beef as a meatloaf layer under the macaroni.
How do I know the meatloaf is done?
A thermometer in the center of the meatloaf layer should read the temperature in step 6 after the final bake.
Final Notes
Bake the meatloaf first, glaze it, then add the mac and cheese for the last stretch. If you make it, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Mac and Cheese Meatloaf Casserole
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Ingredients
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 cup hickory and brown sugar barbecue sauce
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 30 Ritz crackers crushed
- 2 ounces onion soup mix about 2 packets
- 2 large eggs
- 3 cups elbow macaroni dry
- 2 cups milk
- 10.5 ounces condensed cheddar cheese soup 1 can
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese blend divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Stir together the ketchup and barbecue sauce and set aside.
- Mix the ground beef, crushed crackers, onion soup mix, eggs and 1/2 cup of the ketchup-barbecue sauce. Press into the baking dish and spread the remaining sauce on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the macaroni according to the package and drain well. Whisk the milk, cheddar cheese soup, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder until smooth, then stir in the macaroni and 2 cups of the cheese.
- Spread the macaroni over the meatloaf and sprinkle with the remaining 2 cups of cheese. Bake 17 to 20 minutes more, until the cheese melts and turns light golden and the meatloaf reaches 160°F in the center.
- Let it cool a little, then cut into slices.
