Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, crushed Ritz crackers, milk, egg, onion, green bell pepper, salt, and black pepper.
Mix the ingredients by hand until evenly combined. Shape the mixture into a loaf that weighs about 2 pounds and place it in a loaf pan.
Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and spread 1/2 cup of the barbecue sauce evenly over the top of the loaf.
Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Let the meatloaf rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Warm the remaining 1/4 cup of barbecue sauce and serve it on the side for extra dipping.