French Onion Meatloaf

Is there a better cooking smell than onions, slowly caramelizing in a pan? For me, it's the ultimate in savory deliciousness and the promise of an amazing meal. And, of course, paired with all the melty goodness of Gruyere cheese, you get the flavors of French onion soup. My motto? French onion all the things!

Meatloaf is also high on my list of comfort foods so naturally I had to find a way to French onion my recipe. Adding the caramelized onions, fresh thyme and some cheese to the meat was easy enough but I went back and forth on how to add the melted cheese part because I certainly did not want to leave that out. Of course you can just top your cooked meatloaf with some shredded Gruyere and put it under the broiler for a few minutes and that was my plan while it was cooking.

But I always like to make a pan gravy for my meatloaf, and the all important mashed potatoes, so it occurred to me that I should combine the two into a cheesy gravy. Ding, ding! All the goodness of the melted Gruyere combined with a beefy gravy for the mash. This one's going into regular rotation around here. Enjoy!

Yield: 8 ServingsAuthor: Anita Schecter

French Onion Meatloaf

prep time: 25 minscook time: 1 hour and 45 minstotal time: 1 hours and 70 mins

Recipe for meatloaf flavored with caramelized onions, fresh thyme and Gruyere cheese.

ingredients:

• Meatloaf:
• 1 1/2 lbs. Ground meatloaf mix (equal parts ground beef, pork and veal)
• 1 Caramelized onion (recipe below)
• 1 Egg
• 4 Cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
• 1/4 Cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 Cup breadcrumbs
• 1/4 Cup grated Gruyere cheese
• 1/4 Teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 Teaspoon salt
• Gravy:
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 Sweet onions, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 Cups beef stock
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Cup grated Gruyere cheese
• 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

instructions:

1. Add the olive oil, butter and sliced onions to a large skillet or, ideally, a cast iron pan. Cook on low heat, stirring often for about 45 or until the onions caramelize. Remove half the onion mixture to a bowl to cool.
2. Stir in the flour and continue cooking for another minute. Whisk in the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, cheese and parsley. Continue cooking and stirring until the mixture thickens to your desired gravy consistency. Note that, if it gets too thick, add a bit more beef stock to loosen it. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
4. In a large bowl, combine the meat, the reserved caramelized onions, egg, garlic, parsley, thyme, milk, Worcestershire sauce, breadcrumbs, cheese, salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and form into a loaf. You can also cook this in a loaf pan. Bake for about an hour or until the top is golden brown. Serve with the gravy.

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