Description
Rich Crockpot French Onion Meatloaf blends classic comfort with French bistro flavors. Savory beef combines with caramelized onions, creating a hearty meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 lbs (700 g) ground beef (80% lean)
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup (50 g) shredded mozzarella or Gruyere cheese (optional, for mixing into the meatloaf)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella, Gruyere, or Swiss cheese
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) milk
- ½ cup (50 g) breadcrumbs (plain or seasoned)
- 1 envelope (about 2 tbsps) French onion soup mix
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup caramelized onions
Instructions
- Prepare Mixture: Delicately fold ground beef with breadcrumbs, French onion soup mix, milk, eggs, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, garlic powder, and optional shredded cheese in a large mixing bowl, ensuring gentle blending to maintain meat’s tender texture.
- Shape Loaf: Mold the seasoned meat mixture into a compact, uniform loaf within the crockpot, smoothing the surface to guarantee even heat distribution and consistent cooking.
- Slow Cook: Cover the crockpot and set to low heat, allowing the meatloaf to cook slowly for 6-8 hours, enabling flavors to meld and meat to become supremely tender and juicy.
- Final Preparation: Once cooking is complete, carefully remove the meatloaf from the crockpot, letting it rest for 10-15 minutes to stabilize its structure before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Gentle Mixing Technique: Handle ground beef delicately to prevent dense, tough meatloaf texture by using light folding motions and avoiding excessive hand compression.
- Seasoning Distribution: Sprinkle French onion soup mix thoroughly to guarantee even flavor throughout the meat mixture, preventing bland or concentrated seasoning pockets.
- Moisture Preservation: Add milk and eggs sparingly to bind ingredients without oversaturating, maintaining the meatloaf’s ideal tender and juicy consistency.
- Cheese Integration Strategy: If adding shredded cheese, fold gently and minimally to prevent breaking down protein structure and ensure melty, distinct cheese pockets within the meatloaf.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-7 hours (low) or 3-4 hours (high)
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 105 mg