French Onion Soup au Gratin Stuffed Meatloaf

11/9/14

French Onion Soup au Gratin Stuffed Meatloaf is the ultimate comfort food mash-up. Take the best part of French Onion Soup – the rich caramelized onions and ooey, gooey cheese – stuff it inside one of the most classic recipes and top it with a soupy gravy in this French Onion Soup au Gratin Stuffed Meatloaf.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Gallo Family Vineyards via Sunday Supper, LLC. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Gallo Family Vineyards.

French Onion Soup au Gratin Stuffed Meatloaf

I’m so proud of The Bug, you guys! So as you know, Halloween was a little over a week ago, and of course I had to take my little monkeys out trick-or-treating. But before we even hit the sidewalk, I had a little chat with The Bug about the “Switch Witch”. I said that he could keep a few of his favorite candies, but we would put the rest in a box for the “Switch Witch” to take to kids that couldn’t go trick-or-treating. In return, she would leave him a coupon for a frozen yogurt. I figured one small treat that went along with a family outing was better than a couple weeks’ worth of chocolates, and the potential tantrums that would ensue when I attempted to limit his consumption.

He balked a bit at first, but his love of frozen yogurt won out. However, a slight look of concern came over his face, and, with a slight waver in his voice, he asked, “Mommy, at Christmas is the Switch Witch going to come take some of my toys from Santa to bring to other children?” I assured him that she wouldn’t take any of his new, special toys, but when we are unpacking all of his old toys when we move to our new house, we should make a pile of things that he and his little brother don’t play with anymore. Then we will make arrangements for the Switch Witch to come take those toys to little children who may not have any toys.

He seemed very happy with that plan – both because he would get to keep all of his new toys (I mean, he is only four), but also because he could make some other children happy, too. I think we will pick up some new things to donate as well, plus make a few extra purchases at the grocery store to help the local food banks and shelters. As we are embarking on a new journey in our lives, I’m realizing how blessed and lucky we are, and this is the least we can do as a family to help pass on some of our good fortune to help those in need. Even at this young age, this is such an important thing for me to teach my children.

Of course, as we move to a completely new area where we don’t know anyone, I’m expecting to feel a little lonely, and I can only imagine how it must be for those who are elderly or sick or have lost loved ones or have a spouse stationed overseas. Especially this time of year, I think we should all think about opening our homes to someone who could use a little company and conversation, and perhaps a warm, comforting meal like this…

French Onion Soup au Gratin Stuffed Meatloaf definitely combines the best of two comfort foods. Back in June I told you why French Onion Soup is such a comfort food to me, and those stuffed meatballs were huge hit with both my own family and families of readers who I heard from all over the country. But let’s be honest – stuffing cheese and onions into meatballs can get a bit tedious. Enter the other classic American comfort food – MEATLOAF! Stuffing those caramelized onions, enhanced with some reduced Gallo Family red wine – in this case the Cabernet Sauvignon, though Merlot or Pinot Noir work equally well – and gooey mozzarella cheese inside a meatloaf was a stroke of brilliance, if I do say so myself. Then covering it in that soup-inspired gravy and more cheese – you really can’t go wrong!

OK, well you can’t go wrong with three out of four of us. The Bug was in a mood where he refused to eat anything that touched an onion. Maybe he was just being generous and wanting to share his portion with someone else who would love it. Maybe not, but I can pretend.

What are you doing this holiday season to help bring comfort to those in need?

Print Recipe

4.67 from 6 votes

French Onion Soup au Gratin Stuffed Meatloaf

With its caramelized onions and ooey, gooey cheese and soup-y gravy, it's the ultimate comfort food mash-up.

Course: Beef, Dinner

Author: Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips

Ingredients

For the onions:

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 3 onions halved and thinly sliced
• ½ Tablespoon fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ cup beef broth
• ¼ cup red wine I used Gallo Family Cabernet Sauvignon, but Pinot Noir or Merlot would also work nicely

For the meatloaf:

• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs or instant or slightly ground oats gluten free, if needed
• 2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 8 oz mozzarella cheese shredded, divided
• Fresh chopped parsley for garnish optional

For the sauce:

• 2 1/2 cups beef broth
• 1/2 cup red wine I used Gallo Family Cabernet Sauvignon, but Pinot Noir or Merlot would also be good
• 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

For the onions:

• Heat oil in a skillet over medium, add onions, salt & pepper, cook 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently or until caramelized.
• Add thyme, sauté for minute or two, then add the wine and beef broth.
• Reduce until very little liquid remains.
• Set aside.

For the meatloaf:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs or oats, parsley, pepper, salt, and eggs. Gently combine with your hands until blended, but try not to overwork the meat.
• On a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper, press the meat mixture into a 10x12-inch rectangle.
• Set aside 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup og the caramelized onions. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese and the caramelized onions evenly over ground beef. Roll up like a jelly roll, starting from the short end, lifting the wax paper or plastic wrap as you roll. Seal the end completely, and place seam-side down into a 9x13-inch baking pan.
• Sauce - whisk together, bring to boil, simmer till thickened.
• Place pan in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. While the meatloaf is baking, prepare the sauce (see below).
• Remove pan from oven, pour the sauce over the meatloaf, and sprinkle with the reserved onions nd cheese.
• Return meatloaf to oven 15-20 minutes, or until no pink remains. Place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is browned and bubbly.
• Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired. Remove from oven and allow to stand 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

For the sauce:

• Whisk ingredients together in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat.
• Reduce to a simmer until reduced and thickened.

Enjoy!

Here are some more of my favorite comfort food mash-ups…

• Chicken Taco Corn Chowder
• Kentucky Hot Brown Grilled Cheese
• Buffalo Chicken Shepherd’s Pie

And the #SundaySupper family has plenty of other delicious comforting dishes to make or pair with Gallo Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Grigio…