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French Onion Meatloaf

French onion meatloaf with deeply caramelized onions and melted Swiss cheese baked into a tender loaf. Oven-baked meatloaf is topped for a French onion soup vibe—golden, bubbly, and slice-ready.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
rest 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Meatloaf
  • 2 lb ground beef
  • 0.667 cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.333 cup milk
  • 1 oz French onion soup mix
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 0.25 Salt to taste
  • 0.25 pepper to taste
Topping
  • 3 large onions thinly sliced
  • 6 Swiss cheese slices
  • 0.25 Fresh thyme for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Caramelize the onions
  1. In a Dutch oven, caramelize the thinly sliced onions in butter over medium heat for 25 min, stirring often until deeply golden and reduced. Visual cue: the onions should look jammy and translucent with dark golden edges.
Bake the meatloaf
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan. Visual cue: oven reaches temperature before mixing.
  2. In a mixing bowl, combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, eggs, milk, French onion soup mix, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper until just evenly combined. Visual cue: the mixture should look cohesive with no dry breadcrumb pockets.
  3. Press the meat mixture firmly into the loaf pan, smoothing the top. Visual cue: the loaf should fill the pan evenly for consistent baking.
  4. Bake at 350°F for 50 minutes, until the loaf is set and browning at the edges. Visual cue: juices should be bubbling lightly around the pan edges.
  5. Top the hot meatloaf with the caramelized onions and lay Swiss cheese slices over the surface. Visual cue: cheese should fully cover the onions in a single layer.
  6. Return to the oven and bake for 15–20 minutes more at 350°F until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Visual cue: cheese will blister and brown in spots; meatloaf center should read 160°F.
  7. Rest the meatloaf for 10 minutes before slicing. Visual cue: the loaf should hold its shape and release less steam when cut.
  8. Garnish with fresh thyme and serve. Visual cue: scattered thyme leaves add a fresh green finish on top.

Notes

Pro tip: caramelize the onions until truly dark-golden and jammy—this is what makes the flavor read like French onion soup. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 4 days; reheat slices in the oven or microwave until hot. Freezing is yes (wrap individual slices for best texture). For a lighter option, use 90% lean ground beef.