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Crockpot French Onion Meatloaf with Melted Swiss Cheese

French onion crockpot meatloaf with deeply caramelized onions and a tender, slow-cooked loaf finished with melted Swiss cheese. Set it up in a foil sling in your slow cooker, then top with onions and cheese for a glossy, savory finish.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
rest 10 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Meatloaf
  • 2 lb ground beef
  • 0.67 cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.33 cup milk
  • 1 packet (1 oz) French onion soup mix
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 pepper to taste
Caramelized Onions and Cheese
  • 3 onions large, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 0.5 tsp sugar
  • 4 Swiss cheese slices

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Caramelize the onions
  1. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat and add the onions with a pinch of sugar, stirring often as they soften.
  2. Continue cooking until the onions are deeply golden, about 25–30 minutes, then set aside.
Build and cook the meatloaf
  1. In a bowl, mix ground beef, breadcrumbs, eggs, milk, French onion soup mix, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper until evenly combined.
  2. Line the slow cooker with a foil sling, shape the meat into a loaf, and place it inside.
  3. Top the loaf with half of the caramelized onions, then cook on Low for 5–6 hours or High for 2.5–3 hours until the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
Melt Swiss cheese, rest, and serve
  1. Layer the remaining onions and the Swiss cheese over the top, cover, and cook on High for 10 minutes until the cheese melts.
  2. Lift the meatloaf out using the foil, rest for 10 minutes, and serve.

Notes

Pro tip: form the loaf firmly but don’t over-pack, so it stays tender after slow cooking. Refrigerate leftovers up to 3–4 days; reheat gently in the microwave or oven. Freezing is yes—freeze sliced portions up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lighter option, swap part of the beef for lean ground turkey (use the same seasoning and cook until it reaches 160°F).