French Onion Meat Loaf

I was watching Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals the other day and saw her make this recipe (which I have modified slightly to the ingredients and spices I had on hand) and I thought to myself "I just have to try that". Rachael called her recipe Salisbury Steaks with French Onion Gravy and her recipe is here if you are interested. I found this really simple to make and packed with flavor, though it did take me over 30 minutes to get the sauce to the level of decadence I wanted. I served with Sweet Potato Puffs for a pop of color on my plate.

French Onion Meat Loaf: Serves 4

1lbs Ground Beef (I used 93% Lean)
1/2tsp Onion Powder
2TB Worcestershire Sauce
1/4C Panko Breadcrumbs
1 Egg - Beaten
Salt & Pepper
2TB Olive Oil
1/2C White Wine
2-3 Large Onions - Thinly Sliced
2TB Flour
1/4tsp Ground Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
10oz Can Beef Stock

In a sauce pot over medium low - medium heat add 1TB oil, onions, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper and toss to coat. Slowly cook for approximately 30 minutes, stirring often and caramelizing the onions. You want to be careful not to burn the onions, rather slowly cook them so they turn a nice caramel brown color. Once the onions have finished caramelizing add the flour and stir then add the beef stock and continue stirring, bringing up to a low simmer and letting the sauce thicken. Keep over low heat while you finish the recipe.

In a mixing bowl gently mix ground beef, onion powder, 1/2TB olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, breadcrumbs, egg, salt and pepper together. Pinch a small piece off and microwave for 15 seconds and taste test to see if you need any more seasonings. Shape the mixture into 4 even patties approximately 1" thick and in a large saute pan add remaining 1/2TB of olive oil over medium heat then add the loafs into the pan, cooking on each side approximately 7-8 minutes for a total of 15-16 minutes. You want the meat loaves to be cooked through.

Remove the loaves to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Add wine to the pan to deglaze and stir to release any bits of the meat loaf that may of stuck to the pan. Add the onions and gravy to the pan and stir to incorporate. Bring up to a low simmer and let the mixture reduce for 5-10 minutes.  Add the loaves to the gravy and let them reheat in the pan for a minute or two.  Serve and Enjoy!

Tip: If you don't have wine you don't need it to make this a great recipe. Yes it does add another dimension of flavor but the sauce is pretty good without it. So skip the wine addition and just add the onions directly to the meat pan, and using a spoon gently scrape your pan to release the bits of meatloaf and let it cook for a minute, then add loaves back to reheat and incorporate with the sauce.

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WW: 8 Points Plus / serving