This keto meatloaf recipe is the pinnacle of low carb comfort food. Pair it with some delicious low carb red wine for a hearty and healthy comfort food meal. This post is sponsored by Secco Wine Club.
This keto french onion meatloaf is easy, delicious, and full of great flavor. And of course I want you to make it as soon as humanly possible. But that’s not what I want to discuss with you today.
Today I want to discuss one of my favorite subjects: wine.
Low Carb Wine
I have learned a lot about wine in the past few weeks, and a lot about the current state of the wine industry. And it’s a little creepy, to be frank.
Let’s put it this way: when it comes to a keto diet, not all wines are created equal. Not even close. And most consumers, including myself, are woefully deceived about what goes into our favorite beverage.
I’m a red wine drinker and have been for a long time, and I typically drink a glass every evening. Since I don’t like sweet wines, and I stick to deep reds, I wasn’t worried about the carbs and the sugars. And then I had a phone call with the head of Secco Wine Club that changed my perceptions… and my wine drinking habits.
I’m now a deep believer in their products, their methods, and their delicious PALO61 wines. And you will be too, after you read this.
What’s in your wine?
The long and short of it is that the wine industry has us over a barrel (pun totally intended) and the lack of transparency is deeply disturbing. Wine is at a peak of popularity right now and demand exceeds supply, so many vineyards are taking shortcuts, forcing grapes to grow in less than ideal conditions.
This requires forced irrigation, instead of the normally dry conditions that wine grapes prefer. And the resulting juice lacks the flavor, color, and nutritional content that traditional wines contain. To make up for it, vintners are adding all sorts of additives and chemicals, and even sweeteners. Some of these bottles can contain up to 20g of sugars per bottle.
And as wines are not required to have an ingredient list or a nutritional label, we consumers have no idea what we’re drinking or how many carbs it really contains. Making it anything but keto-friendly.
Truly Low Sugar Wine
Thankfully, there are some people out there making wine the old fashioned way, and Secco Wine Club is one of them. And they believe in full transparency, including a nutritional label on the back of every bottle.
They own the process from grape to glass, with vineyards in Tuscany using dry farming methods. This means no forced irrigation, just the vines growing in their natural environment, and at the whims of the weather patterns. The roots of the vines can reach down as far as 18 feet, drawing in the vital nutrients from the soil and water.
And they use old world wine making methods, with no additives, no chemicals, non-GMO and completely vegan too.
This strict adherence to quality results in delicious, clean wines with less than 2g of carbs per bottle and less than 2g of residual sugars per bottle. Per bottle, not per glass!
But how does PALO61 taste?
Crisp, clean, delicious. Honestly, clean-tasting is the best way I can describe it. It’s pretty amazing and I think it may have ruined me for any other wine ever again.
I had a wine club that I signed up for during a visit to Napa a few years ago and I’ve cancelled it now. I opened one remaining bottle the other day and it was very cloying to my tastebuds. I found it hard to drink, to be honest.
I’m not much of a white wine drinker so I may not be your best guide there, but the PALO61 rosé is wonderful and I shared a bottle with some friends the other day. We all gave it thumbs up.
How does Secco Wine Club work?
Yes, it’s called a “wine club” but you don’t have to sign up for a membership. You can purchase by the bottle and order as frequently as you like.
And they are offering my readers complimentary shipping on orders of 3 or more bottles of PALO61 wines. This is a savings of $20.
Use code FOODDREAMER at checkout.
So do I recommend the low carb PALO61 wines? Yes, I really genuinely do. Quite fervently, in fact, because I believe in their mission and I actually love the wine.
If you are a wine drinker on a keto diet and want to enjoy your glass without worry, you need to try these. Low carb, low sugar wine made the old fashioned way, without additives or chemicals.
Drink with peace of mind, my friends. Cheers.
What to pair with low carb wine
Oh yes, the recipe. I almost forgot.
I’m lying. I never forget about food. Anyway, let me assure you that this French Onion Meatloaf is the ideal pairing with PALO61 Toscano Rosso. The rich red pairs so well with a hearty meal like this one. But add some caramelized onions and some Gruyere cheese? Match made in heaven.
This is a relatively simple keto meatloaf to make and the most time-consuming part is caramelizing the onions. That’s always a slow process but worth it every time. After that, the rest comes together very quickly.
And even the kids love it! The meatloaf, I mean. Not the wine. My kids don’t drink wine quite yet…
This keto meatloaf recipe is the pinnacle of low carb comfort food, with rich caramelized onions and smothered in Gruyere cheese.
- 2 tbsp butter or bacon grease
- 1 large white onion cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
- Salt
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork or another lb ground beef
- 1 cup ground pork rinds or 1/2 cup almond flour
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 3/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 large egg
- 4 ounces Gruyere cheese grated
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In a large skillet over low heat, melt the butter or bacon grease. Once melted, add the sliced onions and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
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Stir in the thyme leaves, cook one more minute, then remove from heat and set aside.
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Preheat the oven to 350F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
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In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, pork rinds, onion powder, pepper, and an additional 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in the egg and half of the caramelized onions, then use your hands to thoroughly combine.
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Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and form the mixture into a loaf about 5 by 9 inches. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 160F. Remove and turn off the oven.
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Top with the shredded cheese and the remaining onions and place back in the warm oven to melt the cheese, about 5 minutes.
Marcelle says
I am really disappointed. I went to Secco to try out their low carb wines but apparently they do not ship to NJ. I don’t know why, since I have had wine shipped here before. But the worst is they do not even have any contact info on their site to find out WHY they won’t ship to NJ. Bummer….
Marcelle says
Never mind…i eventually found the email address, but they sure don’t make it easy!
Carolyn says
Hey Marcelle, I am sorry to hear that but there are some states where the shipping is such an issue that many wineries do not send. I remember when I lived in Massachusetts, a TON of places wouldn’t ship there because of state laws.
Good feedback on the email address, I will point that out to them…
Marcelle says
Still have not been able to order. I decided to have it shipped to work in NY but the coupon code will not work or it works for a second and then the site tells me the 3 bottle selection is not available. The phone number is obviously a personal cell and no one answers the phone. I just tried email. More than a little frustrating because I really wanted to try these wines.
Matt says
Hi Marcelle,
Sorry you were having problems ordering….hopefully my email correspondence help trouble shoot a few things for you. Regarding NJ…that’s out of our hands. There are different compliance laws for each state…our compliance team is working hard to clear us for shipping to NJ. Trust me….we’d love to ship there too.
Feel free to email [email protected] for any further assistance if you have problems ordering. Karen is always happy to help 🙂
Thanks so much for experiencing our wines!
Secco Wine Club
MARCIA W. says
Carolyn, do you think you could use french fried onions instead of the pork rinds? There are 3net carbs per serving of those (2tbs per serving) which would equate out to an additional 2.4 net carbs per serving in the meat loaf.
Carolyn says
If you’d like, sure. I can’t see why it wouldn’t work. Not the healthiest choice but you are already well aware of that.
Jennifer says
Thank you! I have been looking for a GOOD low sugar wine. I tried FitVine and it was EeH….Hopefully this one will be better. For the record my favorites are sweet reds like Oliver’s soft red and many of Purple Toad’s!
Jennifer says
shoot….won’t ship to KY 🙁
Carolyn says
Sorry they won’t ship there. The state laws are the problem and there are only about 5 states they can’t ship too.
Melissa says
Hi! I’m always on the hunt for new keto/low carb dishes. Instead of using a liner baking sheet, could I use my glass bread/loaf dish? That’s what I make our meatloaf in now. Thanks for the recipe! My boyfriend LOVES French Onion. I love trying new recipes! I’m still pretty new to the cooking world, but so far so good… Knock on wood lol. As far as the wine, I don’t even need to look it up. Sadly I have found no one that ships to Arkansas. Oklahoma & Missouri, but not here. 🙁 Thanks again!! I am pretty sure I’ve made one of your recipes before, but I save so many that I can’t remember! Keep up the great work! Xoxo
Carolyn says
Yes, you could make it in a loaf pan but it may take longer to cook because less of it is exposed to the heat of the oven.
Sue says
Made this tonight with all ground beef because my store didn’t have ground pork. So good!
Holly says
I’m excited to try this wine. I will order 3 bottles next week. Recently whenever I drink red wine I get a horrible hangover and headache that lasts two days. I must be sensitive to something in the wine. I love wine and miss it!
Carolyn says
Oooh, that doesn’t sound good. I get headaches from white wine typically, but this one doesn’t do it to me.
Chelsea says
This meatloaf is unbelievably good!! Thanks for sharing!
Stephanie says
The caramelized onions really made the meatloaf pop! Such a great recipe, thanks!
Ashley F says
I really love the insight you provided about the wine, I’m not sure I would know otherwise! Checking it out asap! This meatloaf looks incredibly tasty, can’t wait to try!
Toni says
These were really amazing!! Packed full of amazing flavors!
Sara says
This was amazing. We didn’t have any leftovers – everyone scarfed it down. I love all the info on the wine and being able to have options for wine on Keto. Thanks.
Jessica Glick says
This looks delicious! Can’t wait to try making it. Also, I’m curious to know if you have tried FitVine Wines? They approached us at my little market store, but I’m alway skeptical!
Carolyn says
I have not tried those yet, although I have seen them at my local Whole Foods.
Lindsay says
Can someone tell me if this wine can be purchased in canada? Thanks
Wendy Wilson says
I live in Portland Oregon. Is there a store nearby that I can purchase Paol61 or must I order it? And thanks for all of your amazing recipes. Both my husband and I eat low carb everyday and have for nearly 8 years. Your recipes have brought the fun back into cooking!
Carolyn says
I also live in Portland Oregon. Hope you will consider coming to my book signing on Dec 3! Anyway, no, this is one that has to be ordered online.
Emily Bartholomew says
I made this meatloaf tonight, and is fantastic!! Even my kids loved it, and that’s saying a lot since I have five children under 11. My 4 year old is already begging me to make it again. If you knew her, you’d know that’s high praise! Thanks for yet another fabulous recipe!! I just wish I had some of that wine to enjoy with it – looks like I’ll have to place an order and have it available for next time!
Carolyn says
I’m so glad you liked the meatloaf. My kids love it too!
Joy B. says
Made the meatloaf for my picky family and it was a hit! It was a little dry, so I will use a fattier cut of meat next time. Also took quite a bit longer in the oven but it was worth the wait. Can you suggest a replacement for the Gruyere? It is $17/lb here.
Thanks!
Carolyn says
$17 a pound, yikes! Honestly any cheese will do. Sharp cheddar might be nice. If it was dry, then yes, it was your cuts of meat. Get 80% 20% next time. Lean beef does not make for very good meatloaf. But you also say it took longer to cook… which may mean you overcooked it. Do you have an instant read thermometer?
Christina says
Made this on a whim last night, used a little bread loaf pan. Absolutely delicious and soooo juicy! Perfect for this time of year when you just want to stay inside where it’s warm, cozy and makes the whole house smell like french onion soup!
Thank you as always for your amazing contributions!
Carolyn says
Wonderful! It’s a new fave in our house too.
Jeff says
My wife and I have been on Keto for just over eight months. Although we had both lost significant weight (almost 40# each), we were running out of ideas for meals, and starting to waiver. Then, I found your blog about a month ago, and now we feel like we are not even on a “diet” anymore. We love all your recipes, especially the deserts. My son, who works in the kitchen of a four star restaurant, has tried your French Onion Meatloaf and also your Skillet Chicken with Bacon Spinach and Feta; he says both are better than anything his restaurant has on its menu. Thank you!
Carolyn says
Wow, Jeff, that’s a wonderful compliment. Thank you and congrats on your weight loss!
AutumnM says
I resisted the urge to improvise on this recipe and made it exactly as written. It was delicious. Fortunately, I made 2 meat loaves since everyone asked for seconds. My mother-in-law even asked for the recipe. Believe me when I say that she can use all the help that she can get 🤣 Thank you!
Carolyn says
Glad you tried it as written!
Vanessa says
Made this tonight! It was excellent. I had to Swiss cheese because that is what we had but still fantastic!
Allison Kornblatt says
Do you think this would be okay to make with ground chicken? I only have ground chicken in my fridge.
Carolyn says
Sure… ground chicken is more dry, though so make sure to not overcook it.
Margaret DeVol says
I made this last night. It was so good! Huge hit with the family. Even my picky 9 year old liked it. I yard all ground beef and tender and flavorful. Will definitely make again. The gruyere was hard to find, next time I’ll just use Swiss. Love your recipes. I’m having baking through your new cookbook!
Kristin Bemis says
Making this tonight for the fist time. Just my husband and I will be eating it. Any idea if this would freeze well? I just dont see us eating a whole loaf before it goes bad. So excited to try this!
Carolyn says
Yep, should definitely freeze well.