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…
French Onion Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter or bacon grease
- 1 large white onion cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
- Salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork or another lb ground beef
- 1 cup ground pork rinds or ½ cup almond flour
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large egg
- 4 ounces Gruyere cheese grated
Instructions
- 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.
- Stir in the thyme leaves, cook one more minute, then remove from heat and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, pork rinds, onion powder, pepper, and an additional ½ teaspoon salt. Stir in the egg and half of the caramelized onions, then use your hands to thoroughly combine.
- 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.
- Top with the shredded cheese and the remaining onions and place back in the warm oven to melt the cheese, about 5 minutes.
Joyce K says
OK now we’re talking! You had me at ‘French onion’ but then to add the Gruyere cheese – OH MY GOODNESS!!! Flavor overload! I made mine into meatballs just because … well, meatballs. But other than that I followed the recipe. So much flavor and it was a hit with the family! Will definitely put this recipe into the rotation.
Vesta says
I have been trying to come up with a alternate to pork rinds (a lot of us don’t eat pork), i am on no grains also. I always used gf oats before. If you have a idea i would appreciate it.
Carolyn says
It states that you can use almond flour right in the recipe…
David Allen says
I’ve made this meatloaf several times and my family loves it! My wife works late than me so I usually cook dinner. She was always proud of her traditional meatloaf (it’s great btw) but likes this one better. As for the pork rinds, I’ve found that Julio’s seasoned pork rinds are always fresh and delicious.
Betsy Mickey says
Caroline, is there any brand of pork rinds that doesn’t taste stale? I like the texture but can’t do the taste.
Stella says
I had the same concerns – any brand of pork rinds were stale tasting. In another public forum, I found out about microwaveable pork rinds. They are shipped as hard little chips that you microwave for 2 minutes. It is incredible how they puff up. The I add popcorn salt, because it is a much finer grind, and whatever else I feel like. Really changed my mind on pork rinds.
Phyllis says
Ohhh they sound delicious!!
Where do you order them from?
Bonnie says
Loved this meatloaf recipe. It’s my go to recipe. Made empanadas out of leftovers with a little salsa delish! Used low carb bread crumbs instead of pork rinds
Kathy Snyder says
Delicious Keto French Onion Meatloaf. Wouldn’t change a thing and it was my first time using pork rinds. A nice surprise.
Missy says
Can I use mozzarella cheese instead? I’m assuming it won’t be as flavorful, but that’s all I have 🙂
Carolyn says
Sure, any melty cheesecake will do!
Trisa says
Would a loaf pan work or do you put on a cookie sheet? Thanks
Alyssa says
This looks FAB!!! I am also thinking these would make some great meatballs!!!
Holly Dreigon says
I made this the other night, and my whole family loved it. I didn’t have fresh thyme leaves, so I used a little powdered Thyme. It was still really good. Thank you so much for your hard work and dedication to making my Keto journey delicious!
Barbara Owen says
Wonderful recipe! I doubled the onions and caramelized them for about a half hour or so. I didn’t have any gruyere and used swiss cheese instead. Nice change from the usual meatloaf recipes. Thank you Carolyn!!!!
Dawnj says
This easy French Onion Meatloaf is delicious! Followed recipe but substituted almond flour for pork rinds (as I didn’t have them on hand). Making again for this weekend.
Karen Marie Moran says
This looks so good! I can’t wait to try it! Thank you! I tried ordering 4 bottles of the wine, but sadly, they don’t ship tp Michigan. Such a bummer!
Lesley Cesh says
Thank you for this recipe. My family loves it! I was wondering if you might be able to freeze the meatloaf?
Thank you!
Lc
Carolyn says
I can’t see why not! Wrap it up tightly.
Tami says
I’m rating this 5 stars in advance because I can just tell by the recipe is going to be that good. However, I do plan on making it tomorrow.
I’m pretty sure I won’t have to return and ammend my comments, unless to change my review to super delicious!
I’m not a “winer” but I do think the information that you gave is very good considering how much stuff these companies are trying to get away with.
Aimee says
Thank you for SO SO SO many amazing recipes! My husband declared this “the best meatloaf you’ve ever made!” And told me that this is the only meatloaf I ever need to make again. This is incredibly high accolades from a man who loves meatloaf! Thank you so much! You are at our dinner table more often than not- and you will be for many many years!
Terran says
Amazing meatloaf! My husband, who is dairy-free due to Valley Fever, enjoyed his without the cheese. Thanks for another great recipe!
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.
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!
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.