This meatloaf vanished in no time, but the magic happens when it's cut open

What would you say to a meatloaf that packed all the luscious flavors of a bowl of cheesy, rich French onion soup? The recipe below gives you exactly that. And the best part? It’s made in your slow cooker, so you can set it up in the morning and come home from work to this incredible home-cooked meal.

The key to capturing the deep, rich flavor of French onion soup is caramelizing the onions. This step takes a little while, but you can absolutely do it ahead of time. Caramelize your onions the night before to cut down on the prep needed to make this dish. You can even mix the meat, stuff it, and form your loaf the night before if you want. Then all you have to do in the morning is pop it into the slow cooker and turn it on.

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 to 4 yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 pounds ground beef
2 large eggs
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
½ cup milk
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cups shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese

1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply caramelized, around 25 to 30 minutes.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, milk, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well and then transfer the mixture to a piece of waxed paper or parchment paper. Pat the mixture out into a large rectangle. Sprinkle the cheese over the top, leaving a border of about 1/2 inch around the edge.

3. Starting with one of the short sides of the rectangle, roll the meat up around the cheese, jelly roll style. Press the ends together to seal the filling inside. Transfer to the slow cooker.

4. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

Let it rest for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.