Recipes.
Ideas to make delicious meals with your vension and wild game!
Venison Philly Cheesesteak Sliders
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter – divided
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1 green pepper – diced
1/2 cup chopped white mushrooms
1/4 tsp. minced garlic
1 pound ground venison meat
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup beef broth
1-2 Tbsp. corn starch
24 Hawaiian sweet rolls
12 slices Provolone cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt 2 Tbsp. of unsalted butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, mushrooms, green peppers, and minced garlic to the skillet and sauté until soft.
Add in the ground venison meat, salt, and pepper, and cook thoroughly.
Next, add the Worcestershire sauce, and beef broth to the skillet and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and simmer for about 3-5 minutes or until thickened. At about the 2-minute mark, add in 1 Tbsp. of corn starch to help thicken the mixture. If it appears too runny after 5 minutes, add another 1 Tbsp. of corn starch. Remove from heat.
Grease two 9×13 baking dishes. Split the Hawaiian rolls and line the bottom of each dish with the bottom half of the rolls. Carefully spoon the venison mixture onto each roll – about 1-2 Tbsp. per roll.
Next, cut the provolone slices in half, and top each venison-filled roll with a half slice of provolone cheese. Top with the top half of each bun. Melt 1 Tbsp. of butter and brush the melted butter across each roll.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is nice and melted. Brush the top with more melted butter just before serving. Serve immediately.
Venison Paddy Melt
Ingredients:
1.5 pounds of ground venison
3 Tbsp. olive oil – divided
2 sweet Vidalia onions
1/2 tsp. salt – divided
5-10 slices of American cheese
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter – divided (or, use 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter and spreadable butter for the grilling portion)
12 slices rye bread
Directions:
Add the 1.5 Tbsp. olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Slice the sweet Vidalia onions and add to the skillet. Cook for about 7 minutes or until soft.
Add 1/4 tsp. salt and 1 Tbsp. butter to the skillet and cook for another 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Using your hands, form the ground venison into 3-inch oblong patties.
Add another 1.5 Tbsp. olive oil to the skillet over medium heat. Add the venison patties to the skillet and season with 1/4 tsp. salt. Cook for 3-5 minutes, then flip and cook for another 3-5 minutes, then remove and set aside. Continue until all patties have been cooked.
Begin to assemble the patty melt sandwiches.
Butter one side of rye bread and place into a clean skillet, buttered side down. (I recommend either melting the remaining 2 Tbsp. of butter, or using a spreadable butter).
Add 1-2 slices of American cheese on top of the bread, then top with a venison patty, then onions. Note – Rye bread tends to be wider than regular buns. We found that slicing the venison patties in half and placing them side by side on the rye bread gives you a fully-filled sandwich from crust to crust and the perfect cut line!
Top with another slice of rye bread, one side buttered facing up.
Cook over medium heat until browned, then carefully flip and cook the other side until browned.
Remove from skillet and continue this process until all sandwiches have been assembled.
Ground Venison Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients:
2 pounds ground venison
1 small yellow onion – diced
2 oz. taco seasoning
4 oz. diced green chiles
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 cups red enchilada sauce
16 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
6 6-in. flour tortillas
Chopped chives or green onion for garnish
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Add the ground venison blend and diced onion to a large skillet and cook thoroughly over medium heat.
Add the taco seasoning, diced green chiles, and diced tomatoes to the skillet and stir to combine. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes and then remove from heat.
Pour ¼ cup enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 dish and spread to cover the entire bottom.
Place two flour tortillas on top of the sauce. Add ⅓ of the beef mixture and spread to cover the tortillas. Pour ½ cup enchilada sauce over the beef, then top with ⅓ of the shredded cheese.
Repeat this process two more times – 2 tortillas, ⅓ beef, ½ cup enchilada sauce, ⅓ shredded cheese. You should end with shredded cheese on top.
Pour ¼ cup enchilada sauce over the top shredded cheese layer.
Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, top with chopped chives or green onions and serve hot.
Spaghetti Sauce with Ground Venison
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small white onion – diced
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 pound ground venison
6 oz. tomato paste
28 oz. diced tomatoes
28 oz. crushed tomatoes
1 cup of water
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
2 tsp. sugar
Directions:
In a large dutch oven, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until softened. Add in the minced garlic and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.
Add in the ground venison, salt, and pepper and cook until no longer pink. There shouldn’t be any grease to drain as deer meat is much leaner than beef.
Add in the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Let simmer for 30-40 minutes, occasionally stirring. Taste test and see if any additional salt or sugar needs to be added to taste. The sugar will help reduce the acidity. If it tastes too bitey, add more sugar 1/2 tsp. at a time.
Serve with fresh pasta or if saving for later, let cool, then transfer to canning jars and let fully cool before sealing. Refrigerate for up to four days, or freeze for up to six months.
Ground Venison Meatballs
Ingredients:
1 pound ground venison (ground deer meat)
1/2 pound ground Italian sausage or ground pork
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 white onion – diced
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 jar marinara
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients and mix to combine.
Roll the meat mixture into 1-1.5 inch round meatballs and place onto a baking sheet. Continue until all meatballs are formed.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.
Remove from the oven.
Transfer the meatballs to a large oven-safe skillet, and pour the jar of marinara over the meatballs. Place the skillet into the oven and let heat for about 10 minutes, just enough to warm the sauce.
Serve over pasta or enjoy on their own!
Ground Venison Meatloaf
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds ground venison
1 cup tomato juice
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1 egg
1/4 cup diced white onion
1 tsp. salt – divided
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the ground venison, tomato juice, oats, egg, onion, 1/2 tsp. salt, pepper, and minced garlic and mix to combine.
Transfer the mixture to a greased loaf pan and press into the pan until it’s nice and level.
Bake for one hour. While the meatloaf is baking, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire, and 1/2 tsp. salt in a bowl and stir to combine.
After the meatloaf has baked for one hour, remove from the oven and spread the ketchup mixture over the entire top of the meatloaf.
Return the loaf pan to the oven and bake another 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and carefully transfer the meatloaf to a large platter. I use two large spatulas at each end to lift and transfer. Or, check out the meatloaf pan suggestions below for easy removable options.
Serve immediately.
Venison Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers
Ingredients:
1/2 pound ground venison
7 oz. pimento cheese spread
12 large jalapeños
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
Line a baking sheet with foil.
Prepare the jalapeño peppers by slicing them in half lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds and membranes. Be careful doing this, you don’t want to get any of the juices in your eyes! Lay the jalapeño halves onto the baking sheet.
In a large skillet, add the ground venison, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook thoroughly until there’s no pink remaining. With venison, there most likely will not be much, if any, grease to drain.
Transfer the cooked venison to a large bowl and let cool for about 5 minutes.
Then, add the pimento cheese spread and stir to combine.
Using a spoon, fill each of the jalapeño halves with the venison pimento mixture. You want to fill them just until full without overstuffing them.
Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes. The top should be a nice golden brown.
Remove from oven and serve hot.
Ground Venison Lasagna Dip
Ingredients:
1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 pound ground venison
1/4 pound ground Italian sausage
1 tsp. minced garlic
24 oz. marinara sauce
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 large or 2 medium-sized baguettes or 1 dozen breadsticks
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Then, add the ground venison, Italian sausage, and minced garlic and cook until no longer pink. Drain any excessive grease.
Add the jar of the marina to the pan with the meat and simmer on medium-low for about 5 minutes.
While the sauce mixture is simmering, add the ricotta and parmesan cheese to a bowl and stir to combine.
Grease an 8×8, 9×9, or 9-inch pie plate. Add about half of the marinara mixture to the dish, then top with the ricotta cheese mixture. Spread the ricotta cheese over the sauce.
Then, top with 1 cup shredded mozzarella, then add the remaining marinara mixture and spread over the cheese.
Finally, top with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the dip is hot and bubbly.
Serve with a sliced baguette or breadsticks
Ground Venison Big Mac Salad
Ingredients:
1 pound ground venison
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 cups chopped romaine hearts
1 cup chopped red onion
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 Roma tomatoes – diced
1 cup sliced dill pickles
4 Tbsp. Thousand Island dressing
Directions:
In a large skillet, add the ground venison meat and season with salt and pepper. Brown over medium heat until cooked through.
While the meat is browning, chop the red onion, romaine, and tomatoes, and set aside.
Once the ground venison has cooked, start assembling your salads. You should not have to drain any grease off of the browned meat.
Fill a bowl with about 1 cup chopped romaine. Top with 1/4 of the ground venison. Then add 1/4 of the chopped red onion, cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, and dill pickles. Repeat the process for all four salads.
Serve immediately with Thousand Island dressing.
Ground Venison Helper
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup dry elbow macaroni
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 pound ground venison
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 small white onion – chopped
5 oz. tomato paste
1/2 cup water
6 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
5 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
Boil the elbow macaroni, drain, then set aside.
While the macaroni is cooking, add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the ground venison, minced garlic, and chopped onion, and cook until done. There shouldn’t be any excess grease to drain.
Add the remaining ingredients, except the cheese, including the cooked macaroni, to the skillet. Stir to combine; bring to a boil then reduce to low. Cover and simmer on low for 10-15 minutes, or until the mushrooms are softened.
Remove the lid, add the shredded cheese, stir to combine, and serve immediately.