This Mexican themed Venison Casserole is true comfort food. The bold flavors are a great way to introduce newbies to deer meat, and it is a great way to cook a complete meal.
It is common for a hunter to end up with a freezer full of venison, so finding new and unique ways to use it can be challenging. This simple casserole is a good option that the whole family will enjoy.
Adding the cream cheese and sour cream gives it depth and a hearty flavor, and being able to add your favorite salsa really takes the taste over the top.
Be sure to try this Air Fryer Venison and this Venison Chili for two of my other top picks.
Ingredients
- Ground venison - You can buy this already ground or grind your own. Venison is a lean protein, so adding fat with cream cheese and shredded cheese gives this a little more healthy fat.
- Onion - Dice it up into smaller pieces.
- Cream cheese - Keeps the mixture moist and delicious.
- Sour cream - Adds to the creaminess.
- Taco seasoning - Gives the taco flavor to the entire casserole.
- Salsa - Use your favorite type or brand of salsa.
- Cheddar cheese - Be sure that it's shredded before adding.
See the full recipe in the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Venison Casserole
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prep a greased casserole dish.
Step One: Add the onions to a large skillet and saute in a little olive oil or butter over medium heat until soft. Add the ground venison and cook until browned.
Step Two: Stir in the cream cheese until it is melted. It takes some mixing to get it even.
Step Three: Stir in the sour cream and taco seasoning. You can season to taste with salt and black pepper at this point because the meat is cooked.
Step Four: Pour the mixture in the bottom of the pan.
Step Five: Add half of the cheese. Then, add the salsa on top.
Step Six: Add the shredded cheese on top.
Step Three: Put the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Top tip
For the freshest tasting meat mixture, fresh ground venison is the best. You can grind your own deer meat using a mixer and attachment, or even have a local butcher do it for you.
Substitutions
- Ground meat - You can swap for ground beef or ground turkey in this venison recipe as well. It changes the flavor of the casserole somewhat, but it is still delicious.
- Canned tomatoes - You can swap in diced tomatoes for the salsa, if needed, but add extra taco seasoning.
Variations
- Seasonings - If you don't want to use taco seasoning, you can use garlic powder, onion powder, and even some cayenne pepper for an added kick.
- Vegetables - Cook sweet onion and red peppers along with the meat. Green chiles are another nice addition.
See this Chorizo Casserole Recipe for another option full of great flavor.
Equipment
To make this venison dinner, you'll want to have a casserole dish and a large bowl. A large skillet is needed for cooking the onions and meat, and a spoon will be needed to stir.
Storage
Once the casserole is done baking, let it cool to room temperature and store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. This dish is best eaten fresh, not frozen, due to the added cream cheese and sour cream.
Common Questions
Since all the main ingredients that are being added to the casserole dish are already cooked, you just need to be sure to bake for the time listed on the recipe card. Once the mixture starts to bubble, that is your clue that it's cooked and ready.
This casserole is all about toppings. Since it has the taco flavor, adding taco toppings is a great option. You can top with fresh jalapenos to give it a spicy kick, or pickled for a mild flavor. You can also freshen it up with some fresh cilantro and more salsa right on top. Any and all toppings are fair game when it comes to this casserole.
You have two options to reheat leftovers. You can put it in the microwave or warm it up in the oven. The biggest thing to remember is to get it heated all the way through. You can also add some fresh shredded cheese on top to get back some of that melty goodness.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
Venison Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground venison
- 1 small onion chopped
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 4 oz sour cream
- 2 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 cup salsa
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Saute the onion in a large skillet over medium heat until softened.
- Add the venison and cook until browned.
- Stir in the cream cheese until it is melted and evenly distributed.
- Stir in the sour cream and taco seasoning.
- Transfer the meat mixture to a greased 9x13 casserole dish.
- Top with half of the shredded cheese.
- Add the salsa and then the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Nutrition
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