Baking up this easy Southwest Venison Casserole recipe is one of my favorite ways to use ground venison. With simple ingredients and just a few minutes in the oven, it’s everything you want from an easy, hearty casserole.
Y’all, is there ANYTHING better than a hot, bubbly dish of cheesy pasta goodness at the end of the day? As soon as the temperature drops and hunting season is upon us, I start craving soups, stews, chili and PASTA.
I also love that I can cozy up and make a big meal on a Saturday while my husband is hunting and then reheat the leftovers for a Sunday lunch. This venison casserole recipe combines the best of the best Southwest flavors with pasta, cheese, veggies, beans, corn and lots of flavorful spices. It’s rich and creamy without being too heavy, and I know your family will love it as much as we do! Follow the instructions below and you’re in for a real treat.
What to put in venison casserole, you ask?
This recipe is a blend of some of my favorite pantry staples. I always, always have extra chili powder, cumin, canned tomatoes and black beans, and there’s not a week that goes by where I don’t add onions and peppers to my grocery haul. This Southwest Venison Casserole recipe uses all of that goodness and, of course, some yummy cheese, sour cream & cream cheese to make it velvety smooth. Combine that with ground meat (and salt and pepper!!), and you’ve got yourself a hearty, protein-packed meal.
What vegetables work with venison or deer meat
Tomatoes are a great companion to venison because they’re bright and acidic. This helps balance the rich flavors of deer meat.
I always have many varieties of canned tomatoes on hand (diced, whole peeled, sauce, fire-roasted and tomatoes + green chilies). This recipe uses the flavorful diced tomatoes and green chilies (you may call this Rotel).
I also enjoy bell peppers and use them in many recipes, including Venison Stuffed Peppers. The mild, sweet, peppery taste provides balance.
The corn here also adds a pop of sweetness that just can’t be beaten!
What to serve with venison casserole
What I love about this recipe is that it can stand on its own! You don’t need to serve a starch or side because there are veggies and pasta in the casserole bake. However, if you do want a balanced plate (with more fiber), add a simple green salad to your table. The recipe for my simple salad in my cookbook would be perfect. Just throw it together in a large mixing bowl!
An easy way to make venison casserole:
This Southwest venison casserole recipe comes together quickly, especially because everything is mixed right in the same pot you use to cook the pasta—you don’t even need a large bowl. Start by preheating the oven to 400°F and cooking the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and set it aside while you prepare the ground venison.
Add avocado oil (or even butter!) to the same pot, followed by some diced onion. Cook for about 3 minutes before adding garlic and cooking for another 2 minutes. Add the ground venison and cook for 6–8 minutes, or until browned. Stir in lime juice, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper and let everything cook together for another 2–3 minutes. This adds a lot of depth of flavor!
Next, add the cooked pasta back to the pot along with cream cheese, sour cream, bell pepper, diced tomatoes and green chilies, corn, black beans and some of the shredded Colby Jack cheese. Stir everything together until the ingredients are well combined and the pasta and ground venison are coated in the creamy mixture. It is the perfect consistency on its own—no need to add flour or thickeners.
Transfer everything to a 9×13-inch casserole dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. At this point, you can bake it right off or cover it with foil and put it into the refrigerator until you’re ready to make it.
Bake the venison casserole for 10–15 minutes if you do it right away OR for 20–30 minutes if you refrigerate it first. You want to bake it until it’s hot and bubbly and the cheese has completely melted. Cooking time can vary depending on how cold the casserole is before baking, so keep an eye on it!
If you like a golden, slightly crispy layer of cheese on top of your casseroles, pop the dish under the broiler for a few minutes before serving. Just keep an eye on it—the cheese can go from perfectly golden to burnt pretty quickly!
Troubleshooting: things to know about cooking with wild game + deer meat
Cooking wild game can feel intimidating if you haven’t done it before! If you’re new here, head to my venison cooking tips page for more info.
How to tell if venison is bad
If you’re wondering how to tell if venison is bad, your senses are a good place to start. Fresh venison should have a mild, clean smell and feel firm and slightly moist, not slimy or sticky. A strong sour, rancid or otherwise unpleasant odor is a sign that the meat should be discarded. Color alone isn’t always a reliable indicator since venison can naturally darken or turn brownish as it’s exposed to oxygen, so pay attention to smell, texture and how the meat has been stored. When in doubt, it’s always best to discard meat you aren’t confident is safe to eat.
How to tell if venison is fully cooked:
When you’re cooking ground meat, you should cook it to 160°F internally, or cook until fully browned through and well done. If you’re cooking steak/chop/backstrap, refer to the posts I’ve linked on each word.
Tips for storing, freezing and prepping ahead:
Make This Venison Casserole Ahead of Time
Transfer everything to a 9×13-inch casserole dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. At this point, you can bake the casserole right away or cover it tightly with foil and place it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake.
If you’re baking the venison casserole right away, bake it for 10–15 minutes at 400°F. If you’ve made the casserole ahead and refrigerated it first, plan for about 20–30 minutes in the oven. You want the casserole to be heated through and bubbly with completely melted cheese on top.
How to Store Leftover Venison Casserole
Once the casserole has cooled, transfer any leftovers to an airtight container with a lid and store them in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.
To reheat individual portions, simply pop them in the microwave until heated through. You can also transfer the casserole to an oven-safe dish, cover it and warm it in the oven until hot.
Can You Freeze Venison Casserole?
Yes! This venison casserole is a great make-ahead freezer recipe. It’s perfect for meal prepping, taking a meal to a family in need or dropping off for a new postpartum mom (be the village, ya know!!).
Follow the recipe through assembling the casserole, but don’t bake it. I recommend assembling it in a freezer- and oven-safe pan, such as a disposable foil casserole pan. Once assembled, cover the surface tightly with plastic wrap and then add a layer of aluminum foil over the top. Freeze for up to 3 months for the best texture and flavor.
When you’re ready to bake it, thaw the casserole overnight in the refrigerator. Be sure to remove the plastic wrap before baking. Cover the casserole again with the foil and bake until it’s heated through and bubbling (about 45 minutes), removing the foil toward the end so the cheese can melt and brown.
One of my favorite meal-prep tricks is to simply double the recipe: make one venison casserole for dinner now and assemble the second one in a foil pan to stash in the freezer. It’s barely any extra work and gives you an entire dinner for another night.
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Southwest Venison Casserole with Ground Venison
Baking up this easy Southwest Venison Casserole recipe is one of my favorite ways to use ground venison. With simple ingredients and just a few minutes in the oven, it’s everything you want from an easy, hearty casserole.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American, Mexican
Ingredients
- 1 lb. pasta (preferably shells), cooked according to package directions
- 1 Tbsp. avocado oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lb. ground venison
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 Tbsp. chili powder
- 2 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 4 oz. cream cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 2 (10 oz.) cans diced tomatoes and green chilies
- 1 (15 oz.) can corn kernels, drained
- 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained
- 8 oz. Colby Jack cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Begin by cooking the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside in a colander while you cook the meat.
- Add the avocado oil to the bottom of the pot you cooked the pasta in. Add the onion, cook for 3 minutes, and then add the garlic. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the ground venison to the onion and garlic. Cook until browned, about 6–8 minutes. Add the lime juice.
- Then, add the chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper and cook until absorbed, about 2–3 minutes. Remove the meat mixture from the heat.
- In the pot, stir together the cooked pasta, spiced ground venison mixture, cream cheese, sour cream, bell pepper, tomatoes and green chilies, corn, black beans and 1½ cups of the Colby Jack cheese until everything is well combined.
- Pour the mixture into a 9×13-inch baking dish and top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake the casserole for 10–15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. You can pop it under the broiler for a few minutes if you like the top golden and a bit crispy. Serve hot!
Notes
Storage: Store leftover venison casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.
Freezing: Assemble the casserole as directed, but do not bake. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking. Be sure to remove the plastic wrap before placing the casserole in the oven.
Reheating: Reheat individual portions in the microwave until heated through. For larger portions, cover in an oven-safe dish and warm in the oven until hot and bubbly. If baking a fully assembled casserole that has been refrigerated, bake at 400°F for about 20–30 minutes, or until heated through.
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