Ground Elk Casserole

CookbookCarrie's Note:

With the Corn, Black Beans and Cheddar Cheese, this resembles Tex-Mex, Add jalapenos or green chiles if you like, very versatile. We have lots of elk in our freezer and I'm trying to come up with recipes to use it up. I hope you like it!

• Total Time: 1 hrs 5 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 1 lb ground elk (or Venison, Beef, Buffalo)
• 1 cup onion , diced small (about 1 medium)
• ½ cup green pepper , diced small (about 1/2 a pepper)
• 1 large garlic clove , minced
• 1 ½ cups dry elbow macaroni , prepare according to pkg. al dente
• 1 quart diced tomato , home canned if you have it
• 1 (15 ounce) can kernel corn , drained
• 1 (14 ounce) can black beans , Drained
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 -1 ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt
• pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a Large dutch oven Brown Elk, onion, garlic and green pepper in your skillet with 1 tablespoons Olive Oil until fully cooked. Drain the meat mixture and rinse with hot water, this helps remove any "game" taste your meat may have.
3. Return to your pot and season with salt and pepper. Add in the tomatoes, corn, beans, cooked pasta, and chili powder. Mix well.
4. Top with shredded cheese.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes until cheese is melted and it's hot through.

Reviews

[JDeMarois]

Quick, easy, and delicious. Could easily be renamed "everything in the pantry casserole"! Thanks for another great way to use up the elk. I added the cumin recommended by another reviewer and some chopped jalapenos for extra flavor.

[KLBoyle]

YUM! I too have a ton of elk in my freezer and have been looking for good recipes. This really hit the spot! I added about a tbsp. of cumin but otherwise kept the same. I will definitely make this dish again. Thanks for the keeper!

[cowgirl_cook]

Yum! Perfect for our ground elk. I used brown rice instead of macaroni since I had some left over from the night before, and I mixed some cream of mushroom in with the rice, along with ortega chilis. So good!!! This will be a recipe I will be making again. Next time I might try it with cubed potatoes...