Baked Rigatoni with Italian Sausage and Fennel

As I've mentioned several times this year, we have had a freezer full of venison that we've been trying to make our way through.  While I spent some time grading papers last weekend, Kent made this wonderful dish using venison sausage (found on allrecipes.com).  It made such a large meal that we were able to have it for dinner several nights.  This is a hearty meal and perfect for cool weather.  The fennel gives the dish a different taste than many other pasta dishes - it's sure to please!

Baked Rigatoni with Italian Sausage and Fennel
Ingredients:
1 pound hot Italian sausage links
1 (16 ounce) package rigatoni pasta
1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce
1 bulb fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 roasted red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese

Directions:
1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until almost tender, about 10 minutes.
2.Fry the sausages in a large skillet over medium heat, turning frequently until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove from the skillet, cool slightly and slice into rounds. Add the garlic, fennel and onion to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes, then add the roasted red peppers, basil, sliced sausage and pasta sauce. Heat through over low heat until warmed.
3.Combine the pasta with the sauce and vegetables in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spread the mozzarella, Parmesan and Asiago cheeses over the top. Garnish with a few fennel leaves left from the bulb. Cover with aluminum foil.
4.Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, then remove the aluminum foil. Set the oven to broil, and cook for another 5 minutes or until cheese is browned.

Ground Venison Burgers

Yes, we still have plenty of venison left in the freezer and are thinking of new ways use it!  I have to say, I LOVE this recipe.  These burgers taste better than traditional hamburgers.  They aren't as fatty and have great flavor from the extra ingredients.  We've made these twice and really love them.  I'm sure we'll be grilling out with this recipe through the summer!

Ground Venison Burgers
Ingredients:

1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon grated lime peel
1/3 cup chopped green onions
3 tablespoons plain yogurt
2 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeno pepper*
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 pounds ground venison
8 hamburger buns, split
8 slices Pepper Jack cheese
 
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lime juice, mustard and lime peel; cover and refrigerate until serving.

In a bowl, combine the onions, yogurt, jalapeno, salt and pepper. Crumble meat over mixture and mix well. Shape into eight patties. Pan-fry, grill, or broil until meat is no longer pink. Serve on buns; top with cheese and mayonnaise mixture.

(from allrecipes.com)

Stuffed Venison Backstrap

This is one of several venison dishes we've been making around here lately.  Kent made this for dinner last weekend.  I was a little leary at first, but it was so good!  This recipe is from another food blog, Home Cooking is What I Like.  Visit this blog for lots of really great recipes!

Stuffed Venison Backstrap
Ingredients:
6 slices of bacon
1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped up
1/2 cup of celery, chopped up
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup of carrot, chopped
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 teaspoons parsley flakes
2-4 lb. venison back strap (Deer, Elk, Moose, and even Wild Pig)
4 slices of bacon (cut in half)

Directions:
Make sure the meat is no more than 1 inch thick after cutting. Filet meat out with long knife until meat lay flat, like a sheet of paper.

Fry the cut bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels and finely crumble. Reserve 4 tablespoons of bacon fat for later.

Cook onion, celery, and carrot in bacon fat until soft. Remove from heat and stir in crumbled bacon, breadcrumbs, parsley flakes, salt and pepper.

Spread veggie mixture evenly on meat. Pat mixture and roll up with the grain of meat. Tie loin with butcher string. Place bacon on top of roll slightly wrapped around meat. Put in roasting pan or above water pan in smoker.

Heat oven or smoker to 250 degrees the slower the better. Cook meat to about 150 degrees (RARE) take off and wrap in tin foil. Wait about 30 minutes and enjoy!

Venison Spaghtetti

Yes, yes, I know - not everyone likes venison.  But, if do like venison, this is a great spaghetti sauce recipe that Kent and I found.  We made it a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it.  We doubled the recipe to make a large amount of sauce, so we were able to freeze half of it.  This is a great meal for cold winter days!

Venison Spaghetti
Ingredients:
1 lb ground venison, browned, drained and rinsed.
1/2 lb whole wheat spaghetti, cooked
Cooking spray
1 small onion, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
2 cans crushed tomatoes, drained
1 can tomato paste (optional)
Italian seasonings and salt to taste
(we also added a splash of red wine)

Directions:
Cook pasta and set aside.  Brown and drain venison - set aside.  Spray skillet with cooking spray and add onion and celery. Saute for 1-2 minutes.  Add mushroom, pepper and garlic and saute until vegetables are just beginning to soften.  Add cooked venison, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and seasoning. Cook over medium heat until flavors are well-blended and the sauce is heated through.

Combine cooked pasta and sauce in a large bowl and serve. Makes 8-10 servings.
(Recipe from Spark Recipes)

Nutritional Info on Venison Spaghetti from Spark Recipes
Servings Per Recipe: 10
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 198.5
Total Fat: 3.5 g
Cholesterol: 33.3 mg
Sodium: 223.2 mg
Total Carbs: 29.3 g
Dietary Fiber: 5.5 g
Protein: 15.0 g