Sunday Funday Venison Chili

So my husband loves to hunt and a few weeks ago he brought home a deer.  Now I don't eat venison, or any red meat for that matter, but yet I have an entire freezer in my cellar filled with venison. Although I may not eat it I don't have a problem cooking with it as Scott loves it and I don't seem to have a problem finding others to enjoy the leftovers.  So yesterday I was home all day enjoying Hallmark movies with a mix of football and decided to make a pot of venison chili.  I would have to say that chili is probably one of the easiest things to make, its pretty simple.  Here is what you will need for my venison chili:

1.5 lbs of ground Venison
1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 Jalapeno Pepper, diced
1 Sweet Onion, diced
4 Tablespoons of Garlic, crushed
1.5 Tablespoons of Chili Powder
1 Tablespoon of Cumin
2 Teaspoons of Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tablespoon Fiesta Party Seasoning (Tastefully Simple)
1 Tablespoon of Pink Himalayan Sea Salt
2 Teaspoons of Black Pepper
1 Small can of Diced Tomatoes with Green Chili's
1/2 Large can of Diced Tomatoes
3 Tablespoons of Tomato Paste
18 oz. Low Sodium and Low Fat Chicken Stock
2 small cans of Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed


1) Start by browning the venison in a dutch oven.  Once browned you can remove the meat with a slotted spoon and set aside, I covered it to keep it warm.

2) Add the 3 peppers, onion and garlic to the pot and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened.

3) Add the spices and cook for another 5 minutes.

4) Add in the venison, tomatoes, tomato paste and chick stock and bring to a boil.

5) Once boiling, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

6) Add in the beans and cook for another 15 minutes on low.

7) Remove from the heat.  I like to let it sit for a while before serving.  Scott like it as is but you can top with your favorite cheese, a spoonful of sour cream or both! Enjoy!

Slow Cooked Venison Backstrap

Hunting season may be over but we are left with a freezer full of venison.  You may think "lucky you" but I don't eat it so that means Scott has a lot for himself.  Last night he thawed the backstrap which is comparable to fillet mignon.  He asked if I could slow cook it over night so he could have it today while working across the street. I did a little research and came up with this version below. I don't mind cooking it as long as I don't have to eat it!  He and a buddy had it for lunch today and absolutely loved it so here is how it was made:

2-3 lbs of Venison backstrap

Flour

2 tbsp unsalted butter

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup warm water

2 beef bullion cubes

4 medium portabella mushrooms, sliced

1/2 a sweet onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups baby carrots, halved

2 envelopes of onion soup mix

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp rosemary

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp garlic powder

2 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped

1/2 cup red cooking wine

-Melt the butter in a medium saute pan

-Salt and Pepper the backstrap and coat with flour

-Sear on all sides and remove to the crockpot

-Add the onion and mushrooms to the saute pan, cooking until the mushrooms start to darken

-dissolve the bullion in the water and add to pan to deglaze.

-Transfer to crockpot and add the remaining ingredients

-Stir to combine

-Cook on high for 6 hours and then on low for 2 hours.

Serve alone or with mashed potatoes and ENJOY!