Chipotle cheddar venison casserole is a creamy dish made with macaroni noodles, shredded cheese, fire-roasted tomatoes, smoky chipotle, and ground venison. It’s easy to make and something that the entire family will enjoy any night of the week.
Have a freezer full of deer meat? Check out my complete ground venison recipes guide. Or try my family’s favorite recipes for venison chili or venison meatloaf with bacon. And if you’re new to processing venison, check out my guide for grinding venison at home.
Tips for Making the best Casserole:
- Season Before You Bake: The key to avoiding a bland casserole is to season the mixture to taste before it’s baked. After mixing all the ingredients in a bowl, “season, taste, and season again.” If it’s under-seasoned before it’s cooked, baking won’t help much. As with most dishes, the right amount of seasoning is subjective.
- Adjusting the Spices: As mentioned above, you can adjust the seasoning to your liking. Add more or less chipotle powder depending on how much spice or heat you like. Swap the chipotle powder for smoked sweet paprika if you don’t want any heat in the dish. You could also add canned green chiles for a spicy, delicious twist.
- Add Fresh Herbs: After you have the seasoning where you want it, try adding some fresh herbs to brighten things up a bit. I like to use fresh parsley, cilantro, or sweet basil.
How to Make Ground Venison Casserole:
Cook the meat:
Brown and crumble ground venison in a large skillet and season with salt and black pepper. Lower the heat, add the onions and garlic, and cook for a few minutes until the onions are translucent. Add a 1/2 cup of heavy cream to the pan and cook until it is slightly thickened. Let cool. Adding the cream in this step is a great way to moisten this lean wild game meat.
Prep the Macaroni:
Boil noodles in salted water until al dente and drain the water. Rinse the noodles under cold water and set aside. Under-salted pasta will lead to a bland final dish.
Make the Sauce:
In a large bowl, add the venison mixture, remaining heavy cream, canned tomatoes, spices, 2 cups of cheddar cheese, and the parmesan cheese.
Season to Taste with Salt and Pepper:
Add more of the other seasonings as you see fit. I like spicy food, so I added more chipotle powder than what was listed. Add the pasta and stir to incorporate.
Assemble the Casserole and bake:
Pour the noodle mixture into a 9″ x 13″ greased casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top in an even layer. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees F. A layer of parchment paper under the foil is recommended to avoid sticking. Remove the foil and bake for ten minutes.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: You can prepare this venison casserole one day in advance. Follow the recipe instructions up to step 8 (before the baking step). Cover the pan with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake.
To Freeze: Prepare the dish until you reach the baking step. Cover it with greased aluminum foil and freeze it for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to eat, thaw in the refrigerator. It can take 1 to 2 days to thaw. Bake for around 20 minutes covered and 10 minutes uncovered. You can also bake it while it’s still frozen. Bake covered for about 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Recipe Variations:
Ground Beef: If you don’t have any ground deer meat, you can substitute ground beef. But really, any lean ground meat will work here.
Monterey Jack: To kick the flavors up a bit, try swapping the cheddar cheese for shredded Monterey Jack cheese.
Pasta: I use macaroni for this venison burger casserole, but you can use something else, like ziti or penne.
Chipotles in Adobo: For a bolder tasting dish, I recommend using chipotles in adobo. Substitute the chili powder with 2 to 4 chipotles in abobo. Chop them finely before adding to the mixture.
More Ground Venison Recipes
Check out some of my best recipes listed below. Or for a deeper dive, take a look at my complete venison recipes page.
Lastly, if you try this ground venison casserole recipe, leave a comment or tag me on Instagram! I thoroughly enjoy hearing feedback and seeing the photos of recipes you’ve made.
Chipotle Cheddar Venison Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound box dry macaroni
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground venison (less than 20% added pork fat)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 28- ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream, divided
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder or 3 to 4 chopped chipotles in adobo
- 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (parsley, basil or cilantro)
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Prepare Noodles.
- Cook the macaroni in a large pot of salted water until it is al dente, "barely tender." Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
Brown the meat:
- Heat the olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the venison and season with salt and pepper. Crumble the meat with a sturdy spoon or spatula and cook until golden brown.
Cook Onions and Garlic.
- Lower the temperature to medium heat and add the onions and garlic. Cook for a few minutes until the onions are translucent.
Moisten Meat.
- Add a 1/2 cup of the heavy cream and cook until it has slightly thickened. This will add some creaminess and moisture back into the meat.
Make the Sauce and Cheese Mixture.
- Using a large mixing bowl, add the canned tomatoes, cooked meat mixture, remaining 3/4 cup of heavy cream, oregano, thyme, cumin, chipotle powder, parmesan cheese, and 2 cups of the shredded cheddar cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more chipotle powder if you like more heat and smokiness. Fold in the fresh herbs of choice.
Add Pasta.
- Add the pasta to the sauce mixture bowl and stir to combine.
Assemble.
- Grease a 9" x 13" baking pan. Pour in the noodle mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining cheddar cheese in an even layer. Cover the pan with a sheet of parchment paper. Cover the pan and parchment paper with greased aluminum foil.
Bake the Casserole
- Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and parchment paper. Bake uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.
NOTES
Follow the instructions above through step 7. Pour the mixture into your slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or on the low setting for 3 hours. Stirring halfway through will create a creamier dish. Storage and Leftovers:
Leftovers: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They can be reheated gently in a microwave on the low setting or in a 300-degree F oven, covered. Toppings: My favorite toppings: Hot sauce, sour cream, extra shredded cheese and crumbled tortilla chips Serving: I like to eat this with my homemade Parker House rolls.
4 thoughts on “Chipotle Cheddar Venison Casserole”
This was some good stuff. My wife added some extra cheese and chipotles.
We doubled the Chipotle and it was just right.
Hey Larry,
Instead of using parchment paper and greased aluminum foil to cover the casserole dish, could I use the glass lid that comes with my oven-safe casserole dish?
Thanks,
Trish
Absolutely. Just extra security to help prevent the cheese from sticking.