I enjoy the challenge of combining ingredients that I already have in the pantry to avoid having to go to the grocery store too many times during the week. Soups just happen to be one of my favorite meals to create and tend to be the most flavorful and memorable without breaking the bank.

INGREDIENTS

• 1lb Elk sausage
• 2 – 14.5 oz diced tomatoes
• 1 – 14.5 oz water
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 2 cups dry Orecchiette Pasta (or other small pasta)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1/2 cube butter
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped basil

Top soup with  fresh grated parmesan cheese and chopped basil.

DIRECTIONS

1) Add oil and chopped garlic to soup pan. Cook garlic being sure not to brown, add canned diced tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil and turn heat to low. Take a hand blender and blend tomatoes to create a tomato puree.

2) Add red wine, pasta, butter, oregano, salt, pepper and fresh basil. Cover and cook on low heat for 45 minutes or until pasta is cooked through.

3) While soup is cooking on low, add elk sausage to another pan and cook thoroughly. Add sausage to soup and stir. When pasta is ready serve immediately.

Top each bowl of soup with fresh parmesan cheese and chopped fresh basil.

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Try something different with your meatloaf… Make elk meatloaf with olives, onions, horseradish and a little parmesan cheese served up with a side of mashed potatoes and gravy.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 pounds ground Elk
• 3.8 oz sliced black olives
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 cup seasoned italian breadcrumbs
• ½ cup chopped white onion
• 2 tablespoons creamy horseradish
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

1) In a large bowl combine ground elk, olives, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, onion, horseradish and seasonings. Form into a loaf and place into a baking dish.

2) Cover with tinfoil and bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Remove tin foil and continue cooking for approximately 10-15 minutes or until your meat is thoroughly cooked. Remove from over, let rest for 5 minutes and serve with your favorite mashed potatoes and brown gravy.

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Watching your weight? Make these mini elk sliders using horseradish mustard and cornmeal. Then top off with a tablespoon of your favorite Barbeque sauce and you’ll be in heaven!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb ground elk
• 2 tablespoons Horseradish Mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
• 1 tablespoon A1
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 cup corn meal
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper
• Cheddar and Swiss Cheese
• Killer Barbeque Sauce
• Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
• Cherry tomatoes
• Red onion

DIRECTIONS
1) In a large bowl, add mustard, cornmeal, egg, garlic powder, salt and pepper to ground elk meat. Mix all ingredients by hand and then form into small patties. Use a ¼ cup measuring cup to size how much meat to use when forming your patties. Place meat on tinfoil and press gently with your thumb creating a small indent in the center. This will help keep patties from shrinking when cooking.

2) Pre-heat the barbecue to high temperature.

3) I recommend leaving the elk burgers on the tinfoil while cooking on the BBQ. The elk meat is very lean and can have the tendency to dry out if overcooked. Cooking on tinfoil reduces the risk of overcooking.

4) Cook 7 minutes or until brown and then flip patties. Continue cooking on other side until brown – 7 minutes. Add smoked mozzarella cheese to the top of burgers during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Close lid and melt cheese.

5) Place elk sliders on Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, top with some killer barbeque sauce, a few cherry tomatoes, some red onion and you are set! Enjoy!

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Meat pies are such an easy item to prep and cook for everyone to enjoy. In this shepherd’s pie I added butternut squash and a red potato mash that really sweetened the flavor of the pie. Made in about 2 hours and devoured in less than 30 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 pounds ground elk sausage
• 2 cups butternut squash diced 1/2 inch cubes
• 3 celery stalks (chopped 1/4 inch or shredded)
• 3 carrots (chopped 1/4 inch or shredded)
• 1 medium onion (chopped)
• 2 shallots
• 1 slice bacon
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup shredded cheese blend
• 1 1/2 cup mashed potato (red potatoes)
• Fresh Tarragon
• Salt and pepper
• 2 Puff Pastry Sheets (defrosted)
• 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water

DIRECTIONS
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2) Add 2 cups chopped butternut squash and 2 tablespoons water to microwave safe dish. Cover and microwave fro 5-6 minutes.

3) Add elk sausage to skillet and cook until browned. Remove meat from skillet and set aside.

4) Add butter to skillet and proceed to sauté chopped celery, carrots, onion, shallots and fresh tarragon. Approximately 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add mashed potatoes, elk meat and butternut squash to pan. Remove from heat and stir.

5) Sprinkle surface with cornmeal, roll 1 pastry sheet to be the size of your pie dish. Place the pastry sheet on the bottom of the dish. Transfer meat and vegetables into the pan.

6) Brush the outer edge of the bottom pastry sheet with egg wash.

7) Roll the second pastry sheet out on floured surface and cover the top of the meat. Press and close the edges of the pastry sheets together. Brush top of the pastry sheet with remaining egg wash. Season with salt and pepper. Cut an ‘X’ into the top of the pastry.

Bake for approximately 45 minutes. Cover with tinfoil for the last 20 minutes so the pastry doesn’t burn. Remove from oven when done and enjoy.

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The Mini Elk Meatball

You can also make these mini meatballs for your favorite spaghetti and meatball dish, a stand-alone appetizer or a meatball sandwich. Any which way you cook them – they’ll taste great!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1lb or 3/4 lb elk burger
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 egg
• 1 clove garlic chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
• 1/4 teaspoon coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

The Soup
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 yellow onion chopped
• 2 celery chopped
• 2 carrots chopped
• 1 large shallot diced
• 32 oz. chicken broth + 14.5 oz chicken broth
• 14.5 oz water
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
• 1/4 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Sides and condiments: shredded cheese, sour cream, green onion, tomatoes or tortillas chips and of course a little heat…some Tobasco!

DIRECTIONS:

Put all meatball ingredients into a bowl and blend together using your hand. Form small 1-2 inch meatballs and place on a separate plate.

Heat a heavy soup pot with olive oil and cook mini elk meatballs thoroughly. You’ll more than likely need to cook the meatballs in a few batches so not to overcrowd. When meat is cooked thoroughly remove and place on a separate plate.

Now for the soup… Add olive oil, garlic, onion and shallot into the same pot you just cooked the elk meatballs in. Slowly braise the onions and garlic adding a little chicken stock at a time until softened. Add celery and carrots and continue braising until all vegetables are softened.

Add chicken stock, water, bay leaf, vinegar, cilantro and spices. Bring to boil and then turn the heat to low and continue cooking for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Add meatballs to soup and warm … Serve immediately and enjoy.

My Opinion… the soup tasted even better the next day!

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Do you feel like you need to go on a diet and cut back on your calorie intake for the day. It’s simple, make your favorite meal into half the size just like these mini elk sliders. Half the size must mean half the calories, right?

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb ground elk
• 2 tablespoons Whole Grain Mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
• 1 tablespoon A1
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper
• Smoked mozzarella
• Pancetta bacon
• Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
• Cherry tomatoes
• Grilled onions (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1) In a large bowl, add mustard, bread crumbs, egg, garlic powder, salt and pepper to ground elk meat. Mix all ingredients by hand and then form into small patties. Use a ¼ cup measuring cup to size how much meat to use when forming your patties.  Place meat on tinfoil and press gently with your thumb creating a small indent in the center. This will help keep patties from shrinking when cooking.

2) Pre-heat the barbecue to high temperature.

3) I recommend leaving the elk burgers on the tinfoil while cooking on the BBQ. The elk meat is very lean and can have the tendency to dry out if overcooked. Cooking on tinfoil reduces the risk of overcooking.

4) Cook 7 minutes or until brown and then flip patties. Continue cooking on other side until brown – 7 minutes. Add smoked mozzarella cheese to the top of burgers during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Close lid and melt cheese.

5) While cooking your burgers, place pancetta bacon slices on tinfoil and place on the barbeque for the last few minutes of cooking. Toast buns on grill.

6) Place elk sliders on Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, top with a slice of pancetta bacon and a few cherry tomatoes and you are set! Enjoy!

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• 1.5 lbs ground elk or venison burger
• 1/2 white onion chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 bottle beer
• 2 – 7oz cans of salsa verde
• 1 – 7oz diced mild green chili’s
• 1 – 6oz chopped black olives
• 1 – 15.25oz kidney beans
• 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 cups crushed tortilla chips
• chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1) Cook elk burger and onion in heavy skillet until browned. Add ½ bottle of beer to keep elk moist while cooking. Stir garlic powder, cumin, salt, pepper and chipotle chili pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

2) Combine 2 cans salsa verde, diced green chilies, kidney beans and salsa in a separate bowl. Add cooked elk burger to mixture.

3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

4) Grease 9×13 casserole baking dish with non stick spray. Add 1 cup crushed tortilla chips to bottom of dish. Add layer of elk mixture on top of chips. Add 1 cup cheese to top of elk burger. Top cheese layer with 1 cup crushed tortilla chips. Add another layer of elk mixture. Add another layer of cheese. Top with remaining tortilla chips. Top with cheese and chopped olives.

5) Bake for 30 minutes until cheese melts.

Serve with sour cream and chopped cilantro.

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Sometimes the simplest of ingredients can make for one fantastic and flavorful meal. Try these baked elk burger enchiladas smothered in mushroom soup and sour cream. It had to be one of the quickest to disappear out of all my enchilada recipes.

And to think that all I wanted was beef stroganoff and some enchiladas… so why not put one together with the other. Tasted amazing!

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 lbs ground elk or venison burger
• 1/2 white onion chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 – 10 3/4 oz can cream of mushroom soup
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 8 corn tortillas (white or yellow)
• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 8oz can chopped black olives

DIRECTIONS

1) Cook elk burger and onion in heavy skillet until browned. Stir garlic powder, cumin, salt, pepper and chipotle chili pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

2) Combine soup and milk in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until slow soup becomes bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Set aside.

3) In medium skillet heat oil and fry tortillas for about 5 seconds on each side. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Do not overcook.

4) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a few tablespoons of elk mixture in the center of each tortilla. Add some cheese and roll up – placing seam side down in a 12x8x2 inch baking dish.

5) Pour sour cream and mushroom sauce over tortillas. Bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and add chopped black olives. Continue to bake until all cheese is melted. Approximately 5-7 minutes.
Remove from oven and enjoy!

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For all those out there who haven’t ever tried wild game cooking – let me just say you might be missing out on some of the best meats available. If you don’t know someone who is a hunter you can always order wild game from your local butcher. Be adventurous and try it!

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ inch thick elk or venison sirloin fillets (tenderized)
• 1 egg
• Flour for dredging
• 2 tablespoons oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 4 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup thinly sliced white onion
• 8 ounce sliced baby bella mushrooms
• 1 tomato diced
• ¼ capers
• ½ lemon and lemon peel
• ½ cup chardonnay
• 2 tablespoons oregano
• 2 tablespoons basil
• 2 tablespoons thyme
• Baguette

DIRECTIONS
1) Take steak fillet and tenderize between two sheets of wax paper until each fillet is about ¼ thick.

2) Add 2 tablespoons oil to cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Mix flour, salt pepper, garlic powder together. Beat egg in bowl, dip elk filet and then dredge lightly in flour. Be sure to remove excess. Brown elk in hot skillet for 2-3 minutes on each side or until tender. Remove from pan and set aside.

3) Add 4 tablespoons butter to the cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and sliced mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes being sure to turn so not to burn. Add fresh herbs, capers, diced tomatoes and white wine. Squeeze ½ lemon into mixture and add 1 teaspoon lemon peel. Add meat back into mixture and cook on low until ready to serve. If mixture becomes thick add more wine.

4) Plate your elk scallopini and top with a heaping spoonful of mushroom caper sauce. Cut baguette into ¼ thick slices and enjoy.

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There’s nothing better than a heavenly hearty meal on a Sunday night. Mozzarella stuffed elk meatballs drowned in red wine tomato sauce served up with some fried basil and crusty bread. What else could you ask for?

You could also make this dish using venison, beef or veal.

INGREDIENTS
13/15 – 2 inch meatballs

• 1.5 lbs ground elk or venison burger
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 white onion diced
• 2 garlic cloves diced
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• ¼ teaspoon rosemary
• 3 slices white bread without crusts
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg beaten
• ½ cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• Mozzarella cheese balls (size of cherry tomatoes)
• 1 – 28oz. can diced plain tomatoes
• Fresh basil chopped
• ½ cup dry red wine

DIRECTIONS
1) Heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced white onion and 2 diced garlic cloves. Cook until onions are soft and translucent, add thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper and then remove from heat. Set aside to cool.

2) In a separate bowl tear bread into small pieces and soak in milk for 5 minutes. Squeeze milk from bread and place in another larger bowl. Add elk burger, egg, parmigiano-reggiano, onion mixture and mix with your hands.

3) Take elk mixture and begin to form meatballs being sure to add a mozzarella cheese ball in the center of each meatball. The meatball sizes are up to you. You can make them small, medium or large depending on how you want to serve this dish up. Place meatballs on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.

4) Add remaining oil to cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Place each meatball into skillet and cook on all sides. Remove meatballs from pan when browned.

5) Add ½ cup dry red wine to skillet to deglaze pan. Add canned tomatoes and ¼ cup fresh chopped basil. Bring sauce to a simmer, add meatballs and reduce heat to low. Continue to cook on low heat for 10 minutes.

For a garnish, you can quickly flash fry some basil leaves in a little oil and serve up with crusty bread or a side of pasta. Trust me — you’ll love it!

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