Venison Scalloped Potato Casserole

Upgrade your next scalloped potatoes recipe by simply incorporating a few more ingredients like ground venison, sautéd onions, bell pepper and Gruyere cheese and you’ll turn this traditional side dish into your next main course meal.

Substitute ground elk or antelope if you don’t have any ground venison.

Serves: 4-6
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground venison
• 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, sliced
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 shallot, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 small bell pepper, sliced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup Gruyère cheese, shredded
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Slice the potatoes and place in a microwavable dish covering the top with a paper towel. Cook potatoes for 7 minutes to pre-soften prior to baking. This will allow for a faster bake time.
3. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the oil. When the oil is warm, break apart the ground venison and place in the skillet cooking until browned about 4/5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Place the skillet back over medium heat and add the butter, onions, shallots, bell pepper and garlic cooking until the onions have softened about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the onions with the flour stirring to coat. Add the broth and continue to stir until the gravy thickens about 3-4 minutes. Season the gravy with the oregano, salt and pepper and remove from heat.
4. Layer the bottom of a 8×8 or 9×9 inch baking dish with the ground venison and then top the meat with the potatoes. Pour the gravy over the potatoes and then add the shredded Gruyère cheese. Cover with foil and set in the oven to bake for 35-40 minutes or until bubbling hot.