Deer Season is a BIG Deal in my family!  I did not grow up eating wild game, so learning to cook with venison has been a bit of a process!  While it’s a lot of work, we have found that we enjoy the meat more if we process it ourselves.  We invested in a meat grinder and season the burger as we process it.  We do not add fat to the burger which means no draining the pan and dealing with messy grease after browning!  Woo hoo!  I’m all about keeping it simple!  

The following recipe can be made up ahead and reheated for dinner.  You can also cook your rice and venison the night before and combine with the other ingredients about an hour before you want to serve dinner to minimize prep time!  If venison is not your thing, substitute ground beef or turkey! This also makes great leftovers to pack in your lunch or to have another dinner later in the week! 

3 Cups Cooked Wild Rice or Brown Rice (1 cup uncooked rice in 2 cups water)
1 1/2 lbs ground venison or ground meat of choice
1 tbsp olive oil
2/3 cup chopped onions
2/3 cup chopped celery
2/3 cup chopped bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz) can of diced tomatoes and peppers (Rotel)
1 (15 oz) can of tomato sauce
1 cup sliced mushrooms or 1 (6 oz) can of mushrooms
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 1/2 tbsp. dried parsley or dried cilantro
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup water
2 1/2 cups cut frozen okra

To minimize prep time cook rice ahead of time.  I like to prepare a large batch of rice on the weekend that can be used throughout the week since it generally take about 45-60 minutes to cook. I do the same with the ground meat.

In a dutch heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic and cook 3-5 minutes until tender but still crisp. Add meat and all the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the okra and the rice.  Cover with a lid and simmer for 40 minutes.  Add the okra and the rice and simmer and additional 20 minutes.  Remove bay leaves before serving.  Yields 6-8 servings depending on the appetites in your household!

On a side note, the first time I made this, I didn’t have okra on hand and it was still delicious!

What do you think?  I’d love to hear your thoughts and/or variations! Leave a comment below.