Easy Deer Meatloaf Recipe That Your Family Will Love
It Is Possible To Prepare Deer Meat In A Way That Wildgame Haters Will Love It
Deer meatloaf is one of those dishes that you either really love or really dislike. Actually deer or venison, in general, is something that you either like to eat or you absolutely hate with your whole heart. It’s a little like politics and religion. You choose a side and then you stand on it.
My mother made the BEST meatloaf of anyone. Although she would have NEVER used deer meat. However, because she did make the best meatloaf it stands to reason that I would follow in her footsteps and make the second-best. Mine, though, is hers resurrected. And it’s tweaked with minimal changes with the biggest difference of meat choice. Ground Chuck vs. Ground Deer Burger!
I consider myself to be a good cook just like her. However, when you’re trying to convince a person to try a new recipe it can sometimes be tricky. That being said if you’re trying to convince a “deer meat hater” to try something you’ve cooked you’ve got your work cut out for yourself.
I should know because although I am surrounded by family members that live and breathe to eat anything that includes deer meat, I’ve also got family and friends that refuse to even TOUCH it. I mean absolutely REFUSE to even TRY it.
Deer Meat Is For Even The Pickiest Eaters If Prepared Right
I mean to tell you that I have done everything I know to do to convince them that it truly tastes good. Actually, in some cases, it tastes better than beef. But they hold fast to their misconceptions. And lay down the law that they will NOT ever, and I repeat EVER eat, much less even try one single solitary bite of deer meat.
I’ve even gone so far as to threaten that “one day when you’re starving to death you will surely come knocking on my door for food and I all I’ll have is deer meat. What are you going to do then?”
I have a sister-in-law who assures me that she would die of starvation before she would ever put one bite in her mouth.
I’m waiting for that day and I hope to live to see it. Because I KNOW that when you’re hungry, and I mean really HUNGRY, you WILL eat whatever is there in front of you. And that includes deer meat.
Which brings me to the point of this post.
I have many recipes up my sleeve when it comes to wild game but one I am most proud of and one that I’ve tweaked over the years is my Deer Meatloaf, otherwise known as Venison Meatloaf.
It’s simple to fix and I promise you that your family will request it again and again.
Deer Meatloaf is a family favorite
Just a couple of months ago I had a spurt of energy and decided that I would make one of our sons and his wife a meatloaf for supper. They had just had a baby and I thought it would make things a little easier for them not having to worry about fixing dinner.
Well when our youngest son heard I was making meatloaf for the middle son, well then HE wanted one also. So, okay, now I’ll make TWO.
No problem. I’ll just thaw out ANOTHER pound of deer burger. No big deal.
There’s always a chain reaction no matter what you do. When our second oldest son found out I was making the middle and the youngest sons their own meatloaves, well you can guess what transpired next.
Yep, you guessed it. Another son. Another thawed pound of deer burger. And another meatloaf. I was hoping I had enough crackers and eggs. Thank God I did.
I did make three meatloaves that day. And everyone was happy. But it just proves that when you have a recipe everyone loves, they will request it over and over and truly never get tired of it.
My Deer Meatloaf Recipe is one of those recipes. Your family will make you pull it out time and time again, and although you will get sick of making it, your family won’t. And nothing would make me happier than if you would let me share it with you.
Deer Meatloaf Recipe
Ingredients:
1lb ground deer burger
1.5 sleeves of crushed saltine crackers
1 Cup diced green pepper
1 Cup diced onion
2 eggs
Barbeque sauce
Ketchup
Garlic salt, salt, pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
In large bowl, and I mean LARGE, mix burger, onion, green pepper, crackers, eggs, and seasonings together. Put in a couple of squirts (big) of bbq sauce and ketchup.
There’s no easy way to do it but to get your hands right in there and mix it thoroughly.
Shape it and place it in a glass Pyrex dish sprayed with Pam. I usually put a cup of water in the dish with the uncooked meatloaf for moisture. It keeps the meatloaf moist while cooking.
I am told that my meatloaf is the moistest, so listen to me. I’m an expert on this subject. Not really. But through trial and error, I have learned how to make moist meatloaf. Yours won’t be dry and you’ll be glad you did it like that.
Back for an hour.
After 40 minutes take a cup and a half of bbq sauce and brush on top of the meatloaf and let it continue backing for the remaining 20 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before cutting.
Voila!! Yummy! Mash up some potatoes. Throw a little gravy and green beans with it and you’ve got supper.
The extra work will be worth it
Deer meatloaf is a little time consuming with the preparation of cutting the green peppers and onions. Crushing the crackers can be a pain too but you’ll have leftovers to eat on the next day. We make deer meatloaf sandwiches out of what’s left for lunch the following day and grab some potato chips as a side.
No matter what time of day you decide to eat it, your family will thank you and you’ll find that even the ones who don’t like meatloaf will end up having a change of heart on the subject.
And if you’re really lucky you’ll convert an “anti-deer-meat-eater” to join you for a plate of fresh-baked deer meatloaf. If they do, I promise they’ll be back for seconds.
