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This Ground Venison Tater Tot Hotdish combines the aggressively Midwestern tater tot casserole with our love of ground deer meat! An easy and creamy filling (that’s secretly loaded with veggies!) gets topped with shredded cheese and frozen tater tots. Baked until golden brown, it’s a one-pan dinner that is satisfying and comforting.
This updated version of the traditional hotdish is made without a can of “cream of something soup” and instead uses a cleaver cooking hack to create a silky filling that’s hearty and delicious – evaporated milk!
Frozen veggies keep things easy and hand-shredded cheese melts beautifully into a creamy casserole that’s topped with crispy tater tots. What more could you want from a venison recipe?!
A look at the ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Ground Venison – When we grind venison at home we don’t add any pork fat or trimmings so it’s 100% ground deer meat. If you add pork to your processed venison, that’s just fine. You may just need to drain the meat after browning.
Beef Stock – I prefer stocks for their richer flavor, but beef broth works too. You can add another cube or two of beef bouillon if desired.
Cheese – Shredding cheese yourself means that there are no anti-clumping agents which hinder the melting process! The same premise applies for my ground venison baked enchiladas and my ground venison hamburger helper.
Making Ground Venison Casserole
This is just a brief overview, find detailed instructions in the recipe card below!
- Brown the ground deer meat. After sautéing some onions and garlic. Make sure everything is well seasoned.
- Make the sauce. Instead of using canned cream soup, we use evaporated milk for a silky-smooth finish.
- Add the cheese and veggies. I love using frozen veggies in my recipes for ease. Like my easy ground venison shepherd’s pie.
- Top with tater tots. And bake until golden brown!
It really is that easy! I promise!
Ground Venison Tater Tot Hotdish (Midwestern Casserole)
Equipment
- Shallow Dutch oven or large cast iron pan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 pounds ground venison
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- Black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 cups beef stock
- 2 cubes beef bouillon
- 12 ounces evaporated milk
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 16 ounces frozen mixed vegetables
- 32 ounces frozen tater tots
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Set a large Dutch oven or very large cast iron pan over medium-low heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon salted butter.
- When butter is melted, add in diced onion and a pinch of kosher salt, stirring to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and translucent, about 3 – 5 minutes. Add in the minced garlic and stir, cooking until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute more.
- Increase heat to medium and add in the ground venison, breaking it up to brown evenly. Season with additional kosher salt, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and black pepper, to taste.
- Once meat is browned, sprinkle with ¼ cup cornstarch. Stir to coat and add in 2 cups beef stock and 2 bouillon cubes. Stir until cubes have dissolved. Add in the evaporated milk and bring sauce to a bubble, stirring occasionally. Cook until the sauce has reduced by half and thickened. Then stir in half of the shredded cheese followed by one pound of frozen mixed vegetables before removing from heat.
- Top with remaining cheese and arrange a single layer of tater tots on top of the casserole.
- Bake in preheated oven for 45 – 50 minutes, or until tater tots are golden brown and filling is bubbly.
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