Venison Cheeseburger Dip

By Jeff Benda

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www.WildGameandFish.com

Serves 10
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 

Here in North Dakota, game day food is just as important as the game itself. You never want to be the person who shows up to a football party with a grocery-store veggie tray. That’s why I developed this easy Venison Cheeseburger Dip you can whip up in a slow cooker. All you need is a handful of simple ingredients, including some of that ground venison you still have in your freezer from last fall’s successful deer or elk hunt.

Whether you’re planning to watch your favorite college team or an NFL game, the vast majority of us want to spend our time out hunting and not stuck in the kitchen. If you’re like me, you want something delicious AND easy. This ground venison recipe is perfect because it lets the slow cooker do all the work and it comes together in just over an hour. Then you can just show up at the party with this Venison Cheeseburger Dip and a bag of tortilla chips, find a good seat in front of the big screen, and watch some other guy spend the first half of the game stuck outside smoking meat.

If you are looking for some other great game day recipes for that ground venison in your freezer, you can also check out my Venison Sloppy Joes or Venison Cheeseburger Sliders.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground venison
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups shredded Monterey jack or cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

1. Season the ground venison with salt and pepper. Then add the olive oil and seasoned ground venison to a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sauté for about 5 minutes, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks, then transfer to a slow cooker.
2. To the slow cooker, add all remaining ingredients and stir together.
3. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour stirring occasionally until everything is melted and well combined.
4. Turn the slow cooker down to warm and serve the dip with tortilla chips on the side.