By Josh Boyd

For many eager hunters, the urge to return to the woods has grown almost too great to bear. Luckily, archery seasons across the nation will begin opening in rapid succession within the next 1-2 months. This has led many of these same hunters on an exhaustive search for new, mouth-watering venison dishes, which they wish to cook up, should their season get off to a successful start.

For those who are fond of culinary creations that are rich in a little south of the border influence, few dishes can be as satisfying as venison enchiladas. This dish is so rich in flavor, that many would assume that you have brought home take-out from your favorite local Mexican restaurant. If this venison enchilada dish does not satisfy your appetite in its entirety, it is safe to say that little will.

Gather Your Supplies

Before actual cooking can begin, you will need to gather all supplies that will be needed. Outside of basic kitchen utensils, much of what must be prepared will center around procuring all of your ingredients.

Ingredients:

Meat Mixture:

2 pounds of ground venison

1 medium onion, chopped finely

1 can of Rotel

Other Ingredients:

1-10 ounce can of enchilada sauce

1-4.5 ounce can of green chiles

1 ¼ cup of tomato juice

4-cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Flour tortillas

Prepare Your Meat Mixture

Start by preparing your meat mixture. In order to do so, add your ground venison and chopped onion into an appropriate size pan on the stove. Using medium heat, cook the meat and onion

until done throughout. When doing this, stir and break up the venison into small crumbles as it cooks.

When the meat and onion are cooked thoroughly, set the pan aside. If there is any excess grease in the pan, you will drain it at this time. Next, you will add your can of Rotel, stirring well to combine the ingredients while doing so.

Assembling the Enchiladas

At this point, take a 9 x 13 glass dish, and spray it with non-stick cooking spray. Place one tortilla flat on a cutting board or similar surface. Spoon approximately ½ cup of your meat mixture onto the tortilla and top the loaded tortilla with shredded cheese. You will now form your enchilada by rolling this tortilla until the proper size and shape is obtained.

Place the rolled enchilada in the sprayed pan, laying it seam side down to keep it from unrolling. Repeat this process until you have filled your baking dish with rolled enchiladas. If any venison remains, you can pour it along the parameter of your dish.

Making the Enchilada Sauce

Place the enchilada sauce, green chilies, and tomato juice into a small mixing bowl. Stir this mixture well and pour it over your previously prepared enchiladas. Using a spoon or spatula, gently raise an edge of each enchilada, allowing the sauce to run underneath.

Ready for the Oven

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Once the oven is preheated, place the uncovered dish of enchiladas within, and bake for approximately 20 minutes. Carefully remove the dish from the oven, and top the hot enchiladas with more shredded cheddar cheese. Place the baking dish back into the oven and continue baking until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

To Top It Off

Once you pull your enchiladas from the oven, let them stand for 10 minutes before serving. To further dress these enchiladas, try topping with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole, or any of your other favorite Mexican toppings.

South of the Border Venison

With a dish full of steaming hot venison enchiladas, and a plate of nachos to pass around, it is hard not to find yourself grinning from ear to ear. Not only is this dish ideal for serving larger parties, but it also reheats well, providing you with leftovers which you wish would never run out. If you have never prepared venison enchiladas, you truly have no idea what you are missing.