If you have a freezer full of deer meat, you might be looking for a new, creative way to use some of it. An easy way to get dinner on the table in record time and please the whole family is to make these venison meatballs with a simple Italian tomato sauce. They work as an appetizer, main course, or as a delicious feature in a meatball sub.
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Mixing this meatball recipe up is fun, too. Put the ground venison, ground pork, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, sage, and fennel into a large bowl and use your hands to mix it all together. Form meatballs by rolling the ground meat mixture between your hands, then place them on a baking sheet. In a 350 degree oven, bake until fully cooked, about 13-15 minutes.
The sauce comes together while the venison meatballs are baking. In a saucepan over medium heat, cook garlic in olive oil for about a minute, then add tomato sauce and minced basil. Simmer the sauce for five minutes, then pour it on top of the meatballs and grate Parmesan cheese on top. It'll taste just like what you get at your local sandwich shop, minus waiting in line.
Easy Venison Meatballs with Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
For The Meatballs
- 2 lbs ground venison
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp sage
- 1/2 tsp fennel
For The Sauce
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1 Tbsp minced basil
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
Instructions
For The Meatballs
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF. In a large bowl mix together venison, pork, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, sage, and fennel with your hands. Roll into balls and place on a baking sheet and bake until fully cooked, about 13-15 minutes.
For The Sauce
- In a saucepan over medium heat add olive oil and garlic and cook 1 minute. Add tomato sauce and minced basil and simmer 5 minutes. Pour on top of meatballs and top with grated parmesan.
