Venison Spaghetti and Meatballs
Venison Spaghetti and Meatballs is sensational. This fantastic entree is so delicious and seasoned so well that you’d never know you were eating venison rather than beef. But venison is so much lower in calories than ground beef! I use one of my favorite meatball recipes along with our family’s traditional homemade spaghetti sauce to create this wonderful recipe. The only difference? I substituted ground venison for the ground beef.
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If you have hunters in your family, this is the perfect way to use up some of that meat. You can use ground elk, bison or almost any kind of wild game. So you kill two birds with one stone. You eat a favorite spaghetti recipe with some of that great meat in your freezer!
We worked with another couple in our church for over a year with the college age group. Her husband and boys have a deer lease in Texas. He usually comes home with several deer each year. I asked her for some ground venison if they could spare it this season. So I made up this recipe along with a few others. Without exception, every single recipe turned out fantastic.
I made a big batch so I invited some friends over the second time I served it. They also loved it and no one could believe I was using venison rather than beef. If you want a lighter version of spaghetti and are tired of turkey or chicken meatballs, I can’t recommend this venison version enough. Enjoy.
Venison Spaghetti and Meatballs is spectacular!
You will never be able to tell you’re eating venison rather than ground beef.
Venison has a lot lower calories than ground beef too.
Here’s what I did.
I used these ingredients for the meatballs.
Place ground venison in a mixing bowl. Add Italian bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, diced onion, minced garlic, egg, half-and-half, Lawry’s seasoned salt, pepper, parsley, basil, oregano and thyme.
Combine all ingredients with your hands until thoroughly mixed.
Shape mixture into meatballs and place on well-greased or well-sprayed cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove meatballs from oven and add to slow cooker with sauce ingredients.
I used these ingredients for the spaghetti sauce.
Pour crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, whole peeled tomatoes, tomato puree and tomato paste into a crockpot.
Add sliced onion rings, mushrooms, garlic, bay leaves, sugar and seasonings.
Stir ingredients to combine. Crush whole tomatoes gently with a fork and mash down.
Add venison meatballs and stir into sauce.
Cook on high setting in crockpot for about 4 hours. Remove bay leaves before serving. You can also cook this on the stove top for about an hour.
Serve over hot, cooked and drained spaghetti noodles.
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese before serving.
Add a little garlic bread and enjoy!
Here’s the recipe.
VENISON SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS
(My own concoction)
Venison Spaghetti and Meatballs
Equipment
- 1 crockpot
- 1 18x26" cookie sheet pan
- 1 large mixing bowl
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 spatula
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 sharp knife to cut vegetables
- 1 can opener
Ingredients
SPAGHETTI SAUCE:
- 29 oz. can tomato puree
- 29 oz. can whole tomatoes cut up
- 12 oz. can tomato paste
- 29 oz. can Italian diced tomatoes or regular diced tomatoes, undrained
- 29 oz. can crushed tomatoes undrained
- 1 large onion sliced and separated into rings
- 4 oz. can mushrooms sliced and drained
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 heaping tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 heaping teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 heaping teaspoon dried basil
- 1 heaping tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 2 dashes red pepper flakes if desired
- 3 whole bay leaves
- 6 cups hot, cooked spaghetti
VENISON MEATBALLS:
- 2 lbs. ground venison
- 1 large egg slightly beaten
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 cup Italian style bread crumbs
- 2/3 cup onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 tsp. Lawry’s seasoned salt
- 1 tsp. ground black pepper (or to taste)
- 1/3 cup 2% milk (can use up to 1/2 cup milk; or use half-and-half or evaporated milk)
- 2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 2 tbsp. dried parsley
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
Instructions
SPAGHETTI SAUCE:
- Empty tomato products into a crockpot that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
- With a wooden spoon, work the tomato paste into the other ingredients until smooth.
- Add remaining ingredients, including baked meatballs.
- Let simmer on high for about 4-6 hours.
- Remove bay leaves before serving.
- Serve over hot, cooked spaghetti and garnish with Parmesan cheese.
VENISON MEATBALLS:
- Combine ingredients by hand in a mixing bowl.
- Shape into balls.
- Place on well-greased cookie sheet.
- Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until done.
- Add to crockpot with other ingredients.
- Yield: 48 meatballs.
Notes
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
Nutrition
Every bite of Venison Spaghetti and Meatballs is irresistible!
If you have folks in your family who hunt, this is a great way to use up that meat!
Venison Spaghetti and Meatballs is a real treat your family will love.
You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!
Spaghetti and Meatballs with Italian Sausage
Spaghetti and Meatballs in Pepperoni Sauce
Italian Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs
Venison Spaghetti and Meatballs
Equipment
- 1 crockpot
- 1 18×26" cookie sheet pan
- 1 large mixing bowl
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 spatula
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 sharp knife to cut vegetables
- 1 can opener
Ingredients
SPAGHETTI SAUCE:
- 29 oz. can tomato puree
- 29 oz. can whole tomatoes cut up
- 12 oz. can tomato paste
- 29 oz. can Italian diced tomatoes or regular diced tomatoes, undrained
- 29 oz. can crushed tomatoes undrained
- 1 large onion sliced and separated into rings
- 4 oz. can mushrooms sliced and drained
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 heaping tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 heaping teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 heaping teaspoon dried basil
- 1 heaping tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 2 dashes red pepper flakes if desired
- 3 whole bay leaves
- 6 cups hot, cooked spaghetti
VENISON MEATBALLS:
- 2 lbs. ground venison
- 1 large egg slightly beaten
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 cup Italian style bread crumbs
- 2/3 cup onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 tsp. Lawry’s seasoned salt
- 1 tsp. ground black pepper (or to taste)
- 1/3 cup 2% milk (can use up to 1/2 cup milk; or use half-and-half or evaporated milk)
- 2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 2 tbsp. dried parsley
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
Instructions
SPAGHETTI SAUCE:
- Empty tomato products into a crockpot that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
- With a wooden spoon, work the tomato paste into the other ingredients until smooth.
- Add remaining ingredients, including baked meatballs.
- Let simmer on high for about 4-6 hours.
- Remove bay leaves before serving.
- Serve over hot, cooked spaghetti and garnish with Parmesan cheese.
VENISON MEATBALLS:
- Combine ingredients by hand in a mixing bowl.
- Shape into balls.
- Place on well-greased cookie sheet.
- Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until done.
- Add to crockpot with other ingredients.
- Yield: 48 meatballs.