Wild birds are so much fun to hunt but can be a little tough. Big old turkeys, geese, ducks, and pheasants have less fat and can be dry and chewy and have a wild taste.

Some wild birds like grouse are wonder when grilled with a bit of spice and butter. Other birds, especially big flyers, tend to have darker meat that is not as tender. Snow geese and Spring Gobblers may fall into this category. Some wild birds taste like what they eat. If the snow geese or ducks feed in a marsh, that’s what they may taste like. Sage can also be too much flavor for some folks.

A few Spring turkey seasons ago, we tagged our birds early. There was still some fun fishing and shed searching to do so we needed to eat the turkeys at the camp. One turkey went onto the fire grill and was perfect for sandwiches and with biscuits and gravy. The second bird was also grilled and then picked. The picked meat went into the recipe below.

This recipe is a simple and easy meal to make at Hunting or Fishing camp. This one pot meal includes meat, veggies, and bread all in one!

WILD BIRD CASSEROLE

At camp, you can make this dish in a Dutch oven. At home, use the smoker grill or oven. Chicken or turkey leftover meat will also work well in this recipe.

2 tbsp olive oil

4 cups of picked, chunked wild bird meat

1 oz. Taco seasoning/ a packet

1 can of rinsed Black Beans

1 can of Mexican style corn, drained

1 can of diced tomatoes, drained

1 can of mild diced Chilles, drained

½ cup of mild salsa

1 box of cornbread mix

½ cup of shredded Cheddar cheese

¼ cup of chopped bell pepper

Preheat your fire or oven to around 350 degrees. Place the ingredients in a casserole dish or Dutch Oven, sprayed with a nonstick oil. If the meat is raw, cook it in the oil. If the meat is cooked and picked, place it in the oil and continue adding the other ingredients.

Sprinkle the seasonings. Add the beans, chilies, corn, tomatoes, salsa, and mix well.

Prepare the cornbread mix and add in the cheddar cheese and diced peppers.  Pour overtop the casserole. Spread the batter to cover all the casserole. Bake about 30 minutes, or until the cornbread is nice and golden brown.

This recipe makes about 4-6 servings. There will be no leftovers.

Muy Bien and damn good!

Montana Grant