Smoked Mozzarella Meatloaf w/ Rainbow Vegetable Medley

Ma! Meatloaf! So you've had a successful hunting season and are looking for a new way to prepare your ground venison in the smoker (and yes you can use ground beef). How about an old-fashioned recipe with a twist? By definition, meatloaf is a dish of ground or minced meat infused with other ingredients to stretch out the meat. Technically this version of a venison meatloaf is more of a roll-up than a loaf but who needs semantics when dealing with deliciousness. Paired with a smoked rainbow vegetable medley and seasoned with two of Butcher BBQ’s best, loaf or roll, you won’t want to be late for dinner.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30-45 minutes

Smoker Temp: 375°F

Meat Finish Temp: 150°F (Medium Rare)

Wood: Apple

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground venison

Mozzarella slices

Pepperoni slices

2 cups chopped Kale

1/2 Onion chopped

1 teaspoon Smoked Chipotle Rub from Butcher BBQ

1 tablespoon Frontier Cabin Chili Mix from Butcher BBQ

Salt to taste

Olive Oil

Fire up your smoker and add in your applewood chips. Set the cook box to 375F° and prepare your loaf. First, grab a saucepan and chop the onion. Next, add the kale and wilt for 2 minutes on medium heat. Flatten the ground venison on top of a long piece of plastic wrap or Pink Butcher Paper until it's ½ an inch thick. Sprinkle half of the Smoked Chipotle Rub and Frontier Cabin Chili Mix onto the meat. Now add the mozzarella cheese, thin slices of pepperoni, and vegetables one layer at a time from end to end of the flattened ground meat.

Carefully roll up the loaf, turning it to secure all of the stuffing ingredients tightly inside. Keep everything compacted when you roll and remove the paper when done. Brush the top with olive oil and cover with the remaining spices.

Prepare the Vegetable medley for the grill.

Half the carrots and brussel sprouts lengthwise, discarding the ends. Peel garlic cloves and toss the vegetables with your oil in a dish or mixing bowl. Sprinkle on the Frontier Cabin Chili Mix and toss again to coat well. Place the seasoned vegetables on the grill rack.

Loosely cover the loaf with aluminum foil and smoke both the venison and medley for 20 minutes. Turn the vegetables occasionally until tender. Remove the vegetables from the smoker and salt to taste. After 20 minutes, discard the foil and keep smoking until the internal temperature reaches 150F°. With Butcher BBQ's Instant Read Digital Thermometer, I quickly got an accurate reading. Finally, remove your loaf from the grill and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice and serve!

I love the variety of colors and the rich mix of salty and savory, coupled with the Butcher BBQ seasonings; every bite is a barbeque flavor fiesta. The Frontier Cabin Chili Mix is my go-to seasoning, and its robust flavor is perfect for venison. Anyone who says these vegetables are too pretty to eat has never tasted them. Get creative and customize this recipe with your favorite cheeses and veggies. This Smoked Mozzarella Meatloaf is guaranteed to turn the pickiest eater into a venison lover.

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