A hearty venison cottage pie topped with creamy sweet potatoes and finished under the broiler until golden.
December 24, 2025
By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
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This recipe is a twist on the classic cottage pie, which is a baked casserole made of thick meat stew topped with mashed potatoes. Just as satisfying and hearty, this wild game version features the flavors I often associate with fall and winter — venison, apple cider and sweet potatoes. I adore the vibrant orange color of the sweet potato topping, which really pops, making this recipe suitable even for a holiday table.
This a good recipe to make a day ahead. Actually, it will taste better the next day. If this is your plan, cook the recipe through step 5. Then allow the stew to cool completely before transferring it to a sprayed baking dish. Top it with the sweet potato mash. Next, cover and chill until you’re read to bake it. About 1 hour before serving, bake the casserole in a 350-degree oven until heated through. Finally, dot with butter and broil until toasty to your liking.
Feel free to adjust the carrot to white potato ratio to your liking. This recipe works with deer, elk, moose and antelope.
Servings: 6-8Prep time: 20 minutesCook time: 3-4 hours
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Ingredients: Stew Slow-simmered venison stew with apple cider, vegetables, and herbs forms the rich base of this recipe. 3 pounds venison stew meat 2 tsp. kosher salt, plus extra Freshly cracked pepper, to taste 6 tbsp. flour, separated 2 tbsp. olive oil, plus extra 1 medium onion, chopped 3 ribs of celery, chopped 1 pound of carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces 4 sprigs of thyme 1 sprig of rosemary 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tbsp. tomato paste 1 cup apple cider, heated 2 cups beef stock, heated ½ pound yellow or red potatoes Ingredients: Sweet Potato Topping 2½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1½-inch slices 4 tbsp. butter, separated Dash white pepper, optional Chopped chives Directions Venison is browned in batches to build deep flavor before slow cooking. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Evenly coat venison stew meat with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, freshly cracked pepper and 3 tablespoons of flour. In a medium-to-large enameled Dutch oven, heat enough oil to coat the bottom of the pot over medium-high heat. Brown venison cubes, in batches, until crusty on two sides. Add more oil and adjust heat as needed. Remove browned venison and set aside. Lower heat to medium. Add onion, celery, carrots, thyme, rosemary and a pinch of salt to the pot. Sweat until onion becomes translucent, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more oil as needed. Next, add minced garlic and tomato paste and stir for 1 minute. Add remaining flour to the vegetables and stir for 2 minutes. Then slowly stir in heated apple cider, using a wooden spoon to release the stuck-on bits at the bottom of the pot. Then gradually stir in heated stock. Return browned venison back to the Dutch oven and bring to a simmer. Then cover the Dutch oven and transfer to a 325-degree oven. Bake for 2 hours, or longer, until meat becomes tender. Halfway through cooking, stir in peeled and large diced potatoes. When stew is done, season to taste. It should be saucy, not loose or dry. Add more stock if dry. If too watery, allow to simmer uncovered until thickened to your liking. While the stew is cooking, cook peeled and sliced sweet potatoes in a pot of boiling, salted water until tender. Then strain sweet potatoes. Mash with 3 tablespoons of butter and season to taste. If the mash is loose, dry it out over low heat, stirring frequently. Spray a medium size, deep baking dish. Pour in the stew and allow it to cool for a few minutes until no longer steamy. Then cover the stew with sweet potato mash. Dot the top with small pieces of remaining butter. Set baking dish inside a rimmed cookie sheet to catch overflow. Broil until browned to your liking on top. Garnish with chopped chives.
