Bison Saute

Here's a dish that may sound a little odd but tastes super great. To be honest, it was one of those "let's clean out the fridge" dinners that turned into a smashing success. The combination of flavors was just right and the bison really puts it over the top. Now, you could make this with ground beef, I suppose, but why would you (well, yeah, bison costs a lot more, but other than that)? The good news is that bison not only has a heartier flavor, it is healthier for you! Unlike beef, bison has minimal saturated fat and trans fat. Who'd a thunk it? Those big behemoths are packing around some good meat! I absolutely love the savoriness of the bison in this dish. Such a winner!

Bison Saute
Yield: 4 servings

1 lb ground bison
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 pint baby bella mushrooms, coarsely chopped
2 cups zucchini, thickly sliced/chunked
1 1/2 cups steamed butternut squash chunks
1 TBS minced garlic
1 tsp seasoned salt, or to taste

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Brown the bison meat until it is cooked through. Drain the bison onto large a paper towel lined plate or bowl, reserving a tablespoon of the drippings in the pan. If your bison was really lean, you can add a small drizzle of oil to the pan. Let the pan heat back up over medium-high heat and add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally until they are tender through and slightly browned. Remove the paper towel from the drained bison and put the onions in with the  meat.

Return the pan to the heat and repeat the saute process separately for the remaining main ingredients, the mushrooms, zucchini, and squash. If you try to saute them all together, they will just steam and you won't develop the full range of flavor. For each ingredient, cook over medium-high heat until they are browned and tender through. Add to the bowl/plate and continue with the next item. When all items are cooked, add the garlic to the pan, stirring briefly. Then return all items to the pan to heat together. Add the seasoned salt to taste and then serve!