Thanksgiving has always been more than a date on the calendar. Long before the holiday became turkey on the table and football on the screen, the first gatherings in this land were rooted in community, survival, and shared harvests. While modern stories have been polished over time, one thing remains certain. The Native peoples who lived here long before us relied on the land with a depth of respect that runs deep. Their meals were built around what nature provided, including wild turkey and venison.
For many Native American tribes, wild turkey was not a once-a-year centerpiece. It was part of daily life. They hunted these birds with skill and intention, knowing how to use every part. Roasted turkey, slow-cooked turkey, and preserved turkey all carried meaning beyond flavor. Venison was just as valuable. Deer represented nourishment throughout the seasons, and hunters knew the habits of whitetail and mule deer better than most modern hunters know their own streets. These ingredients were not luxuries. They were lifelines that tied families and communities together.
When settlers arrived, their first successful harvest celebration was built around these same foods. Turkey and venison were shared across cultures at a time when survival depended on cooperation. Long before store bought birds and boxed stuffing, the meal was wild, honest, and earned. It came from hands that hunted, gathered, and cooked over open fires. That spirit still sits at the heart of Thanksgiving. It is the reminder that good food is meant to be shared, that gratitude is something you feel deep in your chest, and that the land provides when we treat it with respect.
Today, many of us still carry those traditions with us. We harvest our own meat. We gather our families. We give thanks for the wild places that feed us. And every year, I try to bring a little more of that history back to the table.
Which leads me to two recipes that bring the past into the present. One is a show stopping holiday venison roulade filled with apples, cranberries, and sourdough. The other is a leftover Thanksgiving waffle that turns day after holiday scraps into something you will look forward to more than the main meal.
Venison Holiday Roulade with Apple Cranberry Sourdough Stuffing
The holidays are meant for meals that tell a story, and this one speaks of the field, the hunt, and the heart of the season. This venison roulade brings the earthy richness of wild game together with the sweet tart balance of apples and cranberries. The sourdough stuffing gives it a hearty, rustic texture that fits perfectly on a cold November table.
Preparing a roulade slows you down in the best way. Butterflying the backstrap, working the stuffing, rolling it tight, tying it off. You feel connected to the meal long before it hits the smoker. It is a dish that honors both the hunter and the harvest.
Ingredients
Stuffing
2 cups sourdough bread, torn
5 tbsp melted butter
1 half white onion, minced
1 celery stalk, diced
2 tsp dried sage
1 tsp thyme, chopped
1 tsp rosemary, chopped
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 green apple, chopped
1 half cup dried or fresh cranberries
Steak
1 venison backstrap
2 tbsp poultry seasoning
Poultry Seasoning Mix
2 tsp ground sage
1 and 1 half tsp ground thyme
1 tsp ground marjoram
3 tsp ground rosemary
1 half tsp ground nutmeg
1 half tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp fine sea salt
Directions
Heat your smoker, oven, or grill to 225.
Fillet your backstrap open until it doubles in size.
In a skillet, melt butter, then add onions, celery, apples, and cranberries. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, then add herbs and cook 1 to 2 minutes more.
Add the sourdough and toast lightly.
Spread the mixture over the opened backstrap, leaving a small space at the top and bottom.
Roll the strap and tie it with butcher twine.
Rub the outside with your poultry seasoning.
Smoke until the internal temp reaches 120.
Raise the heat to 400 and cook 5 to 10 minutes until the meat hits 130.
Rest 10 minutes, then slice and serve.
This dish looks incredible on a platter. The spiral of red venison, green herbs, and bright cranberries turns heads the moment you slice it. It tastes like winter comfort mixed with wild adventure. It is everything the season should be.
Holiday Leftover Waffles with Wild Turkey
Once the feast is finished and the fridge is full of containers, it is time for one of my favorite day after creations. These leftover stuffing waffles take everything we love about Thanksgiving and press it into a crisp, savory base ready for turkey, gravy, fried onions, and cranberry sauce.
It is the kind of breakfast, lunch, or dinner that brings you right back to the holiday, but with a twist that keeps it fun.
Ingredients
Waffles
2 cups leftover stuffing
2 eggs
1 quarter cup turkey stock
Salt and pepper
Toppings
Leftover wild turkey meat, shredded or chopped
Fried onions
Warm gravy
Cranberry sauce
Fresh herbs for garnish
Instructions
Mix stuffing, eggs, and stock until it comes together. Add more stock if needed.
Preheat and lightly grease your waffle iron.
Cook each waffle for 5 to 7 minutes until crisp.
Top with shredded turkey.
Drizzle with hot gravy.
Add cranberry sauce.
Finish with fried onions and herbs.
This recipe works with whatever leftovers you have. Turkey, mashed potatoes, veggies. Press them into the waffle iron and let the magic happen.
Carrying the Tradition Forward
Thanksgiving is a reminder of where our food comes from and why it matters. Wild turkey and venison fed the first gatherings in this land, and they still feed families today. Whether you are carving into a venison roulade or pressing leftover stuffing into a waffle iron, you are part of a long line of hunters and cooks who understand that gratitude begins with the harvest.
Set the table. Tell the stories. Pass down the traditions. And let the wild find its way to your plate this season.
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