I understand you might be super-busy and cooking for your dog isn’t always a priority. But making a healthy meal for dogs doesn’t have to take a lot of time from your schedule. Today’s homemade dog food recipe is all about saving time and being energy efficient, while preparing homemade food for dogs.
After the initial prep that takes around 5 minutes you might spend additional 10 making this meal. All you have to do is follow simple steps in the recipe below.
This homemade food for dogs is freezer friendly. So prepare double the amount in the recipe and you will have a time-saving healthy food option for your dog at any time.
Freezing food for dogs is still better then giving those cans of processed food that contain who knows what. It also saves you tons of time in the long run, and this is how me and my dog (and 2 cats) function.
How to make homemade meal for dogs super-fast
I use this recipe occasionally when I don’t really have much time on my hands. The most time consuming part is shredding and chopping the veggies. After you’re done with this step everything else goes really fast.
You will need some protein such as chicken meat or you could absolutely use pork or beef as a substitute. The chicken is placed inside boiling water for 10 minutes and later you add shredded veggies and rice to the mix. After you’ve added the rice turn off the heat but leave the saucepan on the stove and let it cook covered, on its own, until it gets cold (feel free to leave it overnight).
This trick I learned while preparing rice meals for humans. You place the rice inside boiling water, put a lid on (very important) and turn off the heat without moving the saucepan. Then the rice cooks from the heat that has already built up in the saucepan. It is truly magical for the electric bill, and it saves you tons of time and effort.
What veggies to use with this meal
You can use any veggies available that are safe for dogs such as: carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, spinach, peas, etc. In this particular meal I also add some herbs that are good for dogs, such as mint.
- 2 lb chicken breasts, thighs, or drumsticks
- 1 lb chicken liver (optional)
- 3 medium carrots (shredded)
- 4 cups chopped veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, peas, etc.)
- 2 cups (400g) rice
Step 1.
Take one large saucepan, place the meat inside and fill it with water to cover the meat completely. Place it on the stove on high-heat and let it come to boil.
Step 2.
While you wait for the water with meat to boil, prepare the veggies. Wash everything; remove any dark spots, roots etc…
Veggies that are tough like carrots or pumpkin get shredded.
Veggies that are softer like broccoli or spinach get chopped.
Set aside.
Step 3.
Let the chicken boil for 10 minutes then add the veggies and the rice. Cover the saucepan with a lid and turn off the heat. Do not move the saucepan from the stove and let it finish cooking on its own. You don’t have to mix, stir, or do anything additional.
Step 4.
After the meal is cooled off you can take the meat out, shred it and place it back inside. Mix everything well. At this point the meal is ready for serving (1 cup per 20 lb dog) and freezing.
Step 5.
Freeze this meal in single-serving bags. The night before you need them, take the bags out of the freezer and let them thaw in the fridge. Next day you will have prepared food for your dog. No need to re-heat. Dogs tend to like cool food better.
I hope you liked today’s super-fast homemade meal for dogs and I know it will save you time and effort. If you need to stretch this homemade dog food recipe further give it to your dog together with kibble.
Buon appétit!
