Homemade Potato Dog Food - Cottage Pie

Ingredients:

• 2 large russet Idaho® Potatoes, cleaned, peeled, and diced
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
• ½ cup green peas, shelled
• 1 cup mild cheddar cheese, shredded
• ¼ cup water

Directions:

1. In a large pot of boiling water, add the diced potatoes and bring them to a boil over medium heat. Cook for about 8-10 minutes or until potatoes are tender when tested with a knife or fork. Drain, and mash until the texture of mashed potatoes, add a little water if needed to make the desired consistency. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and brown ground beef. Add in the carrots and cook for an additional 5 minutes until the carrots are tender. Finally, add the green peas into the beef mixture and cook an additional 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. If needed, drain any fat from the mixture.
3. Combine the meat mixture with the mashed potatoes, along with the shredded cheese. Mix until well incorporated. If the mixture is too dry to hold together, you can add about ¼ cup of water to bring it together.
4. Use about 1 cup of mixture and form into a hamburger shaped patty. You should have about 6 patties. Wrap each patty in plastic wrap, and keep them in the refrigerator until ready to feed your pup. When ready, simply crumble the mixture into their serving bowl and let them enjoy!

Notes:

You can increase the amount to double the recipe and freeze half of the patties in the freezer, pulling them out the night before use to defrost.

I like to wrap them individually in plastic wrap and store them in a gallon-sized freezer bag, or you can use quart-sized freezer bags to pull out a couple at a time.