I love sharing my recipes with all of you, but I often get responses from readers and viewers who say they don't have the time to make their own dog food. With all of the hype surrounding commercial pet food being made with poor ingredients, homemade dog food is becoming a popular diet choice among owners. But, what can you do if you're too busy to spend hours each day preparing food?
Slow cookers are a lifesaver when it comes to preparing delicious meals in a hurry – for the human and canine members of your family. With a little bit of water and some of your favorite healthy ingredients, your slow cooker will prepare food for your dog when you're at the office.
I like preparing meals in advance and freezing them. That way I can make enough food for a month in just a few days. If you'd prefer to feed your dog a fresh meal, you can purchase a slow cooker that is specifically for making dog food and make a different dog food recipe every few days.
The amount of food you'll need will vary (of course) depending on the number of dogs you have, their size, age and activity level. Some owners, like me, supplement a commercial diet with homemade dog food. This gives the dog a more enticing meal and can address any specific dietary needs he may have.
MORE RECIPES HERE: Homemade Dog Food & Treats Recipes
Beef and Kidney Bean Crock Pot Dog Food Recipe
As with any homemade dog food recipe, you can substitute a different protein source if your dog doesn't like ground beef. You could also substitute some other vegetables that are healthy for dogs if you happen to have them on hand.
Ingredients
- 2.5 pounds ground beef (as lean as possible)
- 1.5 cups brown rice
- 1 (15-oz.) can of kidney beans
- 1.5 cups chopped butternut squash
- 1.5 cups chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 4 cups of water
Directions
The best part of using a slow cooker to prepare your dog's food is that once you add the ingredients you don't have to tend to it. Unlike cooking on the stove top, there is no need to constantly stir the food or check on it constantly to ensure it's not burning.
Add all the ingredients into the slow cooker and set it to low. It will need to cook for about 5-6 hours. You can also cook the dog food on high for 2-3 hours if you're going to be home in time to shut it off.
You'll want to stir the food occasionally to break up the ground beef, but no worries if you're not home to do it. You can always use a large spoon to break the ground beef into smaller pieces when the food is finished cooking.
You can cook this dog food recipe during the day while you're away at work, or overnight while you're sleeping. Once it's finished cooking, just let it cool and you can serve it immediately. Leftovers can be stored int he refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
As I mentioned, you can also freeze this food in an airtight container for storage of up to 3 months! If you prepared a batch of this food every day for a week, you'd have enough to store for months of easy doggy dinners.
READ NEXT: How To Make Homemade Dog Food – An Instructional Video Guide
