When we first asked chef Troy at Utah Valley University's culinary institute to take a stab at dressing up our food for dogs, we didn't know what to expect. We knew we wanted to make dishes that would taste great, without modifying them too much- it was important that we preserved the integrity of our food. What chef Troy prepared exceeded all of our expectations. In each dish, he did an incredible job of highlighting the Freshpet and building around it. And the result was DELICIOUS. We just couldn't believe how tasty each dish was. And we knew that others would find them enjoyable too, dog food or not. So, with the permission of parents if needed and with hopes that our willing participants would have as much fun as we thought they would, we set off to do the ultimate taste test.
If you're curious about what went into each our dishes, chef Troy has generously shared the recipes. We highly recommend them- for the humans, you can swap out Freshpet for fresh chicken, beef, or turkey. For pets, just be sure to remove any ingredients that aren't dog friendly (such as: onions, excessive spices, etc.).
Bison and Bacon Burger
Ingredients:
Portion 6 ea sliders
16 oz Freshpet Beef and Bison
2 ea eggs
1 oz dried bread crumbs
½ tsp chopped garlic
½ tsp fresh Chopped parsley
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
S&P to taste
Pinch nutmeg
2 oz Olive oil for pan fry
Mayo and BBQ sauce mix 50/50 for bun
Tomato
Sliced onion
Sliced pickles
Toasted slider buns
Turkey Bacon Treats (Freshpet)
The secret ingredient:
Vital Grain Free Beef and Bison with Spinach and Cranberries Recipe
Instructions:
Put broken up ground beef and bison in a bowl with the eggs, bread crumbs, parsley, garlic, Worcestershire sauce nutmeg and S&P Mix well with your hands until incorporated.
Ice cream scoop out the size that you want about 3 oz. Ring mold it and pack it tight . Or form patties
Heat 12 inch saute pan to med high with olive oil
Season the patty with s&p place into hot pan. Let fry on one side about 2 minutes just until it is brown and caramelized. Turn the patty over and continue browning that side as well.
Toast the bun, drizzle the bbq mayo on the bun. Warm the bacon. Put it together with whatever you want.
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Ingredients:
Yield 12 ea meatballs
16 oz of Freshpet Select Chunky Beef roll
2 ea eggs
½ tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp chopped basil
½ tsp chopped oregano
2 oz of grated good parm cheese
1 oz dried breadcrumbs
3 oz marinara sauce
2 oz finely diced onions sautéed until translucent
S&P to taste
The secret ingredient:
Freshpet Select Chunky Beef Recipe
Instructions:
In a bowl add all of the ingredients and blend together well. Make sure the mix is not too wet as it will fall apart. Scoop into 2 oz ice cream scoop. Pack tight and roll meatballs from them.
Chill for an hour before cooking.
Cook a tester to check seasoning before cooking all of them.
Deep fry the balls at 300* until brown on the outside, and hot in the middle.
Put ontop of cooked pasta and favorite Marinara recipe. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and Fried Basil leaf.
Southwest Shredded Chicken Tacos
Ingredients:
12 oz Freshpet Fresh from the Kitchen Shredded Chicken
3 oz Olive oil
2 Tablespoons of Chipotle seasoning
3 oz finely shredded green cabbage
1 cup Pico (Diced tomato, onion ,lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, jalapeno, salt and pepper)
4 oz Cilantro lime dressing. Cilantro, Lime juice, Garlic, Salt and White pepper, sugar, Sour cream.
24 ea fresh corn tortillas
Sprigs cilantro for garnish
Grated Cotija cheese
The secret ingredient:
Fresh From the Kitchen, Home Cooked Chicken Recipe with Garden Vegetables and Cranberries
Instructions:
Hot 12 inch saute pan, add olive oil, add meat and flip a bit. Add the chipotle seasoning and toss some more until the spice seems to roast and darken in the pan. Check for seasoning
Lay 2 corn tortillas on plate stacked for durability.
Spoon 1 oz of the hot chicken in a row from on edge to the opposite edge.
Top with cabbage, pico salsa, cilantro cream dressing , a touch of Sriracha if you like it hot
Add the cilantro garnish and sprinkle the Cotija on as well
