Recipe Summary
Make your pup their own cottage pie inspired homemade dog food.
This Homemade Beef and Potato Cottage Pie Dog Food recipe is sponsored by [Idaho Potato Commission](https://idahopotato.com/). All opinions are our own.
Homemade beef and potato dog food gets a cottage pie-inspired spin with russet potatoes, ground beef, carrots, peas, and mild cheddar. The recipe makes six patties in about 25 minutes, but those patties are batch units, not feeding portions.
Keep this recipe in the occasional topper or treat lane unless your veterinarian or a board-certified veterinary nutritionist has reviewed it for your dog. Online homemade diets are often incomplete and unbalanced, and treats or toppers should stay within 10% of a dog’s daily calories. Ask your veterinary team how much fits your dog’s size, health, and regular diet.
Meet Bijou
Bijou is the pup behind this recipe. She was adopted a couple of years before the recipe was first published, and she brought a medium-sized frame, a Rottweiler-sized appetite, and plenty of joy to the family.
She still tried to sit on a lap as if she were a wee puppy. Happily spoiled? Without question.
Her name means jewel, and it suits her.
A cottage pie-inspired topper for dogs
This homemade beef and potato dog food folds ground beef, carrots, and peas into mashed Idaho potatoes with mild cheddar. The mixture is shaped into patties, so cottage pie-inspired is the honest name for it.
The recipe leaves out onion, garlic, salt, and seasoning blends. Human cottage pie often includes onion or garlic, and dogs should not eat either one.
Keep the finished patties in the treat or topper lane unless your veterinary team has reviewed the full recipe. A short ingredient list tells you what went into the bowl. It does not prove that the bowl supplies every nutrient your dog needs each day.
For a separate baked treat, try these sausage potato cheese ball dog treats.
Before it goes in the bowl
The six patties are batch units, not universal feeding portions. Ask your veterinarian how much fits your dog’s regular diet, body size, activity, and health.
Use a food thermometer when cooking the ground beef. It needs to reach 160°F, since color alone can’t confirm that ground beef is safely cooked.
Dog food cottage pie FAQs
Can dogs eat cottage pie?
Human cottage pie often contains onions or garlic, which dogs should not eat. This dog-specific version leaves them out, but the formula has not been shown to be complete and balanced. Keep it as an occasional topper or treat unless your veterinary team approves it as part of a complete diet.
Can this homemade dog food replace your dog’s regular food?
No, not on the evidence available for this recipe. Most home-prepared recipes from books and websites do not provide complete and balanced nutrition. Ask a board-certified veterinary nutritionist to formulate or review a daily homemade diet for your dog.
How much beef and potato dog food should you serve?
Ask your veterinarian how much fits your dog’s size, health, activity, and regular diet. WSAVA recommends keeping treats to no more than 10% of a dog’s daily calories, so the recipe’s six patties describe the batch size rather than six universal feeding portions.
Can you freeze the patties?
Yes. Wrap the patties individually, place them in a freezer bag, and move only what you need to the refrigerator the night before use.
To find out more about Idaho Potatoes and discover recipes for your family and your pet, visit Idaho Potato Commission.
Other Idaho Potato Recipes to Try
Homemade Dog Food – Beef and Potato Cottage Pie
Ingredients Â
MethodÂ
- 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.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and cook the ground beef until it reaches 160°F on a food thermometer. Add the carrots and cook for 5 minutes, or until tender. Add the green peas and cook for another 3 – 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, cool for a few minutes, and drain any excess fat if needed.
- 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 1/4 cup of water to bring it together.
- Use about 1 cup of mixture and form it into a patty; you should have about 6. These patties are batch units, not universal feeding portions. Wrap each patty and refrigerate until ready to use. When serving, crumble only the amount your veterinarian recommends into your dog’s regular food and keep it within the dog’s daily treat or topper allowance.
Nutrition
Notes
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