Canine Concoctions: Beef and Celery Casserole

For those of you turned off by the thought of purchasing yet another brand of Dog Food in the hopes that it won't be the next addition to the recall list, here is an easy to prepare and budget conscious meal (or three) for your four-legged friend.

Ingredients Needed:

1 lb. Ground hamburger

1 can of Cream of Celery Soup*

1/3 cup Brown Rice (Regular or Minute/Instant)

1/4 cup chopped, cooked Carrots (Fresh or Frozen, I don't recommend canned.)

1/4 cup cooked Zuccini (Fresh or Frozen, I don't recommend canned.)

Preparation:

In skillet, brown Ground Hamburger until thoroughly cooked. Drain off excess grease. As the meat is browning, boil or steam the vegetables together until soft or semi-soft, and boil/cook the rice according to package directions.

Remove skillet from heat when the Hamburger is fully cooked. Combine the cooked and chopped/sliced Carrots and Zuccini, and the cooked Brown Rice with the Beef. Add the Cream of Celery soup straight from the can, do not prepare it per the can instructions. Combine all ingredients, folding soup in with the mixture until all is blended together nicely.

Transfer Hamburger, Rice, and Vegetables to a 9-inch by 9-inch glass baking dish (or your preferred non-stick baking pan). Bake in pre-heated 350-degree oven for approximately 20 minutes. Let cool before serving to your anxious Canine*.

Serving size of 3*: based on 105 lb. Husky/Sheppard mix.

Tips:

*CAUTION: Be extremely careful when purchasing cream soups. I strongly suggest reading the labels well to ensure that no mushrooms, onions, onion salts or powders, garlic or garlic salts or powders are included. These items are toxic to your furry friend and should not be served to him/her or used in the cooking process!

For Carrots, I chop them into thin slices prior to cooking, as this speeds the time to soften them.

For Zuccini, slice and quarter the slices prior to cooking. This speeds the time to soften. I quarter the slices, since our furry friend seems to prefer the smaller, more bite sized pieces.

*CAUTION: Allow the casserole to cool before feeding to your friend! Cooked meals for pets should never be served steaming hot. Luke warm, slightly above room temperature seems to work well for us.

If your friend's coat appears dull, or not as shiny as when feeding Dog Food, add a tablespoon of Corn Oil in with the meal prior to serving. The Corn Oil will add needed moisture to the animal's coat and fur.

*CAUTION: It is not recommended to store cooked casseroles for feeding your canine for more than three days in the refrigerator. You may opt to freeze the leftover portions, pulling them out to thaw and warming them slightly prior to serving again. I generally feed 1 serving the night/day it's made, place 1 serving in a clean, residue-free plastic container in the refrigerator, and freeze the remaining serving for a few days later. This gives our girl some variety and ensures the portions stay fresh and safe for her to eat.