Share a thanksgiving dinner with your dog (recipes included!)

It might seem a bit unconventional, but since most of us consider our dogs part of the family, make a meal he can eat right along with you this holiday.

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Lisa Hennessy, Celebrity Pet Chef and the owner/creator of Your Pet Chef, which makes personalized dog food, has simple tips and recipes to help you create a wonderful Thanksgiving meal for you and your dog.

“We don’t recommend sharing rolls, stuffing or other Thanksgiving menu items that contain grains or gluten with our dogs as their systems can’t really process these ingredients,” advises Hennessy. “We also try to stay away from dishes that are high in fat content like potatoes that have a side of butter. My mom makes a great baked mashed potato recipe for Thanksgiving that uses a couple of sticks of butter. It tastes great, but could wreak havoc with a canine digestive system.”

Appetizers

The team at Your Pet Chef created this amazing appetizer recipe just for TheILoveDogsSite!

Video: Homemade Dog Treat Recipe

Collieflower Chip and Dip

Equipment needed: Food processor, slicing knife, 4 quart saucepan, cookie sheet, measuring cup, measuring spoons, spatula, spoon, 8” x 8” square baking dish

Canine and Company Chips

• 3 sweet potatoes, cleaned, peeled, and sliced into 1/8” slices
• 3 rutabagas, cleaned, peeled, and sliced into 1/8” slices

Spread chips on cookie sheet and bake at 250 degrees for about 3 hours. Set aside to cool.

Collieflower Dip

• ½ head cauliflower, sliced into florets
• 1 bunch fresh spinach, washed, dried, and chopped
• ½ cup Monterey jack cheese
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese
• ½ tsp. garlic powder

Place the cauliflower in the sauce pan with 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes or until soft. Remove from heat and cool. Combine the cauliflower, spinach, cheeses, and garlic powder in your food processor and puree until creamy. Take mixture and spoon into greased baking dish. Bake at 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly and serve with chips.

This recipe contains 915 total calories.

Of course, fresh veggies like a few carrots are a good appetizer as well.

Side Dishes

The Just Food For Dogs team has a great Turkey and Whole Wheat Macaroni side dish that all members of the family will love. It does have gluten, however you could easily replace the whole wheat macaroni with rice or rice noodles if you prefer. For the complete recipe, go here.

“Thanksgiving is a holiday that has lots of traditional dishes that are very canine friendly,” Hennessy says.

Here are some of the traditional side dishes you can leave on the table she says, with a few minor adjustments:

• Cranberry sauce is great. We recommend using whole, fresh cranberries and staying away from the canned sauce, which contains lots of extra sugar.
• Green bean casserole in small portions as some dogs are not crazy about whole green beans. Pop it into the food processor prior to serving.
• Sweet potatoes and yams are a wonderful treat on top of your dog’s kibble.

Main Course

Ahh the Pièce de résistance of the feast – the turkey!

“We have created a couple of very easy recipes that are fido-friendly and nutritious. Our ‘Turkey Gobbler”’ is a pot pie style dinner for our pooches that uses turkey, peas, carrots, and homemade apple sauce on top,” Hennessy says.

Turkey Gobbler

Equipment needed: Food processor, slicing knife, 4 quart saucepan, measuring cup, measuring spoons, spatula, spoon, cupcake pan to bake or freeze

• 3 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into quarters
• 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 cup peas
• ½ cup carrots, washed, peeled, and sliced into 1” pieces

Place the apples and cinnamon in the sauce pan with 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes or until apples are soft. Remove from heat and cool. Combine the turkey, peas, and carrots in your food processor and puree until creamy. Take mixture and spoon into greased cupcake pan and fill to about 2/3. Transfer the contents of the sauce pan into your food processor and puree until smooth. Top off the meat mixture to fill.

To bake, cook at 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes. Allow to cool, remove from pan with a small spatula, and store in a plastic container or bag. They will last about a week in the refrigerator and 3 months in the freezer.

This recipe contains 980 total calories.

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And don’t forget, Turkey leftovers, either white or dark meat will provide your dog with additional protein without the added calories.

Your Pet Chef Tip: Not sure what to do with that package of giblets from your turkey? Drop them in your dog’s bowl and watch them disappear! They can also be lightly baked prior to feeding. This will be the highlight of your dog’s Thanksgiving holiday!

Dessert

That’s right, we even have a dessert you and your dog share to finish off this holiday feast! And, it’s a lot less calories than your traditional pumpkin pie.

Video: DIY Turkey & Stuffing Dog Treats! Thanksgiving Homemade Dog Treats | Snow Dog Snacks16

Yapple Pumpkin Pie

Equipment needed: Slicing knife, peeler, spoon, cookie sheet

• 2 apples, washed, peeled, sliced in half and cored
• 4 oz. canned pumpkin
• Cinnamon

Place the apples face up on the cookie sheet. Spoon pumpkin into the apple center. Sprinkle cinnamon on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Allow to cool and serve. Or, freeze after baking and serve frozen. The “pie” will last longer and be less messy.

This recipe contains 150 total calories.

Have a Yappy Thanksgiving!

About the Author

Based in Wilsonville, Ore., animal lover Kristina N. Lotz is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) and works as a full time trainer. She is the founder of A Fairytail House, a unique all-positive all-sport dog training facility that helps rescue dogs in her area and provides free seminars and training classes for the community. In her spare time, she trains and competes in herding, agility, obedience, rally, and conformation with her Shetland Sheepdogs. She smartly married a Veterinary Technician, who helps keep the fur kids happy and healthy, and provides a quick resource for articles.

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