West Paw Holiday Recipes For Dogs: Toppl, Qwizl, and Tux Variations!
Around the Holidays, baking and cooking are two staples that bring families together all over the world.
Here are some recipes that we've created to get you (and your dogs!) in the Holiday Spirit. These recipes feature some of our absolute favorite enrichment toys - the West Paw line. By serving up these recipes inside of enrichment toys, not only are you serving something festive and fun, but something stimulating for your pups at the same time. The best of both worlds!
A note before we begin: When introducing new ingredients, please always be sure to introduce them in small amounts (think teaspoons and tablespoons) in your presence prior to stuffing. This way, you can monitor for any allergies and intolerances! Better safe than sorry, always.
RECIPE #1: Holiday Feast
When I think of the Holidays, big festive meals always pop into my mind. I instantly think of the turkey, the mashed potatoes, the roasted veggies, and all of the people that I love sitting around a table together. Below, I teach you how to make your own dog safe Holiday Feast Recipe so that you can include your canine companions in your traditions this year!
What you’ll need:
For the Base
Green Beans (steamed, raw, or canned in water).
Cooked sweet potato (skin removed).
Cooked shredded chicken or turkey**
Water and/or Bone Broth.
**TIP: Raw feeders, feel free to add a portion of raw chicken or turkey in place of cooked.
Optional, for toppers:
Plain Greek Yogurt & a piping bag (for the "snow" and/or snow flakes).
Green Bean Christmas Trees (tutorial here).
To Stuff
OPTION 1:
For a smooth mix (good for the picky eaters who may not eat certain veggies on their own):
Add all dry ingredients into a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth.
Add bone broth and/or water to create the consistency you desire.
Spoon contents into your Toppl
Use a butter knife to smooth contents over the Toppl and freeze or serve immediately.
OPTION 2:
For a layered mix (good for dogs who may have trouble keeping interested):
Add a portion of your chicken or turkey to the bottom of the Toppl.
Layer: Turkey and/or chicken, sweet potato, green beans, bone broth, and repeat.
Serve fresh or freeze for later!
Optional Holiday Fun Tips
Seal the contents with a thin plain Greek Yogurt “cap” to create a snowy holiday theme, or use a piping bag to create snowflakes out of plain yogurt. Then, top the Toppl with these super easy Green Bean Christmas Trees. You’ll be in a winter wonderland in no time!
RECIPE #2: Merry & Bright Holiday Lick Stick
Whenever the holidays come around, we see the holiday colors come out in full force. Everywhere seems to be a flood of red, white, and green! So, I thought I would incorporate these iconic colors into a fun Qwizl variation for your pooch.
What you’ll need:
- Water bottle ice cube tray**
- A white colored dog friendly ingredient, such as (pick which best suits your dog’s needs):
Goat’s Milk
Plain Greek Yogurt
Parmesan cheese, grated
Kefir
- Some Green! Try:
Chopped Parsley
Finely Chopped Broccoli
Finely chopped cucumber
Shredded mint
- Some Red! Try:
Mashed raspberry.
Mashed strawberry.
- Water and/or Bone Broth
**TIP: Water bottle ice cube trays create the perfect size molds to fit inside the West Paw Qwizl, and using one of these can help broaden the ingredient range in your Qwizl. Stick to liquids, purees, or very finely chopped ingredients – bigger ingredients can get lodged within the Qwizl and cause frustration.
To Stuff
Step One: Freeze
Using your water bottle ice cube tray, create a pattern of holiday colors using your red, white, and green ingredients. Place your tray into the freezer and allow contents to freeze (roughly 1hour).
Step Two: Stuff!
Remove your festive ice cube from the tray. Run your ice cube under lukewarm water very quickly – no more than a few seconds. This will help you easily slide your treat into the Qwizl.
Step Three: Serve!
Once your holiday lick stick is inside the Qwizl, you can serve immediately.
RECIPE #3: Christmas Morning Breakfast
We all have special memories of waking up on Christmas morning as kids, and one of my favorite childhood memories will always be Christmas breakfast. Wrapping paper everywhere, everyone still in their pajamas, the smell of food and the sound of laughter. So, I thought to myself- why not create a breakfast treat for the dogs on the big day?
What you’ll need:
- 1 cooked egg, diced (scrambled or boiled) **
- Parmesan Cheese
- Salmon treats (or any of your dog’s favorites!).
- Water or Bone Broth
- Optional: Parsley
**TIP: Raw feeders, feel free to use raw egg.
To Stuff
Step One: Prepare the ingredients.
Gently cook your plain egg – if doing scrambled, ensure not to add salt or seasonings. Chop parsley.
Step Two: Mix!
In a bowl, combine cooked egg, half of your treats, fresh parsley, and a small amount of water and/or bone broth. Mix until you reach the desired consistency.
Tip: If you’d like a smoother filling, pop the mixture into the blender and give it a few quick pulses.
Step Three: Stuff
Spoon the mixture into Tux, adding leftover treat crumbles and parmesan on top. Serve immediately or freeze for longer lasting treat.
Optional Holiday Fun Tips
Utilize fun holiday molds to create a holiday themed treat. Here, I used Plain Greek Yogurt and a letter mold to write “Ho Ho Ho”! The possibilities are endless; feel free to get as creative as you'd like.
Disclaimer: As we say with any treats, the use of these fun little molds should always be supervised and modified according to your dogs needs. Remember to supervise any frozen treats or new ingredients, especially if your pup is known for gulping food.
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