Broccoli Loaf to feed the pups

Cooking for your dogs, like cooking for yourself, can be a joyous expression of creativity and love for those you are feeding. When there are 5 dogs in the house and two humans who really dislike waste, especially wasted food, there is a wonderful opportunity for making up new dishes. A friend suggested to me once that using leftover vegetables, fruits, meats, dairy that may be just a little passed what you would want to eat but by no means spoiled (or even if you're just tired of eating that dish) in doggie dishes would be a great way to not waste food but to also feed your pups a special treat. I decided to give this a go by putting leftover food that wasn't spoiled but maybe a little wilted or just no longer desired by me into the freezer until I had enough to make a dish for the dogs. This first started with the bag of broccoli slaw (shredded broccoli) that I purchased when initially pregnant. Pregnancy food aversions strike very quickly and without seeming rhyme or reason and this one so happened to strike just after I bought the broccoli. I couldn't stand the sight of it so I put the whole bag in the freezer. We then made a turkey and had leftover hearts and livers that I boiled for the dogs, putting the broth and bits in a freezer bag along with the leftover green beans. When my baguette went stale and hard but not molded, I decided that would be a good base for a doggie treat. Here is my made up recipe that has been very much enjoyed by the 5 dogs here.




1 hard baguette
1 bag broccoli slaw--thaw in microwave if needed
1 pint - 1 quart meat broth with meaty bits--thaw in microwave if needed
any other veggies, such as green beans or peas
1 egg
cheese

Use a blender to beat the baguette into bread crumbs. Put bread crumbs in a bowl.
Add the broccoli and meat broth.
Grate cheese (my dogs like cheddar) into the bowl, as much as you think the dogs will like but not so much as to be greasy or gooey. They mostly just want a taste.
Add a whole egg (the shells are good for them too) and bust with a spoon.
Mix well with a spoon.
If the mix is not coherent enough, add flour. Two to four heaping tablespoons should be sufficient. You don't want it to be dry but some cohesion is necessary.
Put mix into a glass baking dish and bake at 300-350 F until brown on the outside and "done" on the inside. For a drier dish, cook on a lower heat for longer.
A light butter coating will allow the loaf to flip out onto a plate.
Cut and serve, letting cool enough to not burn a pup's mouth.
Store in refrigerator and serve with meals.

Hope you try it and your pups enjoy!