Your Dog Will Drool Over These St. Patrick’s Day Potato & Cheddar Treats
Before he became Ireland’s best-known patron saint, Saint Patrick was a shepherd who spent long years in near solitude. As the story goes, St. Patrick was kidnapped by pirates as a youth and forced to toil with only the sheep and his very loyal and beloved dogs as companions. Yearning to escape and return home, some legends say that one of St. Patrick’s dogs appeared to him in a vision, showing him the path to freedom.
When he eventually fled his captors, some believe that he found passage on a boat carrying hundreds of dogs on their way to market, and that St. Patrick could soothe even the most vicious among them, calming their snarling until they lounged at his feet. In some retellings of his voyage, the dogs on board are speculated to be the ancestors of today’s Irish Wolfhounds!
Though the stories vary, it’s clear that dogs played a key role in St. Patrick’s life, so what better way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day than by showing your own dog a little extra love?
St. Paw-trick’s Day Potato & Cheddar Dog Treats
Adapted from a recipe created by the Idaho Potato Commission, these treats feature simple, delicious, and dog-safe ingredients. Skip the optional parsley dying steps to keep these a lovely golden color, or make a half-and-half batch for some green and gold variety.
Ingredients
Yield: 40 treats (2 inch)
Prep Time: 1.5–2 hours
Bake Time: 20–24 minutes
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 8 oz. russet potato, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces (Note: Use 10 oz. if not adding parsley to dye treats green)
- 1 egg
- ½ cup grated cheddar cheese (we recommend a nice Irish cheddar!)
- 2 TBSP coconut oil
- 2 bunches of parsley (skip to make gold treats)
Instructions
- Fill a small saucepan with water and add one bunch of parsley, then bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until the water is a brilliant green color. Remove the parsley and discard it. Quickly blanch the second bunch of parsley for 15–30 seconds and set aside, then leave the water to cool completely. (If not making green treats, skip this step.)
- Preheat your oven to 350℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the potato pieces to the green water (or use fresh water if not making green treats) and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the potato is tender. Drain and set aside.
- In a blender or food processor, grind the rolled oats until they are almost a flour-like consistency, at least 2–3 minutes. Add to a large mixing bowl.
- Firmly squeeze the blanched parsley to remove any excess water, then add to a blender and purée until smooth. Add a ¼ tsp. of water at a time to make the blending process easier. (If not making green treats, skip this step.)
- To the mixing bowl with the oat flour, add egg, grated cheddar, coconut oil, and 3 TBSP of your parsley purée, mixing until just combined. (Leave out the parsley if not making green treats, or combine with half the ingredients to make multicolored treats.)
- Mash or rice the potato and add to the mixing bowl, stirring to combine all ingredients well. Add 1–2 more tablespoons of parsley purée to intensify the color, but avoid letting the dough get too wet! It should stick together and be pliable but not sticky.
- Roll the dough into a ⅛-inch sheet and cut out 2-inch treats using a cookie cutter (shamrocks, anyone?) or the rim of a small cup.
- Arrange the treats on the lined baking sheet and bake for 20–24 minutes.
- Let cool completely before feeding these treats to your pup and store them in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to a month.
