Dumpling's Favorite Chow Recipe

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated March 24, 2025
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Note: This is not a complete dog food, so you will still need to supplement your dog's diet with vitamin pills or vitamin-fortified dry food. Please consult your veterinarian to make sure your companion is getting the nutrition he needs.

Recipe Details

Dumpling's Favorite Chow Recipe

Cook 30 mins
Active 30 mins
Cooling and Freezing Time 13 hrs
Total 13 hrs 30 mins
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Ingredients

  • 1 stick butter

  • 1 pound carrots, cut into small dice

  • 1 pound celery, cut into small dice

  • 1 pound green beans, squash, zucchini, or broccoli, cut into small pieces

  • 1 pound bag frozen, chopped spinach

  • 4 pounds 80/20 ground chuck (or high fat ground turkey, lamb, or pork)

  • 2 quarts low sodium chicken broth or homemade chicken broth

  • 2 (28-ounce) cans chopped tomatoes

  • 3 cups instant oatmeal

Directions

  1. Melt butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, and green beans, and cook, stirring constantly, until completely softened but not browned. Add spinach and cook, stirring frequently, until hot. Add beef, broth, and tomatoes, and cook, stirring vigorously with a whisk to break up any chunks of meat. Cook, stirring occasionally with a whisk until meat is no longer pink, about 15 minutes.

  2. Add oatmeal to mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until oatmeal has absorbed liquid and mixture has consistency of thick paste (you may need to thin it with some water). Transfer mixture into freezer-safe containers, allow to cool to room temperature, then freeze. Remove containers from freezer to defrost at least two days before needed.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
7580 Calories
441g Fat
314g Carbs
600g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 7580
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 441g 565%
Saturated Fat 184g 920%
Cholesterol 1857mg 619%
Sodium 4702mg 204%
Total Carbohydrate 314g 114%
Dietary Fiber 85g 302%
Total Sugars 79g
Protein 600g
Vitamin C 587mg 2,934%
Calcium 2768mg 213%
Iron 146mg 812%
Potassium 18692mg 398%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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