Grain Free "Satin Balls"

As an owner of show dogs, not much weighs on my mind regarding my dogs more than their weight. Ironically, the more I think about it the skinnier they get! While I am an EXPERT at teaching spoiled-rotten-picky show dogs to eat, sometimes they need a calorie boost to bulk them up a bit before a show.

While I'm a huge fan of using Satin Balls, I am also a raw feeder (or worst case grain free kibble feeder) so I hate the standard satin ball recipes that have SO MUCH grain in them! Most recipes call for Wheat Germ, Total Cereal or Oatmeal, and I would rather avoid those if I can!

Is there a way to make Satin Balls that doesn't use grain but also isn't satin ball soup?

I made it happen! Here is my recipe for Grain Free Satin Balls!

Ingredients:
10 pounds of Fatty Ground Meat (Hamburger, Pork, or a mixture! Anything 20% fat or more)
1 pound of Cheddar Cheese
4 cans of Tuna Fish - drained (any fish will do really, this is more for flavor than calories)
1 (18 oz) jar of peanut butter
1 (12-16 oz) bottle of Molasses
1 block of Cream Cheese
1 box of Knox Gelatin
1 can of Pumpkin (not the pie filling! PLAIN Pumpkin)
1 (24 oz) tub of Cottage Cheese
8 oz of Dehydrated Potato Flakes (If you can't find these, try PLAIN Instant Mashed Potatoes)

Directions:
Mix all of your ingredients together in a LARGE bowl (I used a GIANT pot!). It's best to mix 2-3 ingredients at a time as it blends a little easier I think. After mixing together well, put into the fridge or freezer (wherever you have the most room - I drop my whole pot into the deep freezer) and chill for 30-40 minutes. Chilling makes them less "sticky" when you're prepping them to store.

Meat in the pot (60% Beef, 40% Pork)

 Meat mixed with Cream Cheese and Cottage Cheese

There are 3 methods to storing these:
1) Roll into Balls. This is my favorite method. I take a heaping handful and roll them up. Obviously, they are Great Dane sized - about 3" or the size of a tennis ball. I love this method because I can grab some throughout the day and just toss it like a ball to them. Super easy!
2) Make into "hamburger patties". These seem to be the easier to store than the balls, but slightly more difficult to serve.
3) Put it in a container as is. This is the method to use if you would like to just scoop some out and plop it on their food.

Choose the method that you think would work best for you and go for it! If you're making Balls or Patties, put them onto a baking pan and then stick them in the freezer for a while to make them solid, then store them in plastic containers or bags. This keeps them from turning into a bag of mush!

This recipe made 53 Great Dane sized Satin Balls

If you use all 80/20 beef as your meat each Great Dane sized Satin Ball will be about 432 calories each!

My dogs LOVE these! Try them out and let me know if your guys love them too! Try some variations on the recipe as well and share what you come up with! The first time I did 40% pork and 60% beef. Next time I will probably add more cream cheese and PB!

DISCLAIMER: Satin Balls are not intended for use on puppies. If your dog has allergies to any of the ingredients listed, do not use them. Please consult your veterinarian or canine nutrition consultant if you have questions about wether or not these are appropriate for your pet. This post is not intended to be a discussion about wether or not to use satin balls, it is simply a recipe if you do choose to use them.