Your homemade dog food choices include some veggies and protein options, but sometimes your dog will resist a home cooked meal if your dog is feeling sick or is suffering an illness. Offering a tasty warm meal is the solution to this problem. This is the best way to ensure they are on the road to recovery, and you can provide great nutrition and the right food for your dog. When you do offer homemade dog food, be sure to mix it up, and add different protein, and different veggies. One recipe that works well for my dogs, is Chicken Souffle.
Ingredients for Homemade Dog Food Chicken Souffle
- 2 cups of organic chicken cooked either white or dark meat
- 12 organic eggs
- 8 oz of Monterrey Jack, Mild Cheddar, White Cheddar or Cream Cheese
- 2 oz Cheddar Cheese Curds
- 2 cups of half and half
- 1/2 cup Breadcrumbs
- Olive Oil or spray olive oil
How to Assemble Homemade Dog Food Chicken Souffle
You can usually find the organic chicken already grilled, or cooked on the rotisserie for you at the deli. The chicken I buy is prepackaged all cooked and shredded. I mince it in the food processor to tiny little pieces, no bigger than a grain of rice. If you are feeding a hungry large dog, you do not have to mince the chicken, but with sick or small dog, it will ensure your dog eats the quiche or souffle. Depending on if you want to separate the eggs, it will be either. With a separation of the whipped egg whites, you get a souffle. This is not a necessary step, but can be a nicer presentation. For a dog, I am not sure they really like the souffle vs. the quiche. Dogs just love eggs! I do not separate the eggs whites from the yolk, so my result is more quiche like. It is a choice you need to consider when you are creating this recipe for your dog.
If your dog is sick, old, and suffering from illness, go for the quiche. Of course, if your dog is looking to drop some weight, the no yolk souffle will be the right choice. And, if you are baking for a party or a special occasion, whip the egg whites first, save in a bowl, and add as the first ingredient.
Recipe for Homemade Dog Food Chicken Souffle
- Makes 12 Souffle Meals in 12oz ramekins
Heat your oven to 325 degrees. Using 6 ramekin baking bowls at a time, spray oil or olive oil a light coating of oil on the bottom of the ramekin. Use a brush to lightly coat the inside of the ramekin, or lightly spray. Place evenly on a cookie sheet. Then, dust the breadcrumbs along the bottom of the inside of the ramekins. Separate 1/2 of the total chicken, to work with the 6 ramekins. Add a this mixture to each ramekin, in the center of the bowl. Whip egg whites if you are making a souffle, or whip both egg whites and yolks in a food processor for more of a quiche. Add half and half to food processor. Pour egg mixture over ingredients to fill ramekin 3/4 a way up. Place a slice of cheese on top of egg mixture. Place another piece of cheese curd on top of that cheese.
Note: The cheese curd will bake into the meal, and show you when the mixture is completed in baking, by its spread over the top of the egg.
Evenly distribute among all 6 bowls, reserving half for your total ingredients for your second set of 6 bowls. Complete second set of bowls.
Bake on cookie sheet, for 25 minutes. Move top cookie sheet down to bottom of oven, and bottom to top for another 20 minutes. At the end of 45 minutes, heat oven up to 400 degrees for 5 minutes. This will crisp up your souffle or quiche. Move to counter to cool, and remove from ramekin to cool to warm for your dog. Enjoy!
All homemade dog food quiches or souffles can be cooled, frozen, and then reheated in oven 5 minutes for later use. One quiche or souffle will be sufficient to feed a medium sized dog for one meal. It is a great way to give your dog needed protein, and do it without raw ingredients. Your souffle can be combined with pumpkin, green beans, lentils, salmon, beef, or any thing that your dog loves, and that does not have preservatives and toxins. Add a mineral and a vitamin, and you have a homemade dog food option that is true health benefits to come.