Polenta Chicken Ball For Dogs [Homemade Dog Food Recipe]

Over the weekend my peep decided to make a new homemade dog food with one of our favorite ingredients, which is polenta. Polenta is a great staple to have in your cupboard, it’s a wonderful alternative to rice. Polenta is a ground corn and it is simple to cook and as a dog I can tell you I love it, it reminds me of time we spend in Tuscany.
Our homemade dog food recipe is kind of snazzy, but very easy to make. It’s perfect for the holidays, if you’d like to make something a little special for the pooches over the festive season. Another great idea for this recipe is to make the balls into bite size pieces and give them as a little treat.

Besides what dog does not like a good ball, and this one you can eat. However it’s not necessary to make them into balls, in fact my peep left some on the side to freeze, and just scoops out my dinner from the container. To me it taste just as good either way.

Polenta Chicken Balls Recipe

Ingredients

2 kg (2.2 lbs.) Chicken breasts
4 cups of leafy greens
1 cup of Polenta
500 ml (2 cups) water
Glug of vegetable oil

Cook the Chicken

1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).

2.Rub the chicken breasts with a few teaspoons of olive oil. Boneless, skinless chicken is low in fat, and can dry out very easily in the oven. (note: you can use an olive oil or canola oil)

3.Spread some olive oil in a baking pan this helps keep the chicken from sticking.

4.Place the chicken in the pan. Place the pan on the middle rack of the pre-heated oven.

5.Bake the chicken for about 30-40 minutes or until the juices run clear.

How to tell when chicken is fully cooked. Insert a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken. Chicken is done when it reaches a temperature of 160 F (72 C). To make absolutely sure, insert a knife in the thickest part of the chicken and check that it is white and opaque and not pink.

Cook greens & Polenta

5. In a large sauce pan, boil 4 cups of water.

Polenta is a cornmeal boiled into a porridge, and eaten directly or baked, fried or grilled. The term is of Italian origin, derived from the Latin for hulled and crushed grain.Polenta is naturally gluten free.

6. Add the leafy greens to boiling water.

7. Add Polenta in a steady stream, stirring continuously with a spoon.

8. Cook for about 2 minutes or to package directions. (*Polenta tends to bubble volcanically while cooking.)

Combine

9. Take cooled chicken breasts and chop into small pieces.

10. Blitz in food processor to mince chicken.

11. Add polenta and leafy green mix to minced chicken.

12. Grab a handful of mixture and roll into balls and set aside. I usually make the balls about the size of a 1/2 cup due to they are the perfect size for Maggie’s meal.