Budget-friendly and healthy recipe

I am delighted to find a whole chicken for less than two dollars per pound. I am not a fan of big-box stores, but Walmart offers discounted chicken. Occasionally, there are a few whole chickens that are nearing their expiration dates. They are even more discounted. So what, they are for the cats. At grocery stores, I seize the opportunity to purchase whole chickens when they are being sold for less than two dollars a pound. About half of the Herd enjoy the Chick Pudding, while the others turn their noses up at it.

I like this recipe because:

• It only requires two ingredients: a whole chicken and water.
• It is quick and easy to prepare.
• The Instant Pot does all the cooking.
• It is a good way to get a finicky senior cat to eat.
• It makes a lot of pudding.
• This can be frozen and kept for use at a later time.
• It provides a good source of animal protein, vitamins, and minerals.
• It’s low in fat and calories.

A whole chicken usually weighs about 6 or 7 pounds. It fits just right in my Instant Pot. With careful precision, I remove the outer packaging’s plastic wrap, followed by the underlying paper, which serves the purpose of absorbing any excess liquid. the chicken in the Instant Pot, fill it with water up to the fill line and set it for 48 minutes or 8 minutes per pound. I leave “Stay Warm” on for at least an hour. The longer it stays in the pot, the bones get soft and brittle. Then I turn it off and let it cool overnight.

Once it has cooled, place the chicken pieces, bones, and skin in a blender. Then, pour the liquid from the Instant Pot into the blender and use the Ice Crush or Smoothie button to blend for a few minutes. Repeat two or three times with the remaining chicken and water. The contents of the blender should be more liquid than a milkshake. Exercise caution, as the bones are sharp and require thorough blending. Then, pour the contents out of the blender, there will be small bone fragments at the bottom. Discard these. 

This recipe is suitable for diabetic cats

• Make sure to remove the skin before putting the chicken in the Instant Pot.
• Leave the once cooled chicken and water in the Instant Pot pan in the fridge overnight.
• On the next day, you will notice that the fat has risen to the top. Before blending, remove it with a spoon or a skimmer.

Bone fragments and storage

When I first attempted this recipe, I was concerned about the bones. To make sure there were no bone fragments, I used my fingers to mash the pudding thoroughly. Interestingly, the cats spit them out but continued eating, indicating their preference for the boneless mixture.

The chicken cooking liquid separates in the fridge, so I stir it before scooping it into the cat bowl. It should look like tapioca pudding. The pudding will keep in the fridge for approximately five days.

Pudding Consistency

I have observed that each of my cats has a distinct preference for the consistency of their pudding. One likes it soupy, so I add a little water to the bowl. Another likes it partially frozen, so I scoop it out with an ice cream scooper and add warm water until it reaches the desired consistency.

Below shows the cooked chicken in the Instant Pot. And the refrigerated pudding at a tapioca pudding consistency.

Below shows the freezer-chilled sherbet consistency. It can be made with warm water added to it.