Stuffed Cornish Hen Recipes

STUFFED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Cook the rice according to package directions.
• In a small skillet, saute celery and onion in 1 tbsp butter until tender. Stir in the soup, mushrooms and prepared rice.
• Sprinkle the inside and outside of the game hens with salt and pepper. Stuff with the rice mixture. Place on a rack in a greased shallow roasting pan; cover with foil.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove the foil. Melt the remaining butter; brush over the hens. Bake 25-35 minutes longer or until the juices run clear and a meat thermometer reads 180 degrees for the hens and 165 degrees for the stuffing.

STUFFED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• In a large skillet or saucepan, saute celery and onion in 2 tablespoons butter until tender. Remove from the heat. Stir in cornbread, bread crumbs, pimientos, broth, egg, poultry seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; mix well. , Stuff each hen with 3/4 cup stuffing. Place extra stuffing in a greased 1-qt. baking dish; refrigerate. Place hens breast side up on a rack in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Cover loosely with foil; bake at 375° for 45 minutes. , Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt the remaining butter; add garlic, lemon zest, mint and remaining salt and pepper. Brush over hens. Bake 15-30 minutes longer or until a thermometer reads 180° for hens and 165° for stuffing. Bake the extra stuffing, covered, for 30 minutes.

CRANBERRY-STUFFED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread out diced bread on a rimmed baking sheet; toastin oven, turning occasionally, until light brown and dry, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside.
• Raise oven temperature to 450 degrees. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add leek, mushrooms, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; stir in bread, chopped sage, parsley, mustard, thyme, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, and 1/2 cup broth.
• Spoon stuffing into bird cavities; tie legs together with kitchen twine. Rub birds with butter, then sprinkle with pepper and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Arrange birds on a roasting rack in a large roasting pan. Roast until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees, and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thighs (avoiding bone) registers 170 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes more. Transfer rack with birds to a rimmed baking sheet, and let rest.
• Set roasting pan on top of stove across two burners; set heat to medium-high. Add port and remaining 1/4 cup broth; deglaze pan, scraping up any browned bits from bottom with a wooden spoon. Add remaining 1/4 cup dried cranberries; cook, stirring, until sauce reduces slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Place birds on a serving platter, and drizzle sauce over them. Garnish with sage leaves, if desired, and serve.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH RICE STUFFING

Steps:

• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the almonds, onion, and uncooked wild rice. Saute 5 to 10 minutes. Mix in the water, chicken bouillon cube, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 45 minutes until rice is tender and easily fluffed with a fork.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Season the Cornish game hens inside and out with salt, and stuff with the rice mixture. Place the hens breast side up on a rack in a baking pan. Brush with 1/4 cup melted butter.
• Cover the baking pan, and cook the hens 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Uncover, and continue cooking 1 hour, or until the hens are no longer pink and the juices run clear.

TENDER STUFFED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cook rice according to package directions. In a small skillet, saute celery and onion in 1 tablespoon butter until tender. Stir in the soup, mushrooms and prepared rice., Sprinkle inside and outside of hens with salt and pepper. Stuff with rice mixture. Place on a rack in a greased shallow roasting pan; cover with foil. , Bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Remove foil. Melt remaining butter; brush over hens. Bake 25-35 minutes longer or until juices run clear and a thermometer reads 180° for hens and 165° for stuffing.

SAUSAGE-STUFFED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Brown sausage with mushrooms in large skillet; drain. Return to skillet. Add stuffing mix, carrots and hot water; stir just until moistened. Set aside.
• Spoon stuffing mixture evenly into hen cavities; close openings with skewers. Place hens, breast sides up, in shallow roasting pan. Brush with oil.
• Bake 1 hour; spoon jelly over hens. Bake an additional 10 min. or until hens are cooked through (180°F).

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH WILD RICE STUFFING

Steps:

• In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-low heat. Saute the onions and celery until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the thyme and cook for 1 minute more. In a mixing bowl combine the onion mixture with the rice, parsley, nuts and dried fruits and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place 1/2 cup of the stuffing into the cavity of each hen. Tie the legs of each bird together with kitchen twine.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Melt the remaining butter with the vinegar. Brush the birds all over with the butter mixture and season with salt and pepper. Put the hens on a rack in a large roasting pan, breast-side up. Roast the hens until an instant read thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 170 degrees F., about 80 minutes. Set the birds aside at room temperature, loosely covered with foil, for 10 minutes before carving. Split hens in half through the breast with a sharp knife or poultry shears, and keep the stuffing intact. Arrange birds skin-side up, on a platter, garnish with sprigs of parsley and serve.

STUFFED CORNISH HENS BURGUNDY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Lightly season hens with salt and black pepper to taste.
• Mix rice, almonds, green onion, and 1/4 cup butter together in a saucepan over low heat; cook and stir until rice is lightly toasted, about 10 minutes. Add water, chicken bouillon, lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until rice is cooked and water is absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir parsley into rice mixture.
• Stuff the cavity of each hen with rice mixture; truss the hens by securing the legs together with kitchen string. Place hens breast-side up in a shallow pan; loosely cover the pan with tented aluminum foil.
• Roast hens in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
• Mix currant jelly, Burgundy wine, 2 tablespoons butter, lemon juice, cornstarch, Worcestershire sauce, and allspice together in a saucepan; cook and stir over medium heat until glaze is smooth and thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Uncover hens and brush with Burgundy glaze; continue roasting for 1 hour, brushing frequently with glaze. Drumsticks with move easily in sockets when done. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone of the hens and in the center of the stuffing should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Transfer hens to a hot platter and serve with remaining glaze.

STUFFED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season inside and out of cornish hens. In a bowl combine mushrooms, onions, carrots, peas, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Stuff vegetables into cavity of each bird to full capacity. Drizzle hens with remaining oil. Criss-cross 2 bacon slices across each hen, tucking ends under birds to keep in place. Place hens on a roasting rack in a roasting pan and pour chicken stock in bottom of pan. Roast hens 45 minutes to 1 hour or until an instant reading thermometer inserted in thickest part registers 170 degrees. Allow hens to rest, loosely covered with foil, for at least 10 minutes while you finish sauce. Bring sauce to a boil in roasting pan, scraping bottom of pan to incorporate any drippings; season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, drizzle hens with sauce.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season inside and out of cornish hens. In a bowl combine mushrooms, onions, carrots, peas, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Stuff vegetables into cavity of each bird to full capacity. Drizzle hens with remaining oil. Criss-cross 2 bacon slices across each hen, tucking ends under birds to keep in place. Place hens on a roasting rack in a roasting pan and pour chicken stock in bottom of pan. Roast hens 45 minutes to 1 hour or until an instant reading thermometer inserted in thickest part registers 170 degrees. Allow hens to rest, loosely covered with foil, for at least 10 minutes while you finish sauce. Bring sauce to a boil in roasting pan, scraping bottom of pan to incorporate any drippings; season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, drizzle hens with sauce.

STUFFED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Spray a large oblong slow cooker with nonfat cooking spray. Rinse the Cornish hens in cold water. In a large mixing bowl combine the stuffing mix, dried cherries, and 1 cup of the chopped apple. Heat the chicken broth in the microwave for 2 minutes or until hot and pour it over the stuffing mix, stirring until thoroughly mixed. Place the stuffing in each rinsed Cornish hen, dividing the stuffing evenly among the hens. Put the stuffed hens into the prepared slow cooker. Peel and chop the squash and place it in a large mixing bowl. Put the remaining 3 1/2 cups of the chopped apples into the bowl with the squash. Add the brown sugar and stir until well mixed. Take two large pieces of foil, fold the long sides together to form one large piece of foil, and spray with nonfat cooking spray. Transfer the squash and apples to the foil. Fold the foil over the pile of squash and apples and roll the edges to seal the packet. Place the packet of squash and apples into the slow cooker on top of the hens. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 1/2 to 5 hours. When the hens are completely cooked through, remove the foil. Using tongs, remove the hens from the slow cooker and place in a 9x13-inch glass baking dish or on a platter. Cut each Cornish hen in half using a sharp knife or kitchen scissors. Surround the hens with the squash and apple mixture. Sprinkle the paprika over the Cornish hens fbr a great presentation. Sprinkle seasoned salt over the tops of the Cornish hens and the squash and apple mixture and garnish with the grapes, if desired. Note: For a crispy, golden brown skin, put the hens in a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish and bake them in the oven at 500 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes.