Stuffed Cornish Hens 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.

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.

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.

CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place the sliced onion in the bottom of a roasting pan. Remove the giblets from the hens, and rinse them inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outsides dry. Place the hens on top of the sliced onion.
• Pack the cavities of the hens with the cornbread stuffing.
• Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the hens. Rub the hens with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Roast the hens for 30 minutes, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh.
• Melt the butter in a large saute pan. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Break the cornbread into pieces and place the pieces in a large bowl. Add the onion mixture to the cornbread. Add the celery, chicken stock, parsley, salt and pepper, and mix together.
• Yield: 2 servings

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.

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 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.

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.

PECAN-STUFFED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• Put 6 tablespoons of the butter in a mixing bowl. Put the pecan meats into the container of an electric blender or spice mill and grind until fine. Do not grind too much, or you will make a paste. Add the pecans to the 6 tablespoons of butter. Add the Cognac, mustard, salt and pepper, and blend well with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
• Insert the fingers underneath the skin of the breast and thighs of each hen. Make a fairly deep cavity to hold the stuffing. Spoon an equal portion of the pecan mixture beneath the skin of each hen, distributing the mixture evenly throughout the cavity. It is best if you truss the hens with string.
• Sprinkle the hens with salt and pepper. Arrange the hens breast-side-up on a baking dish. Brush each with a tablespoon of oil. Place the hens in the oven, and bake 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, drain the potatoes, and cut them into very thin slices. There should be about 5 cups. Put the slices in a colander and run them under very hot tap water. Pat dry, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Scatter the potato slices and the necks of the hens around the birds. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and continue baking 10 minutes, basting occasionally. Stir the potatoes so that they bake evenly. Turn the hens breast-side-down, and continue baking 20 minutes. Turn the hens breast-side-up and continue baking 10 minutes.
• Untruss the hens, and cut them in half lengthwise. Serve the potatoes sprinkled with parsley. Broccoli with tomatoes is a good accompaniment.

SLOW COOKED STUFFED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch baking pan.
• Melt 1/2 cup butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add celery and onion; cook and stir until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Mix in thyme, seasoned salt, parsley, black pepper, nutmeg, oregano, and marjoram.
• Transfer herb mixture to a large bowl. Add cubed bread and 2 cups chicken broth; toss until well combined. Spread stuffing evenly over the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Place Cornish hens on a flat work surface. Sprinkle salt inside the cavities.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add hens; season exteriors lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, turning to press all sides into the oil, until browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove hens from heat, reserving the oil.
• Spoon stuffing into the hen cavities; place hens in a slow cooker. Pour the reserved olive oil, wine, and 1/4 cup chicken broth into the slow cooker. Sprinkle sage, savory, and rosemary over the hens. Slice butter into 4 separate tablespoons and place on hens.
• Cook hens on Low until tender and juicy and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), about 8 hours and 30 minutes.

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.