Cornish Hen with Apple Cranberry Stuffing

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5 from 1 review

Cornish Hen with Apple Cranberry Stuffing

A delicious, festive meal the whole family will love for the holidays!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 55

Total Time 1 15

Servings servings

Calories 830kcal

Author Lise Sullivan Ode

Ingredients

For the hens

4 Cornish Hens
1/3 cup Olive oil to brush on hens
salt and pepper to taste

For the stuffing

1 pound gluten free bread, cut into cubes
1 large apple, unpeeled, chopped I used Gala apples
1 1/2 cups sweetened dried cranberries I don't recommend fresh cranberries for the stuffing, they aren't sweet enough
1 large onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, diced
1 large egg room temperature, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Optional garnish

1 cup fresh cranberries
1 Granny Smith apple sliced
1 handful fresh parsley minced

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place the cubed bread on a large baking sheet. Bake for 20–30 minutes or until dry and crispy, tossing the cubes halfway through baking time.
In a large bowl, combine the toasted bread, apples, cranberries, onions, and celery. Stir to combine. In a medium bowl, whisk together the broth, melted butter, egg, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Pour over the bread mixture and toss to combine. Reserve 2 cups of stuffing to fill the hens, then transfer the rest to a greased 2-quart casserole dish. Refrigerate the stuffing while preparing the hens.
Increase oven temperature to 400°F. Season the Cornish hen cavities with a little salt and pepper, then loosely fill each hen with ½ cup of stuffing. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Brush the hens with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Place in a greased roasting pan. Place in the preheated oven on the middle rack, along with the casserole dish of stuffing. Bake the stuffing for approximately 30–35 minutes, or until golden brown on top and the center reaches 165°F. Continue roasting the hens for another 30–35 minutes, or until the skin is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh and the center of the stuffing. Cooking times may vary depending on the size of the hens.

Notes

There are 8 servings if each person has one half of a Cornish hen or if you want bigger portions, there would be 4 servings if each person had a whole hen.

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