Go Back
+ servings
Cornish Hen with Apple Cranberry Stuffing
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

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 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 830kcal

Ingredients

For the hens

For the stuffing

  • 1 pound gluten free bread, cut into cubes
  • 1 large apple, unpeeled, chopped I used Gala apples
  • 1 ½ 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 ¼ 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 cookie sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until dry and crispy, tossing the cubes around halfway through baking time.
  • In the large bowl, add the toasted bread, apples, cranberries, onions, and celery. Stir to combine. Whisk together the broth, butter, egg, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Pour over bread mixture and toss to combine. Reserve 2 cups of stuffing to fill hens, then pour the rest into a greased 2-quart casserole dish. Set aside while preparing hens
  • Turn oven up to 400°F. Season the Cornish hen cavities with a little salt and pepper, and insert ½ cup stuffing in each hen. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Brush hens with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Place in greased roasting pan. Place in preheated oven (on middle rack) along with stuffing. Bake the stuffing for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown on top. Continue roasting hens for another 30-35 minutes or until the skin is bronzed and the internal temperature in thickest part of thigh is about 180°F.

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 830kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 258mg | Sodium: 615mg | Potassium: 807mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 519IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 129mg | Iron: 4mg