Stuffed Cornish Hens
Did you know that a Cornish Game Hen is a hybrid breed bird that is generally harvested at just five weeks old? The Cornish hen is produced commercially as they generally do not lay many eggs. The traditional Cornish hen breed is around 2 pounds in weight and female. Just a few fun facts that you may or may not have ever thought off when you are about to feast on one of these delicate little hens.
Though Cornish hens are small and for an adult most likely one serving, I really like to use them for a Sunday dinner because they are fast and easy to cook and easy to manage. Because they are so small you get minimum wastage. I know sometimes when I cook a whole roasting chicken, it takes days to get rid of it, and during that time, I am trying to find different ways to use the left over chicken. Should I curry it? Should I freeze it and use it for soup later? Do I cut it up small and make a chicken salad for lunch? For me there is only so much chicken I can eat in a week before I am completely bored with it. This is why the Cornish hens are perfect. You are almost guaranteed, it won’t be around for days and days after you cook it and it won’t go to waste.
I decided to do this recipe for my Sunday dinner last week. With the weather getting cooler and the thought of the holidays just around the corner, I felt like a little something different and festive. Since we normally don’t talk about stuffing unless its Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, I thought it was the perfect addition to add some flavor to Sunday Dinner.The chicken is seasoned and stuffed with a delicious cornbread stuffing.
I am all about easy and delicious cooking. This recipe is super easy and takes minimal effort but packs a big punch when it comes to flavor. A perfect fit for this time of year! Enjoy!
- 2 Cornish game hens, thawed
- For the Stuffing
- 4 medium-sized pieces of cornbread
- ½ cup of finely diced onion
- ¼ cup of finely chopped celery
- ½ cup of finely diced sweet red and green pepper
- ¼ tsp thyme leaves
- 2 tbsp of butter
- ½ cup of chicken broth
- salt and pepper to taste
- (Preheat the oven to 375 degrees)
- First season the Cornish hens to taste and set them aside.
- In a bowl or oven safe dish , crumble the cornbread with your hands and combine onion, celery, peppers and thyme.
- mix it together good then fold the butter into the mixture until is it completed blended in.
- Add the salt and pepper to taste.
- Spread the mixture out evenly in the oven safe dish and pour the chicken broth over it.
- Allow the stuffing to cook in the oven for 30 to 45 min stirring occasionally until the majority of the broth has cooked away and the stuffing forms a light crust on the top.
- Remove the stuffing from the oven and allow it to cool down enough so that you can handle it.
- Take a spoon and fill the cavity of each hen with stuffing then place in the oven and allow to cook for about an hour uncovered.
