Last week I shared my recipe for Cornish Game Hens Stuffed with Wild Rice and Mushrooms. As promised, here is the second part of the post, where I use an apple, walnut and cornbread stuffing for the hens – true comfort food! It’s like having a mini-Thanksgiving meal whenever you want.

This recipe is for four Cornish hens, so if you are only making two just cut the ingredients in half. Or, if you are like me and love stuffing as a side dish, make extra – this “stuff” is so good with the crisp apples, crunchy walnuts and sweet cornbread.

Ingredients (4 servings)

• 2 cups dry stuffing (I used Pepperidge Farm Herbed Seasoned)
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided in half
• ½ cup red onion, diced small
• ½ cup celery, diced small
• 1 square corn bread, crumbled (I bought prepared cornbread soufflé from Fresh Market)
• 1 medium to large Honeycrisp apple, peeled and diced
• ½ cup walnuts, crumbled
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
• Sea salt to taste
• Ground pepper to taste
• 4 Cornish game hens
• ½ cup good white wine
• ½ cup chicken broth

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Prepare stuffing according to the directions on the package. Transfer to a large bowl.

In a medium skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter, and sauté the onion and celery for 4-5 minutes. Add to the stuffing mix, along with the apple, walnut and cornbread. Mix well.

Season the stuffing with the thyme, salt and pepper.

Sprinkle the paprika, salt and pepper on the hen, inside and out. Fill each hen with the stuffing.

Tie the legs together with kitchen string so the stuffing does not come out. (I was out of string, so I just used a short wood skewer to keep the legs together.)

Place the hens in a large roasting pan. Cut the rest of the butter into small slices and dot them on the bird. Add the white wine and chicken broth to the pan.

Bake 40 minutes or so, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Baste several times as the hens cook. Let the hens sit for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Serve with fresh green beans and a starch (I used the wild rice and mushroom stuffing from Brad’s Cornish hen and it was awesome!)

As I mentioned in my first Cornish hen post, I loved both of these stuffings. It really depends on what you are in the mood for, and you can’t go wrong with either of them. Here’s a shot of the wild rice and mushroom stuffing:

Bon appétit!

Eat, drink and be merry!

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