This post is written by me on behalf of Tyson Foods, Inc. All opinions are entirely my own. This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. #CheersToAPerfectPair #CollectiveBias
With the holidays right around the corner, there’s no better time to start planning your menu! Whether you are hosting a large gathering for extended family or keeping it small and cozy these Apple & Pecan Stuffed Cornish Hens are sure to be the highlight of your dinner table. There’s something simple, yet elegant about serving these tasty birds on the holidays too!
When I first got married, I was always a little nervous about serving holiday dinner. Who wouldn’t be? There’s so much to do and you want to make sure everything is perfect.
That’s why I love Tyson® Premium All Natural Cornish Hens. They are such a great option for holiday entertaining, and they cook fast too! That means no getting up before dawn to start the dinner prep either. Sleep in!
I was so excited when I found these Tyson® All Natural Premium Cornish Hens (6 pk.) at Sam’s Club last week. What was even better, is that the Sam’s Club Instant Savings booklet is offering $3.75 off during the holiday season 10/26-11/20… and the offer is unlimited! It’s time to stock up friends!
To get started on this tasty recipe, we’re going to prepare the apple & pecan stuffing first. In a large saucepan, melt your butter and add the celery and onion to soften, followed by the chopped apples and pecans.
After giving everything a good stir, add the dried cornbread stuffing, the freshly chopped parsley and chicken broth. After tossing it together, set the pan aside and let the stuffing cool.
Aren’t the red skins from the apples just beautiful in this?!
Your Tyson® Cornish Hens will come frozen, so make sure you’ve allowed time to let them thaw completely in the refrigerator for a few days before you are planning to cook them.
While the stuffing is cooling, open each Cornish hen, rinse it well and pat it dry with a paper towel. Now you’re ready to start stuffing them!
To make things easy, I like to make a small slit behind the leg on each side to keep the Cornish hen nice and tight while it’s roasting. With this method there is no need to to use twine.
Place a few large spoonfuls of the stuffing into the Cornish hens, cross the legs and poke the bone through the holes you made. Tuck the wings underneath and you’ve got yourself a perfect individual entree.
Place all 6 of the Cornish hens on a rack in your roasting pan, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with fresh cracked pepper, sea salt. Roast for 1 hour and 25 minutes at 375 degrees F.
Of course, you’ll want to peek in when they are about half way done to baste them with their juices.
After you have inserted a meat thermometer and the temperature reads 165 degrees F, remove them from the oven, cover lightly with foil and let them rest. This helps to ensure that those delicious juices distribute throughout the Cornish hens leaving them perfectly moist.
I like to transfer the Apple & Pecan Stuffed Cornish Hens to a serving platter and garnish them with ingredients that are present in the dish.
I simply added bright red apples and fresh green parsley to this platter and I think it looks beautiful.
Impress your guests this holiday with Tyson® Cornish Hens! Check out this “How To Cook Cornish” Video too! Happy Holidays!
Ingredients
- 6 Tyson® Cornish Hens, thawed, rinsed and patted dry
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, divided
- 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 stalk of celery, finely chopped
- handful fresh parsley
- 2 baking apples, chopped (we like to use Cortland apples)
- 1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
- 5 cups day old cornbread cubes or packaged cubes
- 2 cups chicken broth
- salt
- fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large saucepan melt 1/4 cup of your butter over medium heat and soften the onion and celery.
- Add the apples and pecans, then stir.
- Add the cornbread the fresh parsley and a little salt and pepper.
- Add the chicken broth until everything is moistened and mixed together well.
- Remove from the burner and let the stuffing cool.
- With a knife, make a slit on both sides of the Cornish hen's leg and poke your finger through it. This will be the hole in which you place each crossed leg through to keep your Cornish hen neat and tucked together.
- Stuff the Cornish hens with a few spoonfuls of the stuffing, cross the legs, secure them in the holes you made and tuck the wings under.
- Place them on a rack in a large roasting pan.
- Melt your remaining 1/4 cup of butter and brush each Cornish hen.
- Sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper and sea salt.
- Roast in the oven for 1 hour and 25 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thigh reaches 165 degrees F.
- Remove from the oven, cover loosely with foil and let rest at least 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve on a platter garnished with apples and parsley for a beautiful, simple & elegant presentation.
- Enjoy!
Find a Tyson® Cornish Hen + Ravage Cabernet Sauvignon Sam’s Club DEMO near you on 11/19/16!
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