Cornish Hens with Wild Rice and Celery

Total Time Prep: 25 min. Bake: 50 min.
Yield 10 servings
Test Kitchen Approved
Stuffed with a succulent combination of wild rice, mushrooms and dried cranberries, these golden hens are sure to become a special-occasion entree in your home. They're a wonderful change of pace from traditional turkey. —Nancy Horsburgh, Everett, Ontario

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery
  • 1/4 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 2 packages (6.2 ounces each) fast-cooking long grain and wild rice mix
  • 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2/3 cup sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions
  • 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 5 Cornish game hens (20 to 24 ounces each)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°. In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium heat. Add celery and mushrooms; cook until tender. Stir in rice; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in contents of rice seasoning packets, broth and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until rice is tender, 5-6 minutes. Stir in water chestnuts, cranberries, onions and soy sauce. Stuff hens with rice mixture, or refrigerate and reheat it to serve with roasted hens.
  2. Place hens on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake until juices run clear and a thermometer reads 170°, 50-60 minutes. Cut each hen in half lengthwise to serve.

Nutrition Facts

1/2 Cornish hen (calculated with skin removed before serving): 336 calories, 7g fat (3g saturated fat), 127mg cholesterol, 819mg sodium, 35g carbohydrate (7g sugars, 2g fiber), 32g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 4 lean meat, 2 starch, 1/2 fat.

Stuffed with a succulent combination of wild rice, mushrooms and dried cranberries, these golden hens are sure to become a special-occasion entree in your home. They're a wonderful change of pace from traditional turkey. —Nancy Horsburgh, Everett, Ontario
Recipe Creator

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