Poultry

Stuffed Cornish Game Hens

Jody

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 1 hrs, 15 min

Difficulty: Beginner

Wood smoked, herb rubbed Cornish hens are stuffed with a savory wild rice filling loaded with browned sausage, golden mushrooms, tender veggies, and feta.

Instructions

Step 1: Burning the hickory pellets, preheat recteq to 375ºF with a cast-iron pan inside.
Step 2: Brown sausage in pan for about 5-6 minutes. Remove, drain grease and set meat aside.
Step 3: Add 1 tablespoon olive oil & mushrooms to the pan, cooking 6-8 minutes until mushrooms are golden brown.
Step 4: Add remaining vegetables & cook 4-5 minutes until tender. Add cooked sausage and mix well.
Step 5: In a large bowl, add cooked vegetables and meat, butter, 3 tablespoons Colden’s Freakin’ Greek Rub, cooked wild rice, & feta cheese. Allow mixture to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Step 6: On a cutting board, trim any excess fat or skin from hens. Stuff each hen with 4-5 ounces of stuffing mixture and firmly secure legs with butcher's twine.
Step 7: Season hens with 1 tablespoon olive oil & 2 tablespoons Colden’s Freakin’ Greek Rub.
Step 8: Cook at 375ºF until breasts reach an internal temperature of 165ºF, about 75 minutes. Allow to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.

Ingredients

Serving Sizes

6 Cornish Game Hens
2 tablespoon(s) Olive Oil
5 tablespoon(s) Colden's Freakin' Greek Rub
12 ounce(s) Cooked Wild Rice
1 pound(s) Ground Sausage
1 cup(s) Button Mushrooms, sliced
1 cup(s) Onions, diced fine
¹/₂ cup(s) Dried Cranberries
1 cup(s) Celery, chopped
¹/₂ cup(s) Feta Cheese
6 tablespoon(s) Salted Butter, melted

Tools Needed

Step 1: Burning the hickory pellets, preheat recteq to 375ºF with a cast-iron pan inside.
Step 2: Brown sausage in pan for about 5-6 minutes. Remove, drain grease and set meat aside.
Step 3: Add 1 tablespoon olive oil & mushrooms to the pan, cooking 6-8 minutes until mushrooms are golden brown.
Step 4: Add remaining vegetables & cook 4-5 minutes until tender. Add cooked sausage and mix well.
Step 5: In a large bowl, add cooked vegetables and meat, butter, 3 tablespoons Colden’s Freakin’ Greek Rub, cooked wild rice, & feta cheese. Allow mixture to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Step 6: On a cutting board, trim any excess fat or skin from hens. Stuff each hen with 4-5 ounces of stuffing mixture and firmly secure legs with butcher's twine.
Step 7: Season hens with 1 tablespoon olive oil & 2 tablespoons Colden’s Freakin’ Greek Rub.
Step 8: Cook at 375ºF until breasts reach an internal temperature of 165ºF, about 75 minutes. Allow to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.

Chef Pairings

Serve carved hens over a spoonful of extra stuffing and a simple Greek salad or roasted veggies on the side.