CORNISH GAME HENS with CORNBREAD STUFFING

Thanksgiving dinner for 2 is served! These beautiful Cornish game hens cook in just 20 minutes in your Air Fryer and you get crispy skin and tender meat with a scrumptious stuffing, all in one. For holiday meals or a special Saturday night dinner, this recipe definitely impresses~

Ingredients

2 cups homemade or store-bought cornbread
1/2 shallot, minced
1/2 apple, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
1 teaspoons fresh sage, minced
6 tablespoons apple cider or chicken broth
Two 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pound Cornish game hens, rinsed and patted dry
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon mixed fresh herbs (sage, rosemary, parsley, thyme), minced
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1. Crumble the cornbread into a mixing bowl and add the shallot, apple, celery, pecans, sage and cider or broth. Mix to combine and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. In a separate small mixing bowl, combine the softened butter and fresh herbs. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Gently loosen the skin from the Cornish game hen breasts and rub 1 tablespoon of the herb butter under the skin of each hen. Fill the cavity of each hen with half of the stuffing mixture, being sure not to pack too tightly.

4. Tie the legs together to close the cavity using butchers twine or a toothpick and tuck the wings under. Brush the hens with olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper.

5. Place a few sprigs of fresh sage in the basket of your air fryer and place the hens in the basket. Air fry at 400ºF for 20 to 25 minutes, depending upon the size of your hens, or until the juices run clear and the stuffing reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF when tested with a meat thermometer.

2 servings


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