Slow-Cooked Cornish Hens with Stuffing

Ingredients 0/21

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 375°F and greasing a 9-inch baking pan. Melt half a cup of butter in a skillet over medium heat, then add chopped celery and onion. Cook them, stirring occasionally, until they’re nicely browned—about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in thyme, seasoned salt, parsley, black pepper, nutmeg, oregano, and marjoram.

Step 2

Move this flavorful mix to a big bowl and add the cubed bread along with 2 cups of chicken broth. Toss everything together until the bread soaks up the broth and the stuffing is well combined. Spread the stuffing evenly in your prepared pan and bake it for around 30 minutes, until it turns golden on top.

Step 3

While the stuffing is baking, season the inside of the Cornish hens with salt. Heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the hens. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the outside, and cook them, turning occasionally, until all sides are browned—this usually takes about 10 to 12 minutes. Take the hens off the heat and keep the oil in the pan.

Step 4

Now, stuff each hen’s cavity with some of the prepared stuffing and place them in your slow cooker. Pour in the reserved olive oil, a splash of wine, and a quarter cup of chicken broth. Sprinkle sage, savory, and rosemary over the top, then tuck four tablespoons of butter around the hens.

Step 5

Set your slow cooker to low and let everything cook gently for about 8 and a half hours, until the hens are tender and juicy. You’ll know they’re done when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F. Enjoy!