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Herb Cornish Hens with Cranberry-Orange Sauce

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Betty Crocker Kitchens
Updated Dec 2, 2013
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Baked Cornish hens are smothered in a delicious cranberry-orange sauce with a touch of ginger.

Herb Cornish Hens with Cranberry-Orange Sauce

  • Prep Time 20 min
  • Total 1 hr 35 min
  • Servings 8
  • Ingredients 10
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Ingredients

Rock Cornish Hens

  • 4 Rock Cornish hens (about 2 lb each)
  • 2 tablespoons roasted garlic-flavored vegetable oil or plain vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Sauce

  • 1 can (16 oz) whole berry cranberry sauce
  • 3 tablespoons sweet orange marmalade
  • 2 teaspoons grated gingerroot
  • 1 clementine tangerine, peeled, sectioned

Garnish

  • Thyme sprigs, if desired

Instructions

  • Step 
    1
    Heat oven to 350°F. On rack in shallow roasting pan, place hens, breast sides up. Brush with oil. Sprinkle inside and out with salt, dried thyme and pepper. Insert meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of inside thigh and does not touch bone.
  • Step 
    2
    Bake uncovered 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes until juice of hens is clear when thickest pieces are cut to bone (at least 165°F).
  • Step 
    3
    Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, heat cranberry sauce over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted. Stir in marmalade, gingerroot and clementine sections. Cook 1 minute.
  • Step 
    4
    To serve, cut each hen in half along backbone and breastbone from tail to neck, using kitchen scissors. Serve hens with warm sauce. Garnish with thyme sprigs.

Nutrition

770 Calories
48g Total Fat
55g Protein
29g Total Carbohydrate
25g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving
Calories
770
Calories from Fat
430
Total Fat
48g
74%
Saturated Fat
13g
64%
Trans Fat
1g
Cholesterol
320mg
107%
Sodium
470mg
20%
Potassium
640mg
18%
Total Carbohydrate
29g
10%
Dietary Fiber
0g
0%
Sugars
25g
Protein
55g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
8%
8%
Vitamin C
4%
4%
Calcium
4%
4%
Iron
15%
15%
Exchanges:
0 Starch; 0 Fruit; 2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 8 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 5 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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