recipes-page_02

Cornish Hens with Acorn Squash

Print

Cornish Hens with Acorn Squash
Each serving without skin: About 320 calories, 9 g fat, 89 mg cholesterol, 360 mg sodium.

Author:
Serves: 6

Cook time: 
Total time: 

Ingredients
  • 2 medium-size acorn squash (about 1-1/4 pounds each)
  • 3 (1-1/4-pounds each) Cornish hens
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • 1 cup apple cider or apple juice
  • ½ cup pitted prunes (3 ounces)
  • 2 (3-inch-long each) cinnamon sticks

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut each acorn squash lengthwise in half; remove and discard seeds. Cut each half lengthwise into 3 wedges; cut each wedge diagonally in half.
  2. Remove giblets and necks from Cornish hens; refrigerate for use in soup another day. Rinse hens with running cold water; drain well.
  3. Lift wings toward neck, then fold them under back of hens so they stay in place. With string, tie legs of each hen together. Place hens, breast-side up, in 17 x 11-1/2-inch roasting pan; rub with salt & pepper. Arrange squash in roasting pan around hens.
  4. Bake hens and squash 30 minutes. Add apple cider, prunes, and cinnamon sticks. Bake 45 minutes longer, basting with pan juices occasionally, until squash is tender and juices run clear when fork is inserted between leg and body cavity of hens.
  5. To serve, arrange hens, squash, prunes, and cinnamon sticks on large platter. Skim and discard fat from pan juices; serve pan juices with hens. (Remove skin from hens before eating if you like.)