Ingredients

• 4 Cornish game hens, about 1 1/4 pounds each, giblets removed and discarded
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup minced scallions
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 cup instant brown rice
• 1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained and chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
• Prepared cranberry sauce, optional

Instructions

1. Watch how to make this recipe.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
3. Rinse hens inside and out and pat dry. Season the hens, inside and out, with salt and black pepper. Place hens in a large roasting pan and set aside.
4. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add scallions and garlic and saute 2 minutes. Add brown rice and thyme and stir to combine. Add 1 cup of the chicken broth, cover and bring mixture to a simmer. Allow rice to cook for 3 minutes then add the sun-dried tomatoes and bell pepper. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.
5. Remove from heat and spoon rice mixture loosely into cavity of hens. Pour remaining 1/2 cup of chicken broth into bottom of pan.
6. Place hens in oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until juices from thigh run clear when pierced with a fork, basting every 15 minutes with the pan juices.
7. Remove the hens from the oven and transfer to a platter. Pour the pan juices over top and serve.
8. Serving suggestion: Serve the stuffed hens with cranberry sauce and a side dish of fresh or frozen snow peas sauteed in a little olive oil and seasoned with salt and crushed red pepper.