Sourdough Stuffed Game Hens
We like to stuff and get stuffed over the holidays, haha! It’s so hard not to overdo it, isn’t it? So much yummy food!
One of our favorite things to eat in the colder months is stuffing. We like to stuff turkeys and game hens and chickens. We like the combination of apples, sausage and mushrooms. The wonderful thing about it is that you can easily make it your own by using a different type of fruit (dried cranberries, cherries or apricots work really well! Just add about cup) or adding nuts like hazelnuts or pecans. You can leave out the sausage, if you’d like, and add more mushrooms. We are from the San Francisco Bay Area and are partial to sourdough bread for this recipe but you can use any sturdy bread. The options are many and varied!
This recipe works with most any poultry. If you are stuffing four game hens or a chicken, this recipe makes the perfect amount of stuffing. If you want to use it to stuff a turkey, you will want to double it.
Cut sourdough into half inch cubes.
Dice onion and mince herbs.
Combine everything together in a large bowl and mix well.
Loosely stuff the game hens and secure the skin over it with toothpicks.
Sourdough Stuffing With Apples and Sausage
- 1-½ lb loaf of sliced fresh sourdough bread
- 1 medium onion diced
- 8 oz. sliced mushrooms
- 2/3 lb sweet Italian sausage
- 1 large Granny Smith apple, cut into ½ inch dice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 3 tbsp butter
- ½ tsp each fresh sage, rosemary and thyme, finely chopped
- freshly ground pepper to taste
Cut the bread into ½ inch cubes and place in a large bowl.
In a large frying pan, sauté the mushrooms over medium-high heat in 2 tablespoons of butter until their liquid is evaporated and they are starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Place the mushrooms, and any remaining butter, in the bowl with the bread.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan with the diced onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add to the bowl with the bread and mushrooms.
Add the sausage to the pan and break up into small pieces as it cooks. Cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add to the bowl.
Add the apples, herbs and pepper to the bowl and stir everything together until evenly distributed. Add the chicken broth a little at a time and stir to incorporate. You may want to use more or less depending on how you like your stuffing. We like ours on the wet side.
Makes enough to stuff four game hens or one chicken. If stuffing a large turkey, double the recipe. Put any remaining stuffing in a covered baking dish and heat in 350 oven for about 30 minutes. If you like your stuffing crispy on top, remove the lid during the last 10 minutes of baking.
Game Hens
- 4 Game Hens, defrosted if frozen
Preheat oven to 425. Pat hens dry inside and out. Loosely stuff main cavity and secure skin with toothpicks. Place on greased roasting rack. We like to use this Mustard Maple Glaze recipe, but you can just baste with melted butter or olive oil. Baste hens and place in oven. Immediately reduce heat to 350 and roast for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, basting again half way through cooking time. Cook until thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast measures 160 and juices run clear. Tent with foil and let rest for 10 minutes.