• Roasted Lemon Almond Cornish Hens

  Filed under Main Dishes - Chicken, Slow Cooker
  Mar 25
  **Today is the last day to enter the giveaway - make sure you enter!!**

  I don’t participate in blogging events very much. It’s not because I don’t want to, because I would love to participate in every single one of them – but I swear time passes me by too quickly, and even though I have every intention to participate, it just doesn’t always happen.
  
  But then I saw that Lis was hosting this round of Weekend Cookbook Challenge and the theme is pressure cookers, dutch ovens and crock pots. Well, we all know how I love my crock pot, so I knew that I would be wanting to participate in this even this month. It seemed as though time had gotten the best of me again as I realized that the deadline is tomorrow, and I still hadn’t made anything. But lucky me – as I was going through some photos on my computer last night, I found this recipe for Roasted Lemon Almond Cornish Hens that I made in the crock pot way back in December. It looks like I am getting to participate after all!!

  This recipe came to me at the perfect time. I was at the grocery store one day just before Christmas, and I saw some Cornish hens on sale. I had never made a Cornish hen, and I don’t think I had actually ever eaten one either. I did what I hardly ever do – I bought 2 of them, even though I didn’t have a recipe in mind. (I am a total planner – I work out my grocery list based on what is on the menu, and I rarely just pick up something because I want to try it out without a plan in mind!)

  So on Christmas morning, we are opening presents, and I get my new, beautiful, bigger-than-my-old-one crock pot. I pull it out of the box, and find the instruction booklet, that also has some recipes to use in your crock pot. Lo and behold – there is a recipe for Cornish hens!! And I had everything on hand that I needed to make the recipe!!

  I made these the day after Christmas, and since I was home all day, I was able to baste the hens with the juices throughout the day. By the time we were ready to eat, these hens were falling apart they were so tender. I actually had to piece this one together to even take a picture, because they fell right apart when I took them out of the crock pot!! It was such a delicious meal, and easy to boot. If you are looking for a good crock pot recipe, this definitely fits the bill!

  Roasted Lemon Almond Cornish Hens
  adapted from Rival

  3 lemons
  2 Cornish hens, thawed
  2 tablespoons butter, melted
  4 cloves garlic, minces and divided
  4 teaspoons minced fresh thyme, divided
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds, toasted and divided

  Slice one lemon; place 2 to 3 slices in the cavity of each hen. Place one teaspoon minced thyme and 1 clove of mince garlic in each cavity. Place hens in slow cooker.

  Juice 1 lemon; mix lemon juice, butter, remaining garlic and thyme, salt and pepper and drizzle over hens. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup almonds.

  Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours (4 to 6 on high). If desired, baste hens with juices throughout the time.

  Arrange cooked hens on a serving platter. Serve with remaining lemon slices and garnish with remaining almonds.

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  19 Comments

19 Responses to “Roasted Lemon Almond Cornish Hens”

1. 

   glamah16 said on March 25th, 2008 at 4:51 pm

   Yummm. I love cornish hens. Cooking them this way makes it really tender. I can taste the lemon and garlickey goodness.

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2. 

   Veron said on March 25th, 2008 at 4:54 pm

   lemon..garlic…almonds! I love everything in this dish and it looks delicious!

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3. 

   Jenny said on March 25th, 2008 at 5:12 pm

   Sounds Great Deborah! I wouldn’t have thought to cook it in the crock pot. Great idea.

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4. 

   Steph said on March 25th, 2008 at 6:36 pm

   This sounds yummy! I too have never tried cornish hens, I think I might have to give it try once and for all! Great recipe!

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5. 

   Cakespy said on March 25th, 2008 at 7:01 pm

   Ooh, this sounds fantastic. The first time I ever tried Cornish hen was several years ago, and I immediately could see what the fuss was about. This looks like a delicious way to serve it!

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6. 

   chou said on March 25th, 2008 at 8:19 pm

   I find myself with two Cornish hens today thanks to a loving mom-in-law. Thanks for inspiring me!

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7. 

   Catherine Wilkinson said on March 25th, 2008 at 11:03 pm

   I love it that you found the recipe on the Rival little booklet. Sometimes, those recipes go by the wayside, but cooking companies spend big bucks finding or creating really good recipes to go with their products!
   These little chicks look terrific. I’m a crockpot lover too, so I’m putting this on cooking speed dial!

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8. 

   Peabody said on March 26th, 2008 at 12:00 am

   Very nice. You just don’t see cornish game hens all that much anymore.

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9. 

   Lis said on March 26th, 2008 at 12:08 am

   Heavenly.. it’s all I can say about those birds!

   I love cornish hens and have never even thought to make in my crockpot (I also got a much bigger one for Xmas too.. squeeeee!) and now I have what sounds like an amazing recipe for them! Yay!

   Thank you so much for participating sweetie!

   xoxo

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10. 

    Kevin said on March 26th, 2008 at 12:34 am

    I have never had a cornish hen. It looks good with the almonds and the lemon.

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11. 

    Cookie baker Lynn said on March 26th, 2008 at 12:44 am

    What fortuitous hens. On sale, just as you receive a new crockpot, and you found the pictures just in time to enter them. Good job!

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12. 

    jasmine said on March 26th, 2008 at 1:01 am

    I hear you about not enough time to do all the events…like how I didn’t have time to do this one.

    This dish looks lovely…

    j

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13. 

    Beth G. said on March 26th, 2008 at 2:28 am

    That looks delish!!

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14. 

    Patricia Scarpin said on March 26th, 2008 at 2:24 pm

    Deb, next time you cook this dish make sure there’s an extra place on the table – for me!

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15. 

    Lynnylu said on March 26th, 2008 at 2:26 pm

    Your food is always beautiful. I just bought a slow cooker and will definitely make this recipe. Thanks.

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16. 

    JennDZ - The Leftover Queen said on March 26th, 2008 at 2:29 pm

    Lemon and almond are a great pairing! Your hen looks beautiful! Something to do with my crockpot!

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17. 

    PheMom said on March 28th, 2008 at 7:10 am

    It looks really good too. I have a clay pot I got on clearance at Williams-Sonoma after Christmas a few years ago and I love cooking chickens in it. I don’t know why I haven’t thought to do the Cornish Hens in there. I’ve been thinking about making them for a while, now I have a recipe to try!

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18. 

    kellypea said on March 29th, 2008 at 3:42 pm

    Good choice for this WCC! I love cornish game hens, but I don’t think I’ve made them in the crockster before. They sound delish! Isn’t it cool when you throw something in the freezer for later without a plan? It’s like a present for later. I, unfortunately, do it ALL the time and can barely figure out what’s “in there!” Your hens look great — and the lemon sounds especially nice.

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19. 

    Nemmie said on March 30th, 2008 at 5:43 am

    Y.U.M.

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