Cranberry Cornish Game Hens for Two

Note from Cheri: If your making a Thanksgiving dinner just for two, you may not want to make the culinary commitment of a turkey and all its ensuing leftovers. This festive recipe of for Cornish Game hens is the perfect alternative for an intimate holiday dinner a deux. You can make this recipe lower in sugar and carbs by using sugar-free cranberry sauce. Ocean Spray® makes a good one.

1 C jellied cranberry sauce or sugar-free cranberry sauce 1/2 C dry white wine 1 T lemon juice 2 Cornish game hens salt pepper

Serves 2 Pre-heat oven to 350°F. If necessary, remove neck and giblets from inside hen. Discard or save for another use (note: your hen may already have this done for you). Rinse with cold water, pat dry and sprinkle inside and out with salt and pepper. Place breast side up in a greased shallow baking pan. Truss birds, if necessary (follow link for instructions). Set aside. Combine the cranberry sauce, wine and lemon juice in a small saucepan and heat until cranberry sauce melts and mixture is smooth, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Brush hens with cranberry mixture, coating well on all sides. Bake for about 1 1/4 hours (actual baking time will depend on the size of your hens, so check package instructions). Baste frequently with cranberry mixture during baking. If sauce starts to jell, simply reheat, stirring constantly until it is melted.