One of the most iconic Thanksgiving paintings is Norman Rockwell’s Freedom From Want painted in 1943.
Ultimately reproduced as posters to help sell war bonds, Rockwell’s painting depicts a family gathered around the holiday table on Thanksgiving Day. A bowl of fresh fruit, a red gelatin salad, and a plate of celery dot the table, but aside from the colorful cast of characters, my attention has always been drawn to the large turkey held by the family matriarch.
Traditionally, turkey has been the centerpiece of most Thanksgiving celebrations whether it’s roasted, deep fried, smoked, or spatchcocked. But sometimes even a 12-pound turkey is too much when the celebration is two or four gathered at the table. And sometimes folks simply want a change.
Honey roasted game hens with cranberry walnut stuffing are ideal for smaller celebrations or when home cooks want to serve something other than turkey while maintaining a sense of tradition.
Cornish game hens are readily available in the freezer section of most supermarkets, and since they are all about the same size, whether you’re roasting two or 10, they’re all done at the same time.
I designed this recipe for the “Sunday Dinner” episode of my cooking series At Home with Christy Rost. Eat This TV will air the episode on AmazonFire, Apple TV+ and other outlets the week before Thanksgiving, but you can also watch it beginning that week on my ‘Christy Rost Cooks’ YouTube channel.
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Although the recipe is for six hens, it easily adjusts to the smaller or larger number your need. Because gatherings are much more fun when the cook doesn’t have to spend the entire day in the kitchen, my recipe offers make-ahead options for the stuffing and the honey citrus glaze.
Rather than hours of roasting time for a turkey, the game hens are in the oven for an hour, so an early-day Thanksgiving celebration is realistic and easy.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Christy Rost is a cookbook author, host of Celebrating Home cooking videos, and longtime Park Cities and Preston Hollow resident. Her ‘At Home with Christy Rost’ cooking series for Eat This TV Network airs on AmazonFire, AppleTV+, Roku, Samsung TV, and YouTube. Visit christyrost.com for details and recipes.
