Name: Wild Rice Stuffing with Cranberries and Toasted Pecans
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium canned chicken broth; 1 cup wild rice blend; 2 tablespoons butter; 1 small onion , chopped fine (1/2 cup); 1/2 small rib celery , diced fine (1/4 cup); 1/4 cup toasted pecans , chopped coarse; 1/4 cup dried cranberries; 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves; 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves

Why This Recipe Works

For our best stuffed Cornish hens recipe, we wanted to stuff and roast at least six grocery store–quality Cornish hens in a way that made them look good and taste great. To prevent steaming, we lifted the birds up and out of the roasting pan and onto a wire rack. We also spaced the birds as far apart as possible; crowding food while it's roasting inhibits browning. The ideal roasting temperature, as it turned out, was 400 degrees, with a quick crank up to 450 degrees at the end of cooking to promote browning. For even more color, we opted to glaze the birds with balsamic vinegar; this gave them a pleasant, spotty brown barbecued look. Heating the stuffing in our stuffed Cornish hens recipe before placing it inside the birds let it come up to the proper temperature more quickly during cooking, thereby keeping the breast meat from overcooking.

Instructions

Bring chicken stock to boil in medium saucepan. Add rice blend; return to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until rice is fully cooked, 40 to 45 minutes. Turn rice into medium microwave-safe bowl; fluff with fork.

Meanwhile, heat butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add onions and celery; sauté until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add this mixture, as well as pecans, cranberries, and parsley and thyme, to rice; toss to coat.