Low Carb Holiday Cornish Hen w Bacon Green Bean Casserole Cups
Cornish hen is a wonderful way to celebrate a holiday season without investing in a huge turkey or ham! These game birds are the perfect size for sharing with a second person, or you can make multiple hens for small gatherings. Cornish hens also take significantly less time in an oven than a whole turkey would, so you won’t be held hostage in your kitchen for hours! In this recipe, your cornish hen has been dressed with fresh herbs and garlic for a classic, savory flavor. Multiple bastings of butter during the baking process result in a crispy skin that definitely make this a Keto recipe! Served on the side are mini green bean casserole cups that venture a little outside of the traditional casserole. These mini green beans casseroles include crispy bacon and dollops of cream cheese to pair alongside your cornish hen.
How to Make It
Step 1
Preheat an oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet tray with parchment paper. Prepare a cornish hen by removing any excess liquid from its packaging and pat the hen dry. Use a utility knife to cut through the breastplate of the hen and butterfly the entire carcass. This is called spatchcocking. Open the butterflied hen and flip it over onto your tray so you can see the wings and legs of the bird. Rub the first amount of butter all over the exposed skin until it melts and creates a thick layer on the hen. It’s okay if there are some dollops of butter spread across the bird.
Step 2
Sprinkle the salt, pepper, and onion powder across the bird. Then, use a paring knife to slices 5-6 slits into the meat. Smash and slice whole garlic cloves and wedge them into the slits. Push the whole cloves and whole sprigs of rosemary and thyme into the slits as well. If you’re having trouble fitting everything into the slits, arrange some of the herb springs under the wings of the bird, as pictured.
Step 3
Bake the cornish hen in your oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, melt the second amount of butter in a small dish in your microwave. Use a pastry brush or marinating brush to baste the cornish hen with half of that melted butter. Bake the hen for 15 more minutes. Then, baste it with the remaining bit of melted butter and bake for 15 more minutes. In total, your cornish hen should cook for 60 minutes.
Step 4
While the cornish hen is baking, it is best to prepare your green bean casseroles so they can go in the oven shortly after the hen is done. Line 4 muffin tins with paper liners. Fill each paper liner with 1 oz of THAWED green beans from frozen. If needed, chop the green beans up into smaller pieces. If you only have fresh green beans available, you can blanch and chop them. Just note that this will add prep time to your recipe.
Step 5
Cook the bacon to extra crispy on your stovetop. Once the bacon has cooled, cut into small bacon bits. Sprinkle the bacon bits over the green beans in the paper liners. Chop cold cream cheese into cubes and arrange 2-3 cubes over each casserole cup. In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, salt, pepper, onion powder, and nutmeg.
Step 6
Pour the egg filling into each casserole cup, filling them all the way to the top. Let the liquid filling settle into each cup. Once your cornish hen is done, reduce your oven heat to 350 degrees. Bake the green bean casserole cups at 350 degrees for 25-27 minutes. The cream cheese at the top should be soft and slightly golden, and the egg filling should have no wiggle to them to know they’re cooked through.
Step 7
Allow the egg filling that rose during baking to settle down in the green bean casserole cups. At this point, your cornish hen should be rested and ready for serving. Each serving includes half a cornish hen with two green bean casserole cups. You can slice the cornish hen to your liking for serving. Each person would ideally receive 1 wing, 1 leg/thigh, and 1 breast.
Ingredients
- Chicken Cornish Game Hens Meat And Skin Raw
20 ounce
- Unsalted Butter
½ tablespoon
- Salt
¼ teaspoon
- Black Pepper
⅛ teaspoon
- Onion Powder
⅛ teaspoon
- Garlic
2 clove
- Spices Whole Cloves
2 x 3 cloves
- Rosemary, Fresh
1 gram
- Thyme, Fresh
1 gram
- Unsalted Butter
½ tablespoon
- Frozen Green Beans by Kroger
4-undefined ounce
- Bacon
2 slice – 6″ long
- Cream Cheese
1-½ ounce
- Raw Egg
3 large
- Cream Heavy Whipping
½ tbsp
- Salt
¼ teaspoon
- Black Pepper
⅛ teaspoon
- Onion Powder
⅛ tsp
- Nutmeg Ground
⅛ tsp