Cherry-Glazed Cornish Hens with Sourdough-Cherry Stuffing

Ingredients

• 0.5 teaspoon pepper black divided freshly ground
• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 0.3 cup carrots finely chopped
• 0.3 cup celery finely chopped
• 0.5 cup cherry preserves 
• 5 pound cornish game hens 
• 0.3 teaspoon thyme leaves dried
• 1 cup less-sodium chicken broth fat-free
• 1  garlic clove minced
• 0.1 teaspoon ground ginger 
• 2 teaspoons juice of lemon fresh
• 0.3 cup onion finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons onion finely chopped
• 0.3 cup port sweet
• 1.5 teaspoons poultry seasoning 
• 0.5 teaspoon salt divided
• 3 cups sourdough bread cubed toasted ()
• 0.5 cup cherries dried sweet coarsely chopped

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• sauce pan
• oven
• kitchen thermometer
• broiler pan
• kitchen twine

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 47
2. Melt butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat.
3. Add 1/3 cup onion, carrot, celery, and poultry seasoning; cook 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
4. Add broth and cherries. Bring to a simmer, and cook 2 minutes.
5. Combine vegetable mixture, bread cubes, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Stir well to combine; cool completely.
6. Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, preserves, and next 6 ingredients (through garlic) in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer; cook 10 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
7. Remove and discard giblets and necks from hens. Rinse hens under cold water; pat dry.
8. Remove skin; trim excess fat. Working with 1 hen at a time, loosely stuff each hen with about 3/4 cup bread mixture. Tie ends of legs together with twine. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under hen. Repeat procedure with remaining hens and bread mixture; place hens, breast sides up, on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray.
9. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
10. Bake at 475 for 15 minutes; remove from oven.
11. Brush hens with preserves mixture; reduce oven temperature to 40
12. Bake an additional 35 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into stuffing registers 165, basting every 10 minutes with preserves mixture.
13. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes.
14. Remove twine before serving.