Fabulous Christmas Cornish Game Hens

Ingredients

• 3 large carrots, roughly chopped
• 3 stalks celery, roughly chopped
• 3 large onions, roughly chopped
• 2 parsnips, rough chopped
• 2 oranges, cut into wedges
• 6 Cornish game hens (about 2 pounds each), rinsed and dried thoroughly
• Olive oil, to drizzle (I used regular canola oil and it turned out great)
  
• Holiday Dry Rub, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Spread the vegetables and orange out evenly in the roasting pans. Place the Cornish game hens over the vegetables. Drizzle with olive oil. Rub the oil into the hens and sprinkle with the seasoning mixture, remembering to season the cavity. Place some vegetables and an orange wedge in the cavity of the birds.

Place in the oven and roast for 45 minutes or until the juices run clear and they are browned. Let the hens rest 10 minutes before carving.

Cook's Note: Line the baking sheet pan with foil under the wire rack for an easy clean-up. The veggies and orange stuffed in the cavities of the hens will impart flavor to the meat as it cooks. Be sure not to crowd the hens on the baking sheets or else the skin won't crisp up properly and they will take much longer to cook.

• Holiday Dry Rub
• 2 tablespoon salt
• 2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine.

Recipe courtesy The Neelys