Recipes: Paula Deen's Thanksgiving Favorites

Nov. 24, 2008 — -- Though she loves a traditional turkey and dressing, Paula Deen says for a different twist on Thanksgiving dinner, she suggests Cornish hens -- a favorite of her husband, Michael.

And of course, Deen says that no Thanksgiving would be complete without stuffing.

Here are her recipes for Honey Game Hens, Creamy Squash Soup, Good Old Country Stuffing and Fancy Green Beans. CLICK HERE to read about what Deen is most thankful for this holiday season.

Honey Game Hens

Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

6 Cornish game hens (about 3/4 to 1 pound each)

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (1-inch) piece of ginger, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup honey

2 tablespoons peanut oil

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 tablespoon orange zest, minced

Instructions:

Rinse hens, trim off excess fat and pat dry; place in bowl. Put garlic and ginger in food processor and process until nearly smooth. In another bowl, combine soy sauce, honey, oil, orange juice and zest. Add the garlic and ginger. Pour mixture over game hens, coating well. Refrigerate overnight, turning in marinade several times.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place game hens in shallow roasting pan; pour marinade on top. Bake for 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes. Remove hens to serving platter. Pour cooking juices into small, heavy saucepan and boil for 4 minutes, or until sauce thickens. Pour over hens just before serving. Serve with sesame noodles or rice pilaf. These hens can also be grilled; just remember to baste often.

Good Old Country Stuffing

Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

2 loaves dry white bread

2 cups cooked white rice

1 sleeve crushed saltines

1 pound bulk breakfast sausage

2 cups chopped celery

1 large onion, chopped

7 cups chicken stock

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried sage leaves

1 tablespoon poultry seasoning

3 eggs, beaten

1/4 stick butter, melted

Mushroom Giblet Gravy, recipe follows

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Crumble dried white bread into a large bowl. Add cooked white rice, and crushed saltines.

Cook pork sausage in a large saute pan until it starts to brown. Add celery and onion and saute until transparent, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour over bread and rice mixture. Add stock and mix well. Add salt, pepper, sage, and poultry seasoning. Mix well. Add the beaten eggs and melted butter. Mix well. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the stuffing mixture for the Mushroom Giblet Gravy.

Pour stuffing into a greased pan and bake until done and golden brown, about 45 minutes.

Mushroom Giblet Gravy:

4 cups stock

Giblets from 1 turkey or game hen(s)

2 chicken bouillon cubes

2 tablespoons reserved stuffing mixture

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/3 cup cold water

2 pints button mushrooms, sliced

3 tablespoons butter

1 hard boiled egg, sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Bring stock and giblets to a boil. Add bouillon and raw stuffing mixture. Make a slurry by whisking together the cornstarch and cold water and add to the boiling stock and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Meanwhile, saute mushrooms until browned in butter. Add mushrooms to gravy with egg and salt and pepper, to taste.

Creamy Squash Soup

Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen

Yield: 4 servings

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

2 pounds butternut squash, halved, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 1/2 cups diced onion

2 carrots, peeled and diced

3 (13 3/4-ounce) cans chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup light cream or heavy cream

Sour cream, for garnish

Instructions:

In a medium saucepan, combine squash, onion, carrots, broth and salt. Simmer, uncovered, until squash is very tender, about 40 minutes. Puree soup in a blender or food processor with the butter. Whisk cream into soup. Serve in wide, shallow bowls with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

Fancy Green Beans

Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans

2 slices bacon

1/2 cup red bell pepper strips

1/2 cup thin onion wedges

1/2 cup whole cashews

Instructions:

In a small bowl, stir together the teriyaki sauce, honey and butter.

Fill a bowl with cold water and ice cubes.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the lemon juice. Drop in the beans and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until beans are bright green. Drain the beans in a colander and then plunge them into the iced water. Drain again and set aside.

In a skillet, cook the bacon until very crispy, crumble and set aside. Saute the bell pepper and onion in the hot bacon fat for 2 minutes. Add the beans, cashews and bacon to the skillet. Add the teriyaki-honey sauce and toss gently.