There's a reason why staples like carrots, potatoes, and roasted chicken are always on the menu. They're hearty, fairly easy to prepare and feed a family without breaking the bank. But that doesn't mean dinner needs to be boring.

With just the right amount of sweet and spicy added into each recipe, this classic dinner menu makes for a crowd-pleasing family meal. With everyone wanting seconds, you can always double the recipes to make sure you have extras, otherwise, this is ample food to serve a family of 4-6 people.

Still hungry? No meal is complete without something sweet. Our decadent Bread and Butter Pudding with Maple Caramel Sauce is a rich and creamy dessert you’ll want to eat by the spoonful. No room for dessert? This bread pudding also makes for a sweet breakfast treat the morning after. 

Maple Dijon Whole Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

• Whole chicken 5-6 lbs.
• Sea salt and pepper
• Garlic powder
• Onion pieces carrot pieces, and garlic cloves for cavity 
• 2 tbspPappy & Company Bourbon Barrel-Aged Pure Maple Syrup
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a roasting pan with tin foil then place the roasting rack on top.
2. Remove the organ bag from the inside of the carcass. Rinse the chicken with cold water then pat dry. Season both sides of the chicken with sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and garlic powder, to taste. Place pieces of carrot, onion, and garlic inside the cavity, if desired. Place a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone.Place the chicken on the roasting rack and put into the oven to roast for 40 minutes.
3. In a small bowl mix together themaple syrup, Dijon mustard, and grain mustard. Brush half of the mixture over the chicken. Put the coated chicken back into the oven for 15-20 minutes; remove and baste with the remaining mixture. Place back into the oven and continue roasting until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clean and there is an internal temperature of 175 degrees, about 20 minutes. 
4. Remove the chicken from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes before carving and serving. 

Roasted Carrots with Maple and Thyme:

Cooked carrots can be a bit blase at times, but that is often because they are overcooked or under-seasoned. The trick to making these taste good? Just a hint of maple syrup to add some sweetness to the root vegetable's naturally sweet flavor and then the finishing herbs of thyme and maybe even a splash of truffle oil to balance out the flavor.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. whole carrots
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (can also try truffle oil for added flavor!)
• 2 tablespoonsPappy & Company Bourbon Barrel Aged Pure Maple Syrup
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh thyme

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. 
2. Place carrots on a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over carrots, tossing by hand to help distribute evenly. Repeat withmaple syrup. Add salt and pepper as desired.
3. Roast for 20 minutes or until fork slides in easily.
4. Serve with fresh thyme

Pepper Sauce and Garlic Mashed Potatoes

These slightly spicy mashed potatoes are a nice balance to the sweetness of the carrots and roasted chicken. With just the right amount of heat, plus garlic, this is not your ordinary mashed potato recipe.

Ingredients: 

• 1 head garlic
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 lbs russet potatoes peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 tspPappy & Company Barrel-Aged Pepper Sauce (or more for additional heat)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Chives for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
2. Slice off the top of a head of garlic, and drizzle with olive oil.  Wrap with foil, place on a baking sheet, and bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes. Once cooked, gently remove cloves from skin and set aside. 
3. Meanwhile, bring a pot of hot water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender, about 12 – 15 minutes.  
4. Strain the water from the potatoes, and return back to the pot.  Add heavy cream, butter, and roasted garlic cloves. Stir inPepper Sauce, one teaspoon at a time, until the desired flavor.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
5. Garnish with chopped chives

Bread and Butter Pudding with Maple Caramel Sauce

This truly is a decadent dessert with all the right sinful flavors a dessert should have. The salty maple caramel sauce is worth making extra of. We love to have it on hand to drizzle over vanilla ice cream or just eat it by the spoonful out of the jar.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 7 ounces brioche, cut into eight 1/2-inch slices, halved diagonally
• 3 large eggs, plus 3 large egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• ½ cupPappy & Company Bourbon Barrel-Aged Pure Maple Syrup
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• Salty Maple Caramel Sauce (recipe to follow)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 º F. 
2. Butter a shallow baking dish and sprinkle chocolate evenly over the bottom of the baking dish. 
3. Arrange brioche slices in dish.
4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks, milk, cream,maple syrup, cinnamon and salt.
5. Pour mixture over the brioche and let sit 10 minutes.
6. Sprinkle top with sugar
7. Bake until bread pudding is puffed and custard is set (about 1 hour). 
8. Let cool and serve with Salty Maple Caramel Sauce. 

Salty Maple Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 cupsPappy & Company Bourbon Barrel-Aged Pure Maple Syrup
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ teaspoon flake sea salt 

Directions:

1. In a deep thick bottom pot over medium heat, addmaple syrup and bring to a low boil. Allow syrup to boil for 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes with a silicone spatula (syrup will start to coat the backside of the spatula and become thick when cooled).
2. Stir in the butter until it is completely melted and then add the cream, stirring constantly. It will not bubble up dangerously like caramel but it will still be very hot. Add the salt and then stir to mix. The mixture will thicken as it cools.