According to some, this most recent Super Bowl was a “long, languorous, low scoring snoozer.” Ouch! But even if it wasn’t a very exciting game, we still managed to muster up quite the Super Bowl menu to keep things interesting Sunday night. Here’s our Sunday Super Bowl spread, inspired by the team’s regional cuisine along with our favorite culinary recipes utilizing our bourbon barrel-aged food items including our pepper sauce, bourbon nib brittle and maple syrup. While the New England Patriots beat the Los Angeles Rams 13-3 in a less than record breaking game, our dinner menu was one of our all time Super Bowl favorites which makes it a win win for us. Happy feasting!

Super Bowl Sunday Menu:

Appetizers:

• Fried Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese Dip (featuring our barrel aged pepper sauce and maple syrup)
• Maple Sausage Balls with Maple Dijon Dip (featuring our barrel aged maple syrup)
• Maple Pecan Pigs In A Blanket (featuring our barrel aged maple syrup)

Mains:

• Spicy New England Clam Chowder (featuring our barrel aged pepper sauce)
• Maple Glazed Pork Belly Tacos (featuring our barrel aged maple syrup and pepper sauce)

Dessert:

• Brittle Nib Brittle Cupcakes (featuring our barrel aged bourbon nib brittle)

To Drink:

• Old Fashioneds (of course) using our Pappy & Company Barrel Aged Old Fashioned mixer, just add bourbon!

Recipe Highlights:

Fried Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese Dip:adapted fromthis Food Network recipe

Ingredients:

For the dip:

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 small clove garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon milk or buttermilk
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

For the wings:

• Vegetable oil for frying
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 3 pounds chicken wings, split at the joints, tips removed
• 3/4 cup Pappy & Company Barrel Aged Pepper Sauce
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons Pappy & Company Barrel Aged Maple Syrup

Directions

1. Make the dip: Pulse the sour cream, blue cheese, mayonnaise, garlic, milk and lemon juice in a food processor until combined but still chunky. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Make the wings: Heat 1 inch of vegetable oil in a large deep skillet over high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375 degrees F. Set a rack on a rimmed baking sheet.
3. Mix the flour and paprika in a shallow dish. Dredge the wings in the flour mixture to coat, tapping off the excess. Fry the wings in batches, turning as needed, until cooked through and deep golden brown, about 15 minutes. (Return the oil to 375 degrees F between batches.) Remove with tongs and transfer to the rack to drain.
4. Meanwhile, combine the pepper sauce, butter and syrup in a medium pot over medium heat until the butter melts. Continue to cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Reserve one-quarter of the sauce for serving. Add the cooked wings to the pot and toss with the remaining sauce. Serve with the blue cheese dip and reserved sauce.

Spicy New England Clam Chowder: adapted fromthis Cooks.com recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. butter
• 1/2 c. plus 3 tbsp. flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
• 3 c. milk
• 3 tsp. Pappy & Company pepper sauce
• 5 to 6 1/2 oz. cans minced clams, undrained
• 3 med. carrots, coarsely grated
• 4 med. red potatoes
• 1 med. onion
• 1/4 c. parsley
• 1 tsp. sweet basil
• 1 tsp. rosemary leaves
• 1 c. sour cream
• 1/2 tsp. ground pepper

Directions:

Melt butter, add flour, salt. Stir until smooth. Add milk with whisk. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer for 1 hour (recipe can be cut in half).

Maple Glazed Pork Belly Tacos: adapted fromthis recipe by TheEndlessMeal.com

Ingredients:

For the pork belly

• 1 ½ lb boneless pork belly
• 2 tablespoons brown miso
• 2 tablespoons Pappy & Company barrel aged maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon Pappy & Company barrel aged pepper sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt (Maldon salt works great)

For the chipotle aioli:

• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 teaspoon Pappy & Company barrel aged maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon pureed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon Pappy & Company barrel aged pepper sauce
• 1 small garlic clove, very finely minced
• ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
• ⅛ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and place an oven proof cooling rack on top of it.
• Wash the pork belly and dry it very well. Make sure the skin is completely dry. Make cuts, 1 inch apart, through the skin. Make sure you cut all the way through the skin (into a little of the fat is ok) but do not cut through to the meat. Turn the pork belly over and stab the meat all over with the tip of your knife.
• In a small bowl mix together the miso, maple syrup and pepper sauce. Liberally coat the meat (not the skin!) side of the pork belly. Place the pork belly skin side up on top of the cooling rack.
• Pour the sesame oil over top of the skin and massage it in. Sprinkle the top with the flaky sea salt.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 2 hours. Make the chipotle aioli while the pork is cooking and keep it covered in the fridge until you are ready to serve it.
• Increase the oven temperature to broil at 420 degrees. Move the pork belly to a rack in the top third of your oven. Broil it for 10-15 minutes, or until the pork skin is very crispy.
• Remove the pork belly from the oven and let it sit for 15 minutes, uncovered. Slice the pork belly and serve with the chipotle aioli on the side.

For the aioli:

• Whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and place it in the fridge until you are ready to serve it.

Chocolate Bourbon Cupcakes with Nib Brittle topping:adapted fromthis recipe by WillCookForSmiles.com

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cupcakes:

• 1 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups of hot water
• 1/4 cup of bourbon
• 2 1/2 cups of flour
• 1 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 eggs room temperature
• 3/4 cups of vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Buttercream Frosting:

• 16 oz butter room temperature
• 2-3 cups of powder sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 box of Pappy & Company bourbon nib brittle crushed into small pieces for topping

Instructions:

Cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly spray cupcake pan with cooking spray and line it with cupcake liners.
2. In a small sauce pot, mix water with unsweetened cocoa powder. Bring to a low boil and stir in bourbon. Cook for about a minute and set aside to cool.
3. In a bowl of an electric mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix until combined.
4. Separately, whisk together the vegetable oil, vanilla extract, eggs and sour cream.
5. On low speed, slowly pour in the egg mixture into the dry ingredients. Once it's combined, bring the speed up to medium and beat for about two minutes.
6. Lower the speed to low again and slowly pour in the hot cocoa. Mix until just combined. Turn off the mixer.
7. Using the spatula, scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl, continue mixing with the spatula until the batter is smooth.
8. Pour batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 of the way, and bake for 18-20 minutes. So a toothpick test at 18 minutes to check for doneness.
9. Cool completely before frosting.

Buttercream Frosting:

1. Beat butter until it is fluffy (about 3-5 minutes) high speed, lower the speed to low and add in icing sugar and the egg yolk alternately, beating after each addition.
2. The mixture should be very fluffy.
3. Transfer the frosting to the pastry bag and frost the cooled cupcakes.
4. After the cupcakes are frosted, slowly drizzle with the crushed bourbon nib brittle pieces.