2 Delicious, Budget-Friendly & Realistic Family Dinners

1. Hawaiian barbecue chicken

I have some chicken thighs that have the skin on. I'm going to trim most of that fat off. This dinner is going to be cooked on a sheet pan and in the oven at 400 for about 35 to 40 minutes. 

I'm just going to add some pineapple, some onion, and some sweet peppers to this. 

And then, I am going to top the chicken off with some barbecue sauce. I'm going to mix two sauces together because I have them. I'm going to use up some of this original Aldi's brand barbecue sauce and then some of this Caribbean jerk from G Hughes. G Hughes is my favorite barbecue sauce out there. The wing sauce is delicious. 

As I said, this is super easy and simple, and this entire dinner is going to go on a sheet pan; we're going to throw it all in the oven, and it will be done within 35 - 40 minutes.  

Homemade coleslaw

To go alongside the Hawaiian chicken, I am going to be making my coleslaw. This I have dubbed the best coleslaw ever. You'll need the following:

• One bag of coleslaw mix
• One clove garlic-grated
• Two tablespoons of lemon juice
• One tablespoon of white vinegar
• One tablespoon of coconut sugar
• salt/pepper to taste

Add everything to a large bowl and mix well. Let the coleslaw sit in the refrigerator for a few hours to absorb all the ingredients and soften. 

So here is the finished Hawaiian chicken with coleslaw and rice. 

I made some jasmine rice from Trader Joe's and just put the chicken and the vegetables and the pineapple all over that and a little side of coleslaw. 

2. Pork butt roast

I am making a pork butt roast in my crockpot for my second realistic family dinner. I am going to season it with all of these seasonings, along with this onion and garlic. I'm first going to sear all sides of the pork butt before I place it into the crock pot. This seals in the juices for a moist pork butt.

Before searing all the sides of the roast, I did some splits in there so I could add the garlic before I added it to the slow cooker.  

After your pork is cooked, you're going to remove it and put it in a separate dish so you can strain out the liquid to make the gravy.  

So here is the final dish. 

I made some mashed potatoes to go along with this. It was absolutely delicious. So tender, so flavorful. You really need to try this recipe.

Budget-friendly & realistic family dinners

What are your favorite realistic family dinners? Share your recipes in the comments below.