Amazing, Easy Hawaiian Dinner to Serve 10 People
A crowd favorite is this Hawaiian dinner: Hawaiian Chicken, macaroni salad, green salad and rice! Here’s how to make enough to feed 10 people!
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A meal as good as this Hawaiian dinner is one that you’re going to want to share! For me, the perfect time to do that is Sunday nights. That is when we are planning to feed a crowd. (check out my list of big group dinners here).
Every Sunday night since my kids grew up and moved out, we invite them back for dinner. We also include other people just to truly make it a crowd. To do this, we invite nieces, nephews, in-laws or even friends. We shoot for 10-15 people per dinner, just to keep things fun.
So, this series is for documenting the meals I’ve been making, how much food and ingredients I need, and how to modify the dinner for my current health goals.
What I served with this Hawaiian dinner
With this meal, I made:
- Chicken thighs, marinated in soy sauce, pineapple juice, ginger, garlic, and brown sugar.
- Sticky White rice
- Hawaiian classic Macaroni salad, modified with light mayo.
- and Green salad – get any kind you like. I’m a big fan of this Sweet Kale salad mix
Shopping for a Hawaiian dinner for 10 people
The hardest part of feeding a crowd is knowing how many groceries and ingredients to buy. Here’s how I shopped for this meal:
- 5 lbs Chicken thighs: I chose 8 ounces (raw) per person (2 people per pound of meat). This cooks down to about 6 ounces, which usually is one large chicken thigh. So, with 10 people, I bought 5 lbs of chicken thighs.
- 4 cups calrose rice. For the rice, I made enough for 1 full cup per person (and a little extra). 4 cups of dry rice made about 12 cups of cooked rice.
- 5 cups dry macaroni noodles. The macraoni salad I wanted 1 cup per person. The 5 cups of dry macaroni made 12 cups of pasta salad.
- 10 Cups green salad: I like 1 cup of green salad per person. The Kale Salad at Costco has 8 cups per bag, so I used that, and assumed most people would take a little less than 1 cup.
- And we served ice cream for dessert.
To prep ahead of time.
The night before the Hawaiian dinner, I made the macaroni salad and marinated the chicken thighs.
To make in the afternoon
- In the afternoon, before the meal, I measured out the rice and water, and let it soak in the pot for about 15 minutes. Then, I cooked the rice about 45 minutes before dinner.
To finish just before dinner
The last 30 minutes before dinner, we
- Grilled the chicken on a grill.
- Assembled the green salad.
- and set out a water dispenser for drinks.
Tips for making it weight loss friendly
You can absolutely make delicious food for your family, and stay on your diet!
For this Hawaiian dinner meal, I ate:
- About 4 ounces of Chicken (206 calories, 28 g protein, 0 carbs, 10 g fat)
- 1 cup of the Kale Salad (160 calories, 3 g protein, 17 g carbs, and 10 g fat)
- 1 cup of the classic Macaroni Salad (264 calories, 6 g protein, 39 g carbs, 10 g fat)
- 1/3 cup white rice. (67 calories, 1g protein, 15 g carbs, 0 g fat)
For a grand total of 697 calories, 38 g protein, 71 g carbs, and 30 g fat.
Hawaiian Plate Dinner
Ingredients
Hawaiian Chicken Thighs
- 5 pounds Chicken thighs, boneless skinless
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Macaroni Salad
- 5 cups dry macaroni noodles
- 2 cups light mayo
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar, granulated
- 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
- 2 large carrots grated
Rice
- 4 cups Calrose rice, dry
- 5 1/4 cup water
Green Salad
- 1 package bagged salad (10 cups worth)
Instructions
Cook the Hawaiian Grilled Chicken
- Soak Boneless skinless chicken thighs in a shallow dish with soy sauce, brown sugar, pineapple juice, ginger, and garlic overnight.
- 30 minutes before dinner, drain the marinade and cook chicken on an outdoor grill until the center is no longer pink.
Light Hawaiian Macaroni salad
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
- In small bowl, whisk together light mayo, milk, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and salt.
- Grate carrots.
- Combine carrots and cooked pasta. Pour dressing over everything and toss to coat all noodles. Chill in the fridge until ready to eat.
Rice & Salad
- Cook rice according to package directions
- Toss salad kit together.
Notes
- 4 ounces of Chicken (206 calories, 28 g protein, 0 carbs, 10 g fat)
- 1 cup of the Kale Salad (160 calories, 3 g protein, 17 g carbs, and 10 g fat)
- 1 cup of the classic Macaroni Salad (264 calories, 6 g protein, 39 g carbs, 10 g fat)
- 1/3 cup white rice. (67 calories, 1g protein, 15 g carbs, 0 g fat)
Nutrition
Then, you’re ready to eat! Honestly, this meal takes less time in the kitchen than you would think. It’s quick, easy, and everyone loves it!
