This is the ultimate slow-cooked comfort meal. The oven is on for hours, so pick a chilly day, but don’t fret: with very little prep, it’s mostly hands-off cooking. Everything is done in the oven, including the apples. The bigger the better for the pork roast, so invite some friends over to help you enjoy!

• Ingredients: Bone-in pork shoulder, 8-10 pounds, russet potatoes, apples, onions.
• Budget: pork shoulder (also called pork butt) is usually around $2/pound! When cooked slowly, it’s delicious. Apples and potatoes, also on budget.
• Nutrition: A huge meaty bone, plus bits of cooked meat and cartilage are the centerpiece for the dogs, but they will also get plenty of vitamins and minerals from potato skins and raw apples.
• Waste Not: That big bone that makes the meat tender when cooked is certainly not to be wasted, it’s a special treat for a big dog! We picked our own organic apples which came with a few bruises and speckles. The dogs get the ugly parts raw, because they are still delicious. Leftover potato skins will also not go to waste – our girls don’t like them but the pups will gobble them up.