Meals of the Week, April 20th to 26th, 2025

 

Hello everyone and welcome to my Sunday Meals of the Week post!  On Sundays I like to share with you my readers, all of the deliciousness that I have enjoyed as my main meals over the past seven days! To all intents and purposes, you also seem to enjoy what I share!  That makes me happy as this is why I do this, the sharing of food and recipes.  A joy shared is a joy multiplied, and this food blog brings me plenty of joy!

This week started off with Easter Dinner. I was hosting the dinner this year. We had been going to have it on Saturday, but I had a bit of a health scare on Friday night and so it was put off until Sunday. (Anxiety is no fun to deal with!)

I did not cook the traditional ham this year, I kept it really simple by roasting a chicken, which also gave me some leftovers to work with during the next few days.  I hate waste and try to use up everything and I did a great job of that this week.

Nothing I cook is really super complicated. I had plenty of complicated when I worked as a personal chef. Enough to last a lifetime. I enjoyed that job, but in my personal life I do like to keep things simple as much as possible. Simple ingredients put together in a delicious way. I don't want to spend all of my time in the kitchen and I am sure you don't want to either.

This collection of recipes counts only as the main meals I have cooked and enjoyed. I have not included my breakfasts or light suppers. (I eat my main meal at noon or in the early afternoon most days, unless I am eating out or with friends.)

I try to keep things healthy, balanced and affordable. As a senior on a fixed budget and with the escalating costs of food this is really important to me.  I am sure it is just as important to you!

I have included my menu suggestions for anything that might also be enjoyed on the side and in the cases where I might have eaten out (not this week) I will always include a similar recipe to what I have eaten so that you can enjoy it at home.

I won't waffle on any further about things, so here you go. My meals of the week for the third week of April, 2025. That's a whole lot of tasty that I think/hope that you will want to also cook for yourself!

SUNDAY, April 20th - Easter Dinner

I hosted Easter Dinner this year and because I had not been well, we kept it pretty simple. I simply spatchcocked a chicken and roasted it in the oven. I rubbed some light olive oil and butter into it first and sprinkled it with lots of organic Kinders Buttery Garlic and Herb Seasoning. It turned out fabulous. (Contrary to the photo which was taken in the worst light.)  We enjoyed this with some frozen scalloped potatoes (PC brand) boxed stuffing, canned green beans and steamed carrots. I served it with my  Cornmeal Muffins and an assortment of pickles and relishes.

You know what? It was a fabulous meal and very low effort.  I had enough to feed the four of us, plus send a meal over to my next door neighbor and make myself and her two more meals during the week. All for an organic free-range chicken that I had bought several months back on the sell-by date for 50% off and thrown into the freezer! I think the chicken cost me $15.

MONDAY, April 21st - Butterbean Soup

I had a really busy day on Monday and so I just made a hearty pot of soup.  Butterbean Soup.  Simple ingredients put together in the most delicious way.  A can of butterbeans, you can use any kind of bean you wish, but I like butterbeans as they have a mild velvety texture and flavor. They melt in the mouth. Carrots, onions, celery, stock and some seasonings. That's all it takes, and you have a really delicious soup.

I enjoyed this with some sliced and buttered sourdough bread. I was in heaven.

TUESDAY, April 22nd - Hot Chicken Sandwich

I used up some of the leftover chicken and made hot chicken sandwiches with some oven roasted baby potatoes and steamed carrots and broad beans.  I made gravy from scratch as I did not have any leftover, but you can use a packet gravy as well if you wish. 

Is there anything on earth that tastes as delicious as bread and gravy?  I think not!  This is one of my favorite things.  Simple to make and oh-so-tasty!  I really enjoyed this!

WEDNESDAY, April 23rd - Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole

I used the last of the chicken to make a delicious casserole for two. Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole. An old-fashioned favorite with noodles, chicken and peas in a simple creamy sauce, topped with buttered cracker crumbs.

This is goodness.  Simple. Uncomplicated. I enjoyed with a simple salad on the side. The chicken is all gone now, except for the bones, which are in the freezer waiting to make a soup sometime.

THURSDAY, April 24th - Lasagna Roll Ups

I cooked a small batch of Lasagna Roll Ups. The recipe makes four roll ups, which was enough to enjoy on the day for myself and then another serving to freeze.  The recipe feeds two people generously.  

They were rich and delicious, and I loved how it didn't slide all over the plate. Everything was compact in a nice neat little package.  I enjoyed with some crusty bread and a salad on the side.  This was fabulous.

FRIDAY, April 25th - Creamy Honey Mustard Chicken

I know, chicken again. Some weeks are like that.  I had not planned on having so much left over from my chicken dinner and I had some chicken breasts which needed using up.  This was such a delicious and simple way to prepare them that I did not mind having chicken again one little bit!

Chicken cut into cutlets, seasoned, dusted with flour and browned in butter and oil.  Then a simple sauce is created using honey, Dijon mustard and cream.  Altogether very delicious and such a quick and easy make!

I enjoyed this with some steamed rice and broccoli and sent half next door to Sheila. She didn't mind eating chicken again either!  The reason I send her over meals when I can is because I have noticed that she doesn't cook for herself. Her bin bags are filled with empty packets of ready meals.  So unhealthy. I like to help out if I can. If I am going to be cooking anyways, I might as well make a tiny bit extra for her when I can.

SATURDAY, April 26th - Flat Meatballs and Gravy

This is one of my favorite meals, and it is a very simple make. I did cut the recipe in half from the usual, so it was a good way to use the soup up that I had frozen earlier in the week to make the chicken casserole. (NO waste here!)  

What you have here are flattish meatballs, more like small patties, beautifully flavored, browned and then cooked to perfection in the oven in a delicious sauce/gravy. With mashed potatoes and carrots, this was a real comfort meal that I really enjoyed very much. I also had some coleslaw on the side, which I also really enjoyed!  

With it being Spring now and the temperatures warming, we can look forward to lighter meals and more salads!

And there you have it, my main meals for the past seven days! I really hope that you found something here to inspire you to want to cook it for yourself!

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