Hello!  Happy Sunday and welcome to my weekly Meals of the Week Post!  On Sundays I like to share with you, my dear readers, all of the deliciousness I have enjoyed over the past seven days for my main meals of the week!

This is one of my favorite posts to do every week and by all accounts it is one of your favorites as well. I love taking the time at the end of the week to go over what I have enjoyed eating as my main meals and plan my meals for the week ahead accordingly.

As a Senior living on my own and on a limited budget, planning is really important to me. Making my food dollar stretch as much as I can, as well as limiting waste are two things I take great care to implement when I am planning my meals.   I have had my daughter with me for the past six weeks as she heals from her surgery, but she will be going back to her apartment on Monday, so it will be back to normal then.

I don't want my meal planning and cooking to become boring. I love to cook and I love to eat and I try to make my menus as varied as I can from week to week, and I like to take you along with me, hopefully so that you will be likewise inspired to want to cook economical and interesting meals for yourself and your family.

Admittedly a lot of my recipes these days are tailored for only one or two people, but all can easily be doubled or even tripled to feed more. If you have any questions as to how to do that don't hesitate to get in touch! I am only too happy to help. These are also only my main meals that I am sharing.  I usually have a protein powder smoothie for my breakfast each day or very occasionally I will have toast or (blush) leftover pizza if there is any in the house.  

Normally I will eat my main meal at noon or in the early afternoon as eating heavy later in the day no longer works well with my digestion.  Unless I am eating out, then I will go along with the rest of the people I am enjoying my meal with and eat my main meal when they eat theirs.  Otherwise, here at home, its usually early afternoon, like one or twoish.

For my supper I will have a salad, or fruit, sometimes I will have a bowl of cereal or sometimes toast.  Whatever it is I feel like having.  Sometimes I will have yogurt with my fruit.  Or I will have granola and yogurt with a bit of date syrup drizzled over top if I am feeling particularly indulgent.

And that's it. That is how I mostly eat during the week. I don't like to eat a lot of processed foods and I don't like ready meals. I have occasionally picked one up but have always been quite disappointed in them, so mostly I cook for myself, and I like to share that experience with you!  

So without waffling on any longer, here are my Meals of the Week for the past seven days. I hope that there is something here which will inspire you to want to try and to cook for yourself also! 

SUNDAY, November 8th - BBQ Beef Croissant Pie  

Last Sunday was Cindy's week off. She is only hosting Sunday dinner every second week now. I don't blame her, taking care of our father is a full-time job in and of itself.  I don't have them here because it is just too hard for dad to go out and come in too many times with his mobility issues or I would have them over myself. 

Eileen and I had an new/old family favourite of ours. BBQ Beef Croissant Pie is the ultimate comfort food dinner, featuring a savoury filling of ground beef simmered in a tangy homemade BBQ sauce, layered with plenty of sharp cheddar cheese, wrapped in a buttery, flaky croissant crust. Baked until golden brown, this easy family friendly pie is hearty, delicious, and perfect served with a simple salad or vegetable on the side.  We had tender stem broccoli (Broccolini in North America) and a salad.

MONDAY, November 9th - Pork Chops with Cranberry Sauce & Stuffing

This was a recipe I had done before with Chicken. I was really keen to try it with pork (The other white meat.)  I had picked up a boneless loin roast marked down and cut it into thick chops so this was the perfect opportunity to use some of them.

This is an easy one-dish supper that we really enjoyed. A bed of cranberry sauce is placed in a baking dish and topped with seasoned chops. A savoury stuffing mix is added to the top and then they are baked together until tender and golden. It's a comforting meal, filled with cozy holiday flavours, yet simple enough to enjoy any night of the week.

We enjoyed with some leftover potatoes fried in butter with onions and some corn on the side. Neither of us was complaining. Eileen had been away to Bridgewater all day with her group, so it was also something that I could make ahead and heat up for her when she got in.

TUESDAY, November 10th - Dinner out with the family

Because everywhere was going to be closed on Wednesday, which is our normal night for going out, we went out on Tuesday night instead. They had a two can dine special on for Cheese Burgers complete with coleslaw, Frings (rings and fries) and a drink, for only $22.95.

We ordered that, Eileen and myself.  In fact everyone did. I was a bit disappointed. They forgot to bring the coleslaw, which we didn't remember until it was too late. I never got my drink and we should have ordered extra Frings as there was only a serving for one to be divided. Never mind, we enjoyed being out together, so all was not lost.

In it's place I am sharing my recipe for Inside Out Bacon Cheese Burgers.  Why put the cheese and bacon on top when you can tuck them inside. These incredible burgers are packed  gooey melted cheese,  sealed within a juicy beef patty, and served with crispy bacon. Every mouthful is bursting with savoury, beefy goodness and irresistible flavours.  Perfect served with fried onions and your other favourite burger toppings. Oven chips on the side also work well!

WEDNESDAY, November 11th - Little Meatball Soup

A quiet day at home on Wednesday.  I made us a small pot of Little Meatball Soup. This simple soup is a bowl of pure comfort, with tender homemade meatballs, delicate pasta and a rich flavourful broth. Simple ingredients come together to create a hearty, yet wholesome soup that's warming, satisfying, and perfect for chilly days, and Wednesday was very chilly and very rainy. (Every Remembrance day is it seems.)

We enjoyed it warm with a dusting of Parmesan cheese on top and Eileen had some crackers and butter with hers.  This is a family friendly soup that is both nourishing and delicious!

THURSDAY, November 12th - Chicken Nuggets with Crispy Air Fryer Chips and Salad

I had wanted to go to the shops on Thursday to pick up a few bits for supper, but my car's brakes decided to let go on the way there. It was all I could do to get to the service station (thankfully not too far away) for repair. That was a scary drive. My sister came and picked us up to take us home. 

We settled on Chicken Nuggets (Kirkland frozen) a bagged salad (Taylor Farms) and I made us some Crispy Air Fryer Chips out of the last few potatoes I had.  Eileen had a honey mustard  sauce with her chicken and I drizzled a splurge of a bit of honey over mine.  The bagged salad was their Caesar one and I have to say I wasn't very impressed with it.  I think the lettuce was cut too small and it ended up being very soggy.

FRIDAY, November 13th - Hot Dogs & Sauerkraut

I didn't have a lot of time for cooking on Friday in between doing my work in the morning and then I went out shopping with my sister and dad and then we ended up being able to pick up my car. (They took care of it really quickly. Two brake lines needed replacing. $$$$$)

I made us hot dogs and sauerkraut for our supper. I don't think there is anything much more comforting than that. Juicy hot dogs nestled into a bed of tangy sauerkraut and gently simmered until the flavours meld together beautifully. Hearty, satisfying, and packed with old fashioned flavour, this budget friendly dish is quick to make and perfect for busy weeknights or cozy weekend suppers. 

We had ours in buns, but on their own they go very well with mashed potatoes, crusty bread or your favourite sides for a delicious meal. Oh, we did split a salad on the side, and Eileen had brought home some very naughty "Elf" donuts from Tim Hortons. I had a bite of one of those and left the rest for breakfast on Saturday.

SATURDAY, November 14th - Sheet Pan Pineapple Chicken

We felt a bit like enjoying a Chinese meal last night so I made us Sheet Pan Pineapple Chicken. Eileen only has two more nights staying with me as she is moving back into her apartment on Monday. She's done really well with the healing, and we are so grateful with the progress she has made. I will miss her, but she will be back for the weekends for movie nights and Sunday dinners.

Sheet Pan Pineapple Chicken is the kind of meal that everyone enjoys. If you are looking for a meal that's equal parts comforting and delicious you can't go wrong with this one. It delivers the perfect blend of flavours and textures made from simple ingredients . . . cubed chicken, bell peppers, onions, pineapple oven roasted in  a lush sauce that makes the taste buds tingle.  

We enjoyed this with some steamed white rice and were both very happy with our meals! 

And there you have it our meals of the week for the past seven days. I think you will agree that we ate really well. Nobody was complaining!

I hope that you will want to enjoy cooking a few of these for yourself!

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