8 delicious dishes that were considered "Sunday best" in working-class homes

Growing up, Sunday dinner was a sacred ritual in my household.

We didn't have much money. During the week, meals were simple and economical. But on Sunday, my mum would cook something special.

It wasn't fancy by restaurant standards. But it was the best we had. The meal that made Sunday feel different from every other day of the week.

That tradition of "Sunday best" meals was common across working-class households. Not just in my family, but in communities around the world.

These weren't elaborate dishes requiring expensive ingredients. They were meals that used affordable cuts of meat or simple ingredients but were prepared with time and care that working families couldn't spare during the busy week.

Here are the dishes that were considered Sunday best in working-class homes.

1. Roast chicken with all the trimmings

In working-class households, chicken wasn't an everyday meal like it is now.

A whole roasted chicken with roast potatoes, vegetables, and gravy was a proper occasion. Something you saved for Sunday when the whole family would gather.

My grandmother would start preparing Sunday dinner after church. The chicken would roast for hours, filling the house with that incredible smell.

She'd make proper roast potatoes in the chicken fat. Whatever vegetables were in season. Gravy from the pan drippings. Yorkshire puddings if she was feeling ambitious.

The chicken would be carved at the table, and everyone got their preferred piece. Then the carcass would be saved for soup during the week.

Nothing was wasted. That one chicken would provide Sunday dinner, Monday's sandwiches, and Wednesday's soup.

It was special because it was infrequent. Because it took time and care. Because it meant sitting down together as a family for a proper meal.

2. Pot roast with vegetables

Pot roast was the ultimate working-class Sunday dinner in many households.

You could use cheaper cuts of meat. Chuck roast or brisket. Meat that was tough if you cooked it quickly but became tender and flavorful after hours of slow cooking.

My mum would put it in the oven before church with potatoes, carrots, and onions. It would cook slowly all morning, and by the time we got home, the house smelled incredible.

The meat would be so tender it fell apart. The vegetables had absorbed all the flavors. And there was always plenty of rich gravy.

It was economical, it fed a large family, and it was delicious. Everything a Sunday best meal should be.

The beauty of pot roast was that it didn't require expensive ingredients or complicated techniques. Just time. And Sunday was when working families had time.

3. Sunday gravy with meatballs and pasta

In Italian working-class households, Sunday meant pasta.

But not just any pasta. Sunday gravy, simmered for hours, with meatballs, sausage, and sometimes braciole.

My friend's grandmother made this every Sunday. She'd start early in the morning, browning the meat, then letting everything simmer together for hours.

The sauce would develop this incredible depth of flavor. The meatballs would be tender and infused with the tomato sauce.

And there would be so much of it. Enough to feed the whole extended family who'd gather every Sunday afternoon.

The pasta itself was simple and cheap. But the time and care that went into the sauce made it special. It was a labor of love that transformed basic ingredients into something that felt luxurious.

4. Fish and chips

In British working-class homes, Friday was sometimes fish day for religious reasons.

But Sunday evening might mean a trip to the chippy for proper fish and chips eaten from the paper.

This might not seem like a "best" meal compared to a roast dinner, but it was special in its own way.

It meant not cooking. It meant a treat that you didn't have during the week. It meant the whole family walking together to the chip shop and eating while the food was still hot.

My dad talks about this tradition from his childhood. The fish with its crispy batter. The chips soft inside and crispy outside. The vinegar and salt.

It wasn't expensive, but it felt indulgent. It was something you looked forward to all week.

And the ritual of getting it together, eating it together, was as important as the food itself.

5. Ham with all the fixings

A proper glazed ham was a centerpiece meal in many working-class homes.

Not just on holidays, but sometimes on special Sundays, especially if there was something to celebrate.

My aunt would make ham with a brown sugar and mustard glaze. She'd serve it with mashed potatoes, green beans, and biscuits.

The ham would last for days. Ham sandwiches for school lunches. Ham and eggs for breakfast. Ham in fried rice later in the week.

That versatility made it economical while still feeling special when it first appeared on the Sunday table, perfectly glazed and surrounded by sides.

It was fancy enough to feel like an occasion, but practical enough to stretch the food budget through several meals.

6. Fried chicken

In many working-class homes, especially in the American South, fried chicken was Sunday dinner.

Not from a restaurant. Homemade fried chicken that took time and effort to prepare properly.

My colleague's mother still makes this every Sunday. She brines the chicken overnight, coats it carefully, and fries it in a cast iron pan.

She serves it with collard greens, mac and cheese, and cornbread. The meal her own mother made. The meal her grandmother made.

It's labor-intensive. Standing over a hot stove, frying batch after batch of chicken. Making sure each piece is golden and crispy.

But that effort is what made it Sunday best. During the week, they might have beans and rice or a simple casserole.

Sunday meant taking the time to cook properly. To make something that required attention and care.

7. Shepherd's pie or cottage pie

This was Sunday dinner in my house more often than anything else.

Shepherd's pie with lamb mince, or cottage pie with beef. A layer of meat cooked with onions and gravy, topped with mashed potatoes and baked until golden.

My mum made this when she wanted something that felt substantial and special but was still economical.

She could use inexpensive mince. Bulk it out with vegetables. Use leftover mashed potatoes from earlier in the week.

But the way she layered it and browned the top made it feel like a proper meal. Something worth sitting down together for.

And it was filling. One dish fed our entire family with leftovers for school lunches the next day.

The simplicity of it didn't make it any less special. It was comfort food at its finest, and it meant Sunday.

8. Meatloaf with mashed potatoes

Meatloaf might not sound fancy, but in working-class homes, it was often the Sunday centerpiece.

My neighbor's mother made meatloaf every Sunday. She'd mix ground beef with breadcrumbs, eggs, and seasonings. Top it with ketchup or tomato sauce. Bake it for an hour.

She'd serve it with creamy mashed potatoes, green beans, and dinner rolls.

It was hearty. It was filling. And it was affordable. A pound of ground beef could feed six people when stretched with breadcrumbs and served alongside potatoes.

But it was also delicious. The crispy edges. The flavorful interior. The tangy-sweet glaze on top.

More importantly, it was a meal that required sitting down together. Using the good dishes. Taking time to eat as a family rather than grabbing something quick.

That's what made it Sunday best.

Final thoughts

Looking back at these Sunday best meals, I realize they weren't about expense or sophistication.

They were about time, care, and ritual.

Working families often didn't have time during the week for elaborate cooking. Meals were quick and functional. Whatever could be prepared after a long day of work.

But Sunday was different. Sunday meant time to cook properly. Time to sit together. Time to make a meal feel like an occasion.

The dishes themselves were economical. Cheap cuts of meat cooked slowly until tender. Simple ingredients transformed through technique and time.

But the intention behind them was pure. These were meals made with love. Made to bring families together. Made to create a sense of occasion in lives that didn't have many special occasions.

I try to carry this tradition forward in my own home now. We might have more money than my parents did. We have access to fancier ingredients and restaurants.

But Sunday dinner is still special. Still a time to cook something that takes time and care. Still an opportunity to sit down together without the rush of the week.

Because I've learned that the best meals aren't necessarily the most expensive or complicated ones. They're the ones that bring people together. That mark time as special. That create memories.

That's what these Sunday best meals did for working-class families. And that tradition is worth preserving, regardless of what's in your bank account.