Everyone loves to impress friends and guests with new fancy recipes but often the traditional dishes are the true crowd-pleasers.
From a classic roast chicken, spaghetti bolognese and sausage rolls to much-loved sweet treats like chocolate brownies, scones, pancakes and vanilla slice, we’ve gathered all our favourite dishes that are worth mastering.
01
Cottage pie
This comfort food classic is a favourite in the cooler months but pair it with a fresh salad and you can enjoy it all year round.
02
Easy chicken parmigiana
Smother perfectly cooked chicken schnitzel with a simple tomato pasta sauce, melted cheese and fresh basil to recreate this tasty pub classic.
04
Chicken and leek pie
With beautifully flaky pastry and a hint of mustard cutting through the creamy filling, this recipe is perfect for a family weekend lunch.
05
Classic roast chicken with gravy
Classic roast chicken with gravy
This classic roast chicken comes complete with moist and succulent meat and beautifully crispy, browned skin.
06
Roast beef with yorkshire puddings
Roast beef with yorkshire puddings
A classic roast with all the trimmings.
07
How to make the perfect roast lamb
How to make the perfect roast lamb
Our lamb roast recipe is the perfect way to feed a hungry family. Served with vegies and homemade gravy this classic roast lamb is the real deal.
08
Classic trifle
It doesn’t need to be Christmas to enjoy this classic treat on the table.
09
Classic beef stew with dumplings
Classic beef stew with dumplings
This dish is winter in a pot. Hearty and warming, packed with beef and bacon and topped with cheesy dumplings, the family will be asking for seconds.
10
Classic lamingtons
Nothing beats fluffy sponge dipped in chocolate and rolled in coconut – fact.
11
Women’s Weekly Food – Lamingtons
12
Classic chocolate mousse
With four simple ingredients you can easily whip up this silken chocolate dessert that’s good enough to be on a restaurant menu.
13
Tuna mornay
This family favourite is super easy to make and tastes great any night of the week!
14
Chocolate fudge brownies
This classic dessert recipe is one that’ll never go out of style. There’s something so delicious about the crispy tops and edges and soft, fudgy centre of these brownies.
16
Lemon meringue pie
The buttery pastry dough in this recipe is the perfect vehicle for the bright contrasts between the smooth lemon curd and the fluffy meringue. This sunshine-coloured pie is sure to brighten up your gloomiest days.
17
Classic beef lasagne
There is a lot to love about a classic lasagne. Served with a crisp salad, it’s an all-in-one meal that is a guaranteed crowd pleaser and it tastes even better the following day. That’s if there’s any left!
18
Vanilla slice
Dotted with tell-tale passionfruit seeds, this classic vanilla slice recipe is a true Aussie icon. Be prepared to lose your dignity at any attempt eat with a fork.
19
Classic meatloaf
This family meal has been a classic dinnertime favourite for many years.
21
Classic roast chicken
If you nail just one roast, make it a roasted chook. Versatile, always a hit and economical too, it’s a dish that transcends time. There’s an art to ensuring the skin is crispy and the meat is beautifully tender. The trick? Regular basting during cooking and resting the meat, once cooked.
22
New York cheesecake
When it comes to cheesecake, we prefer to stick to the classics. This is the original, and still the best version of this gooey dessert.
23
Potato salad
Nothing says ‘summer barbecue’ quite like a potato salad. It’s pretty hard to go wrong with burgers, sausages and skewers, but potato salad can take a little perfecting. It’s all about the homemade mayonnaise (very easy; only four ingredients!) and the perfect garnishes in parsley, dill, mint and spring onions.
24
Classic scones
Tea time gets a whole lot more delicious when scones are part of the equation. They’re not as hard to make as people think either; the secret to success lies in the temperature of your ingredients. Cold milk and butter work best so chill them before mixing together for the ultimate after tea delight.
25
Quick grilled nachos
Perfect for those ‘it’s been a long day’ days when you don’t have the time or energy for anything fancy, but still want to put a smile on everyone’s face. Nachos make a great midweek dinner or home movie snack and, the best bit is, they only take 10 minutes to cook so you can whip them up for surprise visitors too. These are vegetarian, but you can easily add meat to the mix, too.
26
Marshmallow pavlova
With a cloud-like, marshmallowy centre, this pavlova is the stuff dreams are made of. Serve with lashings of whipped cream, and fresh berries.
27
Sausage rolls
The perennial party favourite! Sausage rolls taste so much better homemade, so what are you waiting for? From start to finish, you’ll need 10 ingredients and you can decide whether to make hearty portions, like the ones pictured, or smaller party-sized ones. Whatever you decide, serve with tomato sauce (obviously).
31
Spaghetti bolognese
This dinner winner never fails to delight both young and old in the family.
32
Crunchy macaroni and cheese
The combination of hot, oozy, cheesy pasta and a crunchy toasted bread topping makes this recipe from The Australian Women’s Weekly’s ‘Food For The Soul’ cookbook the ultimate comfort food.
