These family dinner ideas by Julie Goodwin are easy to achieve and delicious in flavour. From pasta bakes and pies to one pan winners, soups and stir-fries, you’ll find something sure to please the whole family.
Julie Goodwin was a columnist with The Australian Women’s Weekly for more than a decade, following her win on the inaugural season of MasterChef. In 2025 Julie returned to The Weekly to share more of her easy family dinner ideas and baking favourites. “Because I love food, I love eating and I love feeding the people I love, I wanted to make it as good as I possibly could, for as little as I possibly could,” Julie told The Weekly of the philosophy behind her budget-friendly dinners, and why she’s so creative when it comes to family meal ideas. Read the full interview with Julie and Mick Goodwin.
For cooler months, the list below includes hearty recipes for fish pie, soups, chicken cacciatore, beef casseroles, risotto and more. Then, for spring and summer, there are salads and noodle dishes, pastas, seafood and barbecue dinners. So bookmark this page so you can return to it again and again through the seasons!
Ready to find your new favourite family dinner ideas? Scroll down for stir-fries, pastas, oven bakes and more. Or click here for Julie Goodwin’s recipes for cakes, slices and biscuits.
Julie Goodwin’s seafood mornay
Julie Goodwin’s oven-baked lamb chops
Julie Goodwin’s slow-roasted lemon garlic chicken casserole
Julie Goodwin’s slow-roasted Moroccan lamb shoulder
Julie Goodwin’s slow cooker beef stew
Julie Goodwin’s creamy mushroom chicken with tarragon
Julie Goodwin’s seafood pie
Julie Goodwin’s Greek lemon chicken with orzo
Julie Goodwin’s one-pan char siu chicken
Julie Goodwin’s curried mince & rice
Julie Goodwin’s braised steak and onions
Julie Goodwin’s easy, cheesy eggplant bake
Julie Goodwin’s pesto pasta salad
Julie Goodwin’s honey prawn stir fry with noodles
Julie Goodwin’s spiced chicken with brown rice & cauliflower
Julie Goodwin’s Greek-style chicken tray bake
Julie Goodwin’s chicken & leek pie with potato bake topping
Julie Goodwin’s Spanish chicken
Julie Goodwin’s Italian-style osso buco
Julie Goodwin’s slow cooker lamb chops
Julie Goodwin’s braised lamb chops in a sweet curry sauce
Julie Goodwin’s beef & barley stew
Julie Goodwin’s Lebanese-style pizza
Julie Goodwin’s chicken stroganoff
Julie Goodwin’s Cape Malay curry chicken
Julie Goodwin’s coq au vin
Julie Goodwin’s chilli beef hot pot
Julie Goodwin’s easy chicken cacciatore
Julie Goodwin’s beef mince hand pies
Julie Goodwin’s creamy chicken & mushroom pasta
Julie Goodwin’s chicken broccoli casserole
Julie Goodwin’s lemon & spinach risotto
Julie Goodwin’s lamb shank cacciatore
Julie Goodwin’s sweet potato soup
Julie Goodwin’s pastitsio
Julie Goodwin’s slow-cooked lamb shanks
Julie Goodwin’s one pan chicken pilaf
Julie Goodwin’s fish tacos
Julie Goodwin’s seafood stew
Julie Goodwin’s turmeric fish & Vietnamese noodle salad
Julie Goodwin’s char siu pork noodle stir-fry
Julie Goodwin’s nachos pie recipe
Julie Goodwin’s chicken cacciatore
Julie Goodwin’s char siu chicken with egg fried rice
Julie Goodwin’s lamb forequarter chops with vegetables tray bake
Julie Goodwin’s cheesy tuna cauliflower bake
Julie Goodwin’s barbecue lamb chops
Julie Goodwin’s braised pork
Julie Goodwin’s rissoles with sweet potato mash
Julie Goodwin’s slow cooker beef & mushrooms
Julie Goodwin’s quick orecchiette pasta
Julie Goodwin’s curried prawns
Julie Goodwin’s tandoori chicken skewers
Julie Goodwin’s chicken korma
Julie Goodwin’s barbecued butterflied chicken
Julie Goodwin’s curried lamb shanks
Julie Goodwin’s barbecued corn fritters
Julie Goodwin’s fragrant lamb curry
Which of these family dinner ideas take 30 minutes or less?
If you’re after a speedy weeknight option, the below recipes are just a handful of Julie’s family dinner ideas that will be on the table in half an hour or less!
- Julie Goodwin’s quick orecchiette pasta
- Julie Goodwin’s creamy chicken & mushroom pasta
- Julie Goodwin’s honey prawn stir fry with noodles
- Julie Goodwin’s curried mince & rice
- Julie Goodwin’s pesto pasta salad
- Julie Goodwin’s Lebanese-style pizza
- Julie Goodwin’s fish tacos
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