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 and was a columnist with The 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.
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 pesto pasta salad
A quick and easy salad to share.
Julie Goodwin’s honey prawn stir fry with noodles
A quick and flavoursome dinner for tonight.
Julie Goodwin’s spiced chicken with brown rice & cauliflower
A zesty salad with crispy spiced chicken.
Julie Goodwin’s Greek-style chicken tray bake
An easy family feast.
Julie Goodwin’s chicken & leek pie with potato bake topping
A chicken and leek pie – potato bake mash up!
Julie Goodwin’s Spanish chicken
Six years after hanging up her apron, Julie Goodwin returns to The Weekly as a monthly columnist with a delicious one pan dinner.
Julie Goodwin’s slow cooker lamb chops
In a sweet and mild curry sauce.
Julie Goodwin’s braised lamb chops in a sweet curry sauce
This sweet curried lamb casserole is the perfect winter warmer, and economical too!
Julie Goodwin’s Lebanese-style pizza
A quick and easy dinner using tasty lamb mince.
Julie Goodwin’s chicken stroganoff
It’s simple to make – and cheaper than the beef version.
Julie Goodwin’s Cape Malay curry chicken
Dish up a fragrant one pot dinner tonight.
Julie Goodwin’s coq au vin
A classic slow cooked chicken dinner.
Julie Goodwin’s creamy chicken & mushroom pasta
A family favourite pasta.
Julie Goodwin’s lemon & spinach risotto
There’s no need for inexpensive food to be bland or boring.
Julie Goodwin’s lamb shank cacciatore
A warming family dinner.
Julie Goodwin’s sweet potato soup
A creamy soup with bold spicy flavours.
Julie Goodwin’s pastitsio
This Greek pasta bake recipe is true home-made comfort food and tastes even better reheated the next day.
Julie Goodwin’s slow-cooked lamb shanks
A flavoursome dinner for the cooler months.
Julie Goodwin’s one pan chicken pilaf
A spiced chicken and rice dinner.
Julie Goodwin’s fish tacos
It’s time to taco ’bout dinner!
Julie Goodwin’s seafood stew
Prawns, mussels and chorizo in a smoky tomato sauce.
Julie Goodwin’s char siu pork noodle stir-fry
This tasty pork stir-fry can be on the table faster than takeaway.
Julie Goodwin’s nachos pie recipe
“This is a winner in our house, as it combines two of the boys’ favourites – pies and nachos! It serves six with lettuce, tomatoes, salsa and extra corn chips.” – Julie Goodwin
Julie Goodwin’s chicken cacciatore
A budget-friendly dinner idea.
Julie Goodwin’s char siu chicken with egg fried rice
A flavoursome dinner made from just five easy ingredients.
Julie Goodwin’s lamb forequarter chops with vegetables tray bake
Keep cleaning-up to a minimum and flavour to a maximum with this one-dish dinner.
Julie Goodwin’s cheesy tuna cauliflower bake
A budget-friendly autumn dinner.
Julie Goodwin’s braised pork
Julie Goodwin’s glorious braised pork rashers are slow cooked in a Chinese style marinade to create this beautiful melt-in-your-mouth meat dish.
Julie Goodwin’s rissoles with sweet potato mash
A masterful meal with budget-friendly mince.
Julie Goodwin’s quick orecchiette pasta
Dinner in 20 minutes.
Julie Goodwin’s curried prawns
Pick up some school prawns for this easy and tasty dinner.
Julie Goodwin’s tandoori chicken skewers
Serve with yoghurt sauce and roti.
Julie Goodwin’s chicken korma
Warm, hearty and wonderfully fragrant, this beautiful chicken korma recipe by Julie Goodwin is slow cooked for three hours to create intense Indian flavours and tender, moist meat that melts in your mouth.
Julie Goodwin’s barbecued butterflied chicken
A flavour-packed barbecue dinner.
Julie Goodwin’s curried lamb shanks
And a bonus recipe for those leftovers.
Julie Goodwin’s barbecued corn fritters
A quick and easy barbecue dinner.
