7 Classic Australian Dinner Recipes

There are some things in this world that are undeniably and iconically Australian – Steve Irwin, koalas, special helmets for deterring magpies. When it comes to food you might think fairy bread, meat pies and vegemite.

But what about dinner food? These classic dinners have stood the test of time to feed generations of Australians. Easy to make, packed with flavour and always a winner with the family, these 7 recipes are mainstays of the Aussie diet and they’ve certainly earned their spot in our cookbooks.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

GET THE RECIPE: Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Fruit Chutney

Time: 4-8 hours (slow cooker) OR 3.5 hours (oven)

Serves: 4

Beef stew is different around the world. In France they add a whole bottle of wine, in Ireland they add Guinness, Germany is sour cream and in Australia it’s always chutney. Rosella Fruit Chutney adds that unmistakable sweet-savoury flavour that mellows out in the slow cook to give a super unctuous stew.

Sausage Rolls

GET THE RECIPE: Pork and Veggie Sausage Rolls

Time: 1 hour 30 mins

Makes: 48 sausage rolls

Want nanna’s secret to ultra-juicy and flavourful sausage rolls? Put Rosella tomato sauce and a touch of grated carrot into the filling. This one has cheese added too, to really amp up the flavour. Once you try it homemade this way, you’ll be hooked!

Sweet and Savoury Sausage Curry

GET THE RECIPE: Sweet and Savoury Sausage Curry

Time: 35 mins

Serves: 4

If you’re thinking of Indian food, this curry is about as authentic as an LV bag at a night market in Bali. But if you’re thinking of Australian curry, it’s as authentic as it gets. Curry powder, sausages, Rosella chutney filled with sultanas and fruit… yep, it’s that sweet and savoury taste you grew up with. So good.

Bangers and Mash

GET THE RECIPE: Bangers and Mash Pie

Time: 1 hour 20 mins

Serves: 4

Bangers and mash has been given a saucy little upgrade, literally. First cook the snags in a glorious onion and tomato sauce gravy, then top it with sweet potato mash (you can use white potatoes if you prefer). Add cheese and bake ‘til golden and bubbly, what a winner.

Lamb Rissoles

GET THE RECIPE: Lamb Rissoles with Sweet Potato Salad

Time: 55 mins, plus chilling time

Makes: 20 rissoles (great for batch cooking)

Is it a meatball, is it a patty? It’s neither, it’s a good old rissole, and made with lamb mince and Rosella tomato sauce no less. In Australia we’ve done it a bit different to the rest of the world, and there’s no coating added - all the better to cook on the barbie.

Savoury Mince

GET THE RECIPE: Savoury Mince and Stufffed Mushrooms

Time: 50 minutes

Makes: three batches of mince that serve 4

Easy mince cooked in a tomato sauce gravy with veggies – it creates the base to so many meals. Pies, stuffed mushrooms, jacket potatoes, nacho toppings, sloppy joes, we could go on. Cook this recipe and freeze the extras for heat-and-eat meals later.

Meatloaf with Cheesy Mash Topping

GET THE RECIPE: Meatloaf with Cheesy Mashed Potato Toppings

Time: 1 hour 40 mins

Serves: 4-6

A shiny glazed meatloaf on the table is always a welcome sight, and this version is topped with cheesy mashed potato too. A bottle of trusty Rosella Fruit Chutney not only creates a juicy, flavourful loaf, it also creates that perfectly shiny, sticky glaze.

Get cooking Australia

Check out these Rosella recipes and save them to your myfoodbook cookbooks so you always have the classics on hand.

Rosella is a contributing recipe partner at myfoodbook.com.au. This feature includes a mix of content sourced from Rosella and our own opinions. You can find out more about the full range of Rosella products here.