Trends may come and go but you, dear reader, know what you like. We’ve rounded up our most popular recipes from the last year – the easy midweek dinners you lean on, the showstopping desserts you dazzled with, and the budget-friendly feasts that helped you save. Find out what you (and everyone else!) have been cooking with our most-cooked meals of 2025.
There's comfort food, and then there's this goulash potato bake. Crispy-thin slices of buttery baked potato over a melt-in-the-mouth base of rich and tender beef cooked low and slow with herbs, spices, and all the good stuff. It's so simple, yet so utterly delicious. You’ll need a 30cm round shallow casserole with a lid for this recipe.
This twist on a classic dessert features a soft, milk-soaked sponge and tangy lemon flavour, topped with creamy whipped topping and lemon curd swirls. It's perfect for a refreshing and easy-to-make dessert.
"The unmistakable sweet, oaty goodness of a classic Anzac biscuit is always a treat in itself, and I just love dunking them in a cup of tea (pro tip: if you like to do this too, bake your biscuits for an extra 5 minutes so they’re extra crunchy). Here, I’ve used the Country Women’s Association of Victoria’s original recipe. So bake up a batch and see if you can resist eating them all." – Lucy Nunes
You’ve never seen a pav quite like this before! We suggest a fanfare of trumpets before you bring this beauty out to the table, then watch as your guests gape in awe. Luscious ribboned purple meringue comes topped with luxuriant swathes of blueberry cream, vibrant figs and glossy blackberries. This is the dessert to make an impression this summer, and it tastes every bit as spectacular as it looks. You’ll need a piping bag fitted with a 4.5cm ribbon nozzle. Credit: Ben Dearnley
“A highlight of summer is when mangoes are in full season. This salad is great to enjoy for those hot days, and is always a family favourite side salad on Christmas Day.” – Matt Moran
Amorette mandarins are seedless, easy to peel and have a nice balance of sweetness and tang.
“This cake can be served without icing and just a light dusting of cocoa powder, or dressed up to the nines, as it is here.” – Yotam Ottolenghi. You’ll need to start this recipe at least 5 hours ahead, and you’ll need a 23cm round springform pan.
This quick dinner is perfect for any weeknight. Any leftovers make an easy lunchbox, too. We chose chicken thigh fillets, as the meat is much more tender and tasty. Add some sliced chilli if you like some heat.
This easy CWA Anzac biscuit recipe proves you can’t beat a classic. Using rich golden syrup, rolled oats and desiccated coconut for extra crunch, these are sure to be the best Anzac biscuits you will ever make. Recipe by the Country Women’s Association (CWA) Victoria.
“The burnished coconut oat of an Anzac biscuit belongs to passionfruit in an Australian culturally ordained way. They need each other to be better! The torched coconut sugar meringue will elevate the sweetness and the capital-D Dessert Drama, but you can always opt for a simple whipped cream spiked with coconut sugar. Cut BIG slices!” - Natalie Paull
"Australia’s rugged bush and the hot hills of Greece are united in their love of lamb. In fact, the story behind that jumbuck in Waltzing Matilda and the creation of Greece’s kleftiko lamb are bizarrely similar – both are hymns to sheep-stealing. Perhaps here we’d call it ‘Klepto Lamb’. This dish is an homage to both traditions, but asks: ‘If we can have mint sauce with lamb, why can’t we use other herbs?" – Matt Preston
"When I arrived in Australia over 20 years ago, I was blown away with this country’s love of a good chocolate pudding, sticky date pudding with butterscotch sauce and the rightfully venerated lemon delicious! That same self-sauciness blesses this pudding that’s based on a recipe found in a vintage cookbook from Victoria." – Matt Preston
"I feel like the ultimate debate in Australia is whether you were a chocolate crackle kid or a honey joy kid – rice puffs, cocoa, coconut and sugar held together with coconut shortening; or corn flakes and sugar held together with butter and honey, both served in cupcake papers. I was positively the former. And I think it was because I just didn’t get enough from the honey joy. I wanted more! This recipe was developed alongside my second-in-charge and right-hand woman, Katie, who I tasked with making a honey joy slice for a bake sale. We married our classic cookie dough with the honey joy mixture, inspired by the original Kellogg’s recipe, and added a good whack of salt. The result is arguably better that the original, and it’s a slice I want to see at every kids’ party from now on." – Alice Bennett
Warm up this winter with our easy, creamy pumpkin soup. When you're looking for simple and quick lunch or dinner ideas, this traditional recipe ticks all the boxes. All you need are five ingredients, and it’s ready to eat in around 30 minutes.
Let’s go retro, people! This old-school dish was a hit in the ‘70s, and we’ve brought it back with this quick and easy version that’s a breeze to prepare.
Recreate your favourite McDonald's beef burger at home with our Big Mac recipe, including the secret sauce. Now there's no need to line up for your fix of beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions on a sesame seed bun.
