Savvy Dinner Plan: These retro recipes have had a 2024 update

These Savvy Dinner Plan recipes help you plan four weeks of reimagined dinners using smart short cuts and ingredient swaps. And their budget friendly.

We all love those dinners that remind us of the good old days (we’re looking at you apricot chicken).

However, many of these classic dishes can be time-consuming and on the pricier side to make in 2024.

So, we’ve taken the best retro Aussie dinners and transformed them to be wallet-friendly and easy-peasy to make. These bakes feature in our taste + Coles Savvy Dinner Plan, which gives you 4 weeks of reimagined dinners featuring smart shortcuts and ingredient swaps.

Crumbed apricot chicken tray bake.

Crumbed apricot chicken tray bake

It’s no secret that we love the retro-classic dinner staple that is apricot chicken (and so too do taste.com.au members!). So we’ve given this fruity dish a contemporary spin. Meet my crumbed apricot chicken tray bake. It has all the flavours of the original family favourite, with the satisfying texture of a golden, crunchy crumb and a crew of useful and affordable ingredients.

Savvy Dinner Plan's French onion curried sausages.

French onion curried sausages

This recipe is a great way to zhoosh up sausages, and despite the ‘curried’ label, it’s mild enough for the kids to enjoy (but if you do like it on the spicier side, you can certainly dial up the curry powder to your taste).

We made beef stroganoff a more affordable option by turning it into an easy midweek beef stroganoff pasta bake.

Easy beef stroganoff pasta bake

We challenged ourselves to come up with a budget-friendly version of the classic Russian dish. The result? A quick and easy mid-week meal that will feed a hungry family – and that’s cheaper than the original recipe – without losing any of that delicious richness stroganoff is known for. The result is a saucy pasta bake that can be on the table in just 25 minutes

This version of butter chicken takes 40 minutes and is a little more cost-effective, too.

Easy butter chicken rice pilaf

When it comes to chicken dinners, few recipes have more enduring popularity than butter chicken. In fact, butter chicken is now the #1 chicken dinner search on taste, and it’s still growing! We’ve been on a mission to make the classic butter chicken you love more affordable and given it a makeover we think you’ll love.

Savvy Dinner Plan's Quick French onion chicken pie.

Quick French onion chicken pie

This is no humble pie. It really ticks all the boxes: it’s cost-effective, uncomplicated, quick to make, and is filled with wholesome fare. Plus, its picture-perfect pastry top makes it look too good to eat. (Almost).

A hidden-veg family meatloaf.

Hidden-veg family meatloaf

We’ve added some extra short cuts to have this meatloaf on the table faster (like using a food processor to chop your veggies and combine the mince mixture). We’ve also ensured it’s full of flavour but more pocket-pleasing, by bulking it out with baked beans.

Speedy cheesy cottage pie.

Speedy cheesy cottage pie

With a few shortcuts and ingredient swaps, this version not only reduces the cost of the recipe, but it also slashes the cook time by more than half, so it’s ready in 25 minutes.

We've redesigned our 55-minute ratatouille into a 35-minute one-pan ratatouille risoni.

One-pan ratatouille risoni

This impressive yet simple one-panner boasts maximum flavour with minimal washing up – what’s not to love? And, perhaps best of all, you can make it ahead of time and freeze it. You’ll thank yourself later.

Creamy French chicken tray bake.

Creamy French chicken tray bake

This recipe transforms chicken and potatoes with a simple, rich and creamy sauce that celebrates retro classic flavours. Plus, by browning chicken with a little butter and oil, you can add a richness and extra depth of flavour to your chicken.

Garlic bread savoury mince.

Garlic bread savoury mince recipe

This garlic bread savoury mince dish is unforgettable.

This Savvy Dinner Plan recipe makes spaghetti bolognese.

Easy spaghetti bolognese bake

Combining two best-ever speedy and delicious dinners – spaghetti bolognese and the humble yet hearty pasta bake – our easy spaghetti bolognese bake is the budget-friendly, kid-friendly, Italian-inspired midweek meal you didn’t know you were missing out on.

Chicken cacciatore rissoles.

Chicken cacciatore rissoles

A staple at Australian barbecues and a favourite, fuss-free weeknight dinner, rissoles are simple but mighty. Now, we’ve reimagined the classic with this chicken cacciatore rissoles recipe that’s friendly on the budget and full of flavour.

Satay chicken rice tray bake.

Satay chicken rice tray bake

The satay sauce is not only the key to the delicious satay flavour of this dish, but we also use it as the liquid to cook the rice in at the same time. Even better, the sauce doubles as a marinade for the chicken. To make things more affordable, we’ve used small chicken breasts because they keep costs down and are quicker to cook – making them ideal for a weeknight dinner.

This Savvy Dinner Plan recipe makes easy tuna and rice patties.

Easy tuna and rice patties

These patties are flavourful (we’ve added fresh herbs, shallots, garlic and lemon zest), nutritious (hello, tuna and brown rice), substantial and easy to make. Better yet, kids are bound to enjoy them too. Panko crumbs bring a delicious crispiness to these patties, while grated cheddar makes for a delicious, cheesy centre.

Savvy Dinner Plan's Bang bang chicken chow mein.

Bang bang chicken chow mein

It’s not hard to see why chicken chow mein is a classic take-away favourite – with its delicious combo of saucy noodles, vegies and chicken. We’ve created this homemade bang bang chicken version of chow mein, using a clever short-cut ingredient.

Sweet and sour pork sausages

Sticky sweet and sour pork (complete with juicy pineapple) is a firm favourite Chinese take-away order, so we’ve given it a budget-stretching makeover! Say hello to sweet and sour pork… sausages.

Dump and bake chicken pasta is a real money saver.

Dump-and-bake creamy chicken pasta

Pasta bakes are an especially popular recipe for those who don’t have the luxury of time to spend in the kitchen during the week. This set-and-forget, dump-and-bake creamy chicken pasta is the perfect antidote to a hurried day.

There’s a lot to be said for comparing prices and doing a little research when you shop.

Super-veg porcupine meatballs

Porcupine meatballs have long been a favourite recipe among those looking to feed their families on a budget – but we’ve taken the recipe one step further. The veggies not only bring extra flavour and nutritional value to your meal, but they also stretch the dish further while keeping costs low.

This Savvy Dinner Plan recipe makes beef and baked bean rissoles.

Beef and baked bean rissoles

As far as fuss-free family friendly dinners go, rissoles are a top-tier contender for Australia’s favourite all-rounder meal. This rollicking good rissole recipe features an unexpected twist – a two-in-one ingredient that adds flavour and stretches your beef mince rissole mixture that little bit further.

Savvy Dinner Plan's Creamy tuna Florentine pasta bake.

Creamy tuna Florentine pasta bake

Easy? Check. Tasty? Check. Dollar-saving? Check. On the table in half an hour or less? Check.

For more recipe ideas, go to taste.com.au or check out the Taste Test Kitchen now.

Originally published as Savvy Dinner Plan: These retro recipes have had a 2024 update