Move over flowers and bring on the chocolate! Valentine’s Day, to me, is allllll about the food. I’d much rather be spoiled with a homemade meal (complete with appetizer, dessert, and fun cocktail pleaseandthankyou), than with gifts and flowers. I know you’re all with me!
What foods are associated with valentine’s day?
Red wine, chocolate, and strawberries are most commonly associated with Valentine’s Day. Elegant pastas, steak dinners, seafood dishes, cheesecake desserts, and champagne are also often found on romantic Valentine’s Day dinner menus.
What is a good meal to cook for valentine’s day?
The perfect Valentine’s Day meal is one that doesn’t require a lot of hands-on time, but tastes like it did. 😉 For a complete Valentine’s Day meal, be sure to include an appetizer, a main protein (such as steak), a pasta, a vegetable side, soup, and/or salad, a dessert, and a fun cocktail!
Whether you’re cooking for 1, 2, or the whole family, we’ve got you covered with easy and delicious Valentine’s Day recipes.
appetizers
These starters are the perfect way to get dinner going. They’re elegant and impressive, but are all quick and easy.
Strawberry Goat Cheese Bruschetta
This Strawberry Goat Cheese Bruschetta is my new favorite appetizer. Slightly chewy bruschetta is topped with creamy goat cheese, peppery arugula, juicy strawberries, and earthy basil!
Smoked Salmon Pinwheels
These Smoked Salmon Pinwheels are perfect for easy and elegant holiday entertaining. Quick and easy to make with only four ingredients: tortillas, a lemon pepper and asiago spread, smoked salmon, and spinach!
Crab Cake Recipe
This Crab Cake Recipe is light, fresh, crispy, and paired with a creamy crab cake sauce. Ready in under 20 minutes, making it the perfect appetizer for any get-together!
Warm Walnut Goat Cheese Bites
Warm Walnut Goat Cheese Bites. Goat cheese mixed with honey and spices, rolled in crushed walnuts, and baked until warm!
Cranberry Brie Bites
These Cranberry Brie Bites are melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Made with buttery, golden-brown puff pastry and topped with melty brie cheese, cranberry sauce, and crunchy toppings, these are sure to be a hit at any party!
Salmon Patties
These Salmon Patties are crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle. Loaded with garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon, hot sauce, and more, this appetizer is packed with flavor!
Strawberry Baked Brie Recipe
This Strawberry Baked Brie is the easiest appetizer for spring! Warm brie is topped with strawberries, basil, pecans, & a simple balsamic/honey marinade.
sides
Depending on your main dish, serve a soup, salad, vegetable, and/or carb-y delight to round out your meal.
Coconut Lime Rice
This Coconut Lime Rice is light, fluffy, and packed with flavor. Basmati rice is toasted with coconut flakes then simmered with lime juice and zest in creamy coconut milk.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts Recipe
This Roasted Brussels Sprouts Recipe is smothered in a bacon fat, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar dressing and tossed with goat cheese, parmesan, and bacon!
Pear and Blue Cheese Salad with Candied Pecans
This Pear and Blue Cheese Salad with Candied Pecans is everything you could ask for in a salad. Crispy romaine paired perfectly with fresh, juicy pear, creamy blue cheese, sweet and crunchy pecans, and a fresh, tangy red wine vinaigrette dressing.
French Onion Soup Recipe
This French Onion Soup Recipe is the perfect appetizer for two! A flavorful beef and onion broth is topped with baguette, parmesan, and gooey swiss cheese!
Drop Biscuits
These Drop Biscuits are crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle! These easy biscuits are ready in under 30 minutes and made with Bisquick, buttermilk, and white cheddar.
Balsamic Roasted Vegetables
This Balsamic Roasted Vegetables Recipe is gluten-free, vegan, and so easy to make. This healthy side dish is made up of your favorite veggies coated in a tangy balsamic dressing.
Cornbread Recipe
This is the BEST Cornbread Recipe! Made with cornmeal, creamed corn, and sweet corn – it's gluten free, perfectly sweet, and PACKED with corn flavor.
Valentine’s day dinner recipes
Seafood and pasta SCREAM Valentine’s Day dinner. Whatever you choose, I love a dinner that tastes complicated, but is deceivingly easy to make.
Easy Shrimp Alfredo
This easy shrimp alfredo is an impressive dish that's so easy to make! Penne pasta, shrimp, vegetables, and a creamy alfredo. What's not to love?
Lasagna Recipe
This Easy Homemade Lasagna Recipe is a family favorite! This classic dinner is full of homemade bolognese, a creamy cottage cheese or ricotta filling, and gooey cheese.
Baked Crab Mac and Cheese
This Baked Crab Mac and Cheese requires JUST ONE pot and is loaded with perfectly-cooked pasta, crab, a creamy cheese sauce, white wine vinegar, Old Bay seasoning, and a crunchy breadcrumb topping!
Chicken Parmesan
This is the BEST Chicken Parmesan! You're only 45 minutes away from crispy chicken topped with marinara and ooey-gooey cheeses. Serve with pasta for the perfect weeknight dinner.
Lemon Pepper Scallops with Orzo Pasta
This Lemon Pepper Scallops with Orzo Pasta Recipe is surprisingly quick and easy to make! Full of fresh lemon, garlic, and just a touch of butter!
Easy Lemon Honey Baked Salmon
Easy Lemon Honey Baked Salmon. A quick, easy, gluten free, and healthy recipe made with salmon fillets, salt, pepper, garlic powder, honey, lemon juice, butter, and dijon mustard!
Chicken Cordon Bleu
This Chicken Cordon Bleu is a classic family favorite that only requires 20 minutes of prep! Chicken is rolled with ham and melty Swiss cheese then baked to golden-brown, crispy perfection!
Vegetarian valentine’s day meals
Cooking up a meatless meal? These vegetarian dinners won’t disappoint!
Cacio e Pepe
This Cacio e Pepe is a classic Italian pasta dish! Bucatini pasta is tossed in a buttery cheese sauce and flavored with plenty of freshly ground black pepper!
Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto
This Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto is insanely creamy thanks to three kinds of cheese: asiago, romano, and parmesan! It's loaded with butter, onions, baby Bella mushrooms, spinach, peas, a splash of wine, and lemon. A decadent vegetarian main or a creamy side dish to your favorite protein!
Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff Recipe
This Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff Recipe is a healthy twist on the classic beef stroganoff and it's loaded with tons of mushrooms, spices, almond milk, and a little splash of wine! Serve it over pasta, spaghetti squash, mashed potatoes . . . the choice is yours!
Manicotti Recipe
This Manicotti Recipe is the perfect vegetarian weeknight dinner — stuffed pasta tubes doused in your favorite sauce and topped with melty cheese! Ready in under an hour!
Stuffed Shells
These Stuffed Shells are packed with cheese and kid approved! This quick weeknight dinner is easy, cheesy, perfection!
One Pot Fettuccine Alfredo Pasta
This One Pot Fettuccine Alfredo Pasta is even better than the original! The pasta cooks directly in the sauce made with chicken or vegetable broth, skim milk, butter, garlic, parmesan, and italian seasoning!
Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
This Sun Dried Tomato Pesto is a sweet, tangy, fresh twist on a classic Italian sauce. Perfect for pasta, pizza, or dipping!
Slow cooker valentine’s day recipes
Valentine’s Day is great if it falls on a Saturday or Sunday and you have plenty of time to cook a meal. But what if it falls on a weekday? Enter: Valentine’s Day slow cooker meals! Prep in the morning before work and dinner is ready to go when you walk through the door.
Crockpot Pot Roast
This Crockpot Pot Roast is an easy-to-make complete meal made using just two pans for easy cleanup! Boneless chuck roast seared in butter and spices and served with veggies all topped off with a flavorful gravy.
Honey Dijon Crockpot Ham
This Honey Dijon Crockpot Ham Recipe is the perfect combination of sweet and salty. Tender ham is smothered in a sweet, buttery glaze and cooked to juicy perfection in the slow cooker!
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
This Slow Cooker Beef Stew is SO easy to make. It's the perfect cozy, hearty fall meal! Loaded with chuck roast, veggies: onion, potatoes, carrots, and celery - beef broth, red wine (optional), and spices! A stick-to-your-ribs meal made healthier!
Cauliflower Leek Soup Recipe
This Cauliflower Leek Soup Recipe is made in the crockpot! It's healthy, creamy, vegetarian, and can be vegan!
Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Recipe
This Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff is so easy, ultra-creamy, and makes the perfect hearty and cozy meal for those cold winter nights. This slow cooker version of a classic is made without cream of "x" soup and the beef is cooked low and slow, resulting in an extra tender texture.
desserts for chocolate-lovers
Chocolate is THE classic Valentine’s Day food. Whether it’s in the form of store-bought candies or a homemade indulgent dessert, chocolate is always on my Valentine’s Day menu.
These easy-to-make desserts are decadent and delicious but simple to make and are the perfect way to wrap up any Valentine’s day meal!
Chocolate Pudding Pie
This Chocolate Pudding Pie is rich, smooth, and ultra creamy. Homemade chocolate pudding is set in a crispy Oreo pie crust, then topped with fluffy whipped cream.
Cake Mix Chocolate Lava Cake
Lava cakes just got easier with my fool proof short cuts: cake mix and muffin tins! This cake mix chocolate lava cake recipe uses devil's food cake mix, chocolate pudding, and is filled with a two ingredient chocolate ganache! Fluffy cake with a molten lava center . . . what's not to love?
Oreo Balls
These No-Bake Oreo Balls are made with Oreos, cream cheese, vanilla, salt, and chocolate. They make the perfect quick and easy treat for any occasion! I've also listed different cookies, extracts, and chocolates below for fun variations!
Deep Dish Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies for Two
These Deep Dish Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies for Two are the perfect easy small batch sweet treat! A classic cookie loaded with walnuts and dark chocolate chips and baked in a jumbo muffin tin!
Chocolate Mug Cake
This is the best Chocolate Mug Cake! It's moist, rich, ooey-gooey, and packed with chocolate. The perfect personal-sized, microwave dessert!
Red Wine Chocolate Pudding Pie Recipe
This Red Wine Chocolate Pudding Pie will be the star of your next holiday gathering. A simple graham cracker crust is filled with the most decadent, rich, red wine chocolate pudding!
One Bowl Brownies
These One-Bowl Brownies are so easy to make requiring just 10 minutes and 8 ingredients! They're perfectly moist, fudge-y, gooey, chocolatey, and delicious!
desserts for fruit-lovers
Chocolate may be a classic, but if you’re more of a fruity dessert lover don’t worry…I’ve got you covered on that front too. 😉
Lemon Lava Cake Recipe
An ultra tender cake with slightly crisp edges and a perfectly white chocolate lemon-y molten lava gooey center, this Lemon Lava Cake is surprisingly easy and so decadent!
Vegan Raspberry Oatmeal Bars
These Vegan Raspberry Bars are so easy to make. They're gluten free and loaded with oats, brown sugar, walnuts, raspberry preserves, and more!
Lemon Cookies
These Lemon Cookies are perfect for lemon lovers! These fluffy cookies are made with lemon cake mix, lemon pudding mix, and topped with a sweet and tangy lemon glaze.
Mini Apple Pies
These Mini Apple Pies are like individual, perfectly portioned deep-dish pies! This twist on a classic is brimming with gooey apple filling, topped with a crumb topping, and wrapped in a flaky pie crust.
Peach Crisp
This Peach Crisp is a classic summer comfort food! Frozen peaches are baked into a gooey filling and topped with a crispy oat, pecan, and brown sugar streusel.
No-Bake Champagne Cheesecake
Layered with a delicious graham cracker crust, a sweet and creamy filling, and a light and fluffy whipped topping, these no-bake champagne cheesecakes are the perfect dessert for any party!
Lighter Lemon Walnut No Bake Cheesecakes
Lighter Lemon Walnut No Bake Cheesecakes. A naturally sweetened walnut date crust topped with a creamy coconut yogurt, cream cheese, honey, lemon filling!
Valentine’s day drinks
You can’t go wrong with a simple bottle of your favorite red wine or bubbly, but I love to get a little creative with a cocktail or a mug of spiked hot chocolate for an after dinner night cap!
Mimosa
This Mimosa recipe is as easy as it gets. Two ingredients and two minutes for the perfect bubbly brunch cocktail!
Strawberry Basil Gin Cocktail
This strawberry basil gin cocktail is perfect for summer! Subtly sweet, a little tart, and truly refreshing!
Four Champagne Cocktails for New Year's Eve
These Champagne Cocktails are super delicious, fresh, and made FOUR ways: Raspberry Royale, Mimosa, Poinsettia, and Classic! They are the perfect addition to your NYE party!
Red Velvet Hot Chocolate for Two
This red velvet hot chocolate for two is so luxurious, chocolatey, and really does taste just like a drinkable version of cake batter! Chambord optional!
Strawberry Jalapeno Margarita Recipe
This Strawberry Jalapeno Margarita Recipe is sweet from strawberries, spicy from jalapeno, tart from lime juice, & a little smoky from the chili salt rim!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
– Jennifer