53 Valentine’s Dinner Ideas That Make the Case for Staying In
First, let us say this: Whatever Valentine’s dinner ideas you choose, it’ll be fine. The care you put into cooking for someone ismuchmore important than whether you splash out oncaviar and lobsteror spend half your grocery budget on a bottle of Champagne. None of those things are strictly required, and any lovingly prepared dish can make a deliciousromantic dinner for two. Below you’ll find our favorite Valentine’s Day dinner recipes, including creamy pastas, easy risotto, impressive but foolproof scallops, braised duck, and more. In a hurry? Consider picking up the pace with our favorite即时壶orair-fryer recipes. Once the main course is settled, it’s time to start thinking aboutappetizersand aValentine’s Day dessert. Of course, we have those covered too.Chocolate, anyone?
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Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova1/53Cheese Fondue
万博官网Epicurious数字总监玛吉·霍夫曼serves fondue on February 14. There’s just something festive about dipping cubes of bread and other bites into the creamy melted cheese. This version is one of our mostpopular recipes fromGourmet—so you know it’s a winning Valentine’s dinner idea.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich2/53野米ushroom Risotto
This creamy, cheesy risotto iscomfort foodat its finest. If you can, source local wildmushrooms, such as hen of the woods or peppery chanterelles.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton3/53Brioche-Crusted Salmon
Crowning flaky, buttery salmon with toasty brioche is a decadent way to enjoy crispy fish. Pair each filet with a simpleside saladfor an elegant, impressive meal.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by Lillian Chou4/53Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐)
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi5/53Rosemary Rack of Lamb With Roasted Potatoes and Carrots for Two
This retro-feeling menu of lamb, miso butter–basted potatoes, and honey-glazed carrots is a riff on one that appeared in theFebruary 1977 issue ofGlamour.
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Photo and Food Styling by Joseph De Leo6/53Quick Potato Gnocchi
These shortcut gnocchi, whichstart with a box of instant potatoes, are even more pillowy than time-intensive versions. Toss with olive oil,brown butter, or a cream sauce likeAlfredo.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Laura Rege7/53Crispy Scallop Salad
If the love of your lifecan’t eat gluten, these crispyscallopsare the perfect option for your Valentine’s Day menu. Sweet scallops get extra crispy on the outside and super tender inside when double-dredged in an Old Bay–seasoned cornmeal mixture.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne8/53Honey-Mustard Pork Tenderloin
When marinated in a tangy-sweet mixture of honey, mustard, and apple cider vinegar, pork tenderloin becomes unbelievably juicy. Halve the recipe if you’recooking for two.
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Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova9/53Bouillabaisse
This stunning homemade bouillabaisse, packed with lobster, clams, mussels, and shrimp, will instantly transport you (and your date) tosunny Marseille.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton10/53Shrimp Scampi
Serve buttery, garlicky shrimp atopcreamy risotto, tossed with al dente fettuccine, or alongside lots of crusty bread for sopping up every last drop of the sauce.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell11/53Pork Chops With Fig and Grape Agrodolce
A fruity sauce for meat feels just right for Valentine’s Day. Here fresh figs and grapes are cooked in balsamic vinegar and honey to create a sweet-and-sour sauce for juicypork chops.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Liza Jernow14/53Salmon Croquettes With Dill Sauce
Ballin’ on a budget? These salmon patties are made with canned fish, but they’re still tender, flaky, and delicious. Serve with afrisée saladto complete the meal.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton15/53Braised Chile-Marmalade Duck Legs With Brussels Sprouts
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell17/53Roasted Cabbage Steaks With Crispy Chickpeas and Herby Croutons
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks18/53野米ushroom and Parsnip Ragout With Cheesy Polenta
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Susan Ottaviano19/53Simple Roast Chicken
A classic roast chicken is theValentine’s giftthat keeps on giving. Use the leftovers to make chicken salad or a sandwich for work the next day.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Grace Parisi20/53Cacio e Pepe
Adding Grana Padano to everyone’s favoriteItalian pasta dishlends an extra layer of nutty flavor and a super creamy consistency.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne21/53Porchetta-Style Roast Pork
Letting boneless pork shoulder bathe in garlic and spices overnight seasons it from the outside in. For dinner, pile slices onto a bed ofpolentaand serve with an Italian red wine, then enjoy leftovers on porchetta sandwiches.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce22/53Vegetarian Lasagna With Easy Roasted Tomato Sauce
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Photo by Joe Woodhouse23/53Dark Greens and Noodles With Yogurt
Starting with homemade pasta makes this cozyvegetarian entrée–inspired by an Azerbaijan ground meat khingial recipe—extra special fordate night.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce24/53Qaliyeh-e Khorma (Spicy Sweet-and-Sour Salmon With Dates)
Using both syrupydate molassesand pitted, sliced dates gives this salmon dish rounded sweetness that’s balanced with tangy apple cider vinegar.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Joanna Keohane26/53Beer-Steamed Mussels With Chorizo
If you prefer a six-pack of pilsner to a glass of Chardonnay, these beer-steamed mussels were made just for you—and they’reready in just 30 minutes.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton27/53Cacio e Pepe Noodles With Miso
Valentine’s Day dinner recipes should show you care.Homemade noodlesdo just that—misogives this take on the classic Pecorino-and-pepper pasta an extra-savory bite. If you don’t have time to make your own hand-pulled noodles at home, feel free to usestore-bought pasta—this dish will still be delicious.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce29/53A Vegetarian’s Dream Sweet Potato Dinner
You’ll pile crispy sweet potatoes, earthy mushrooms, andtender lentilsonto a bed of whipped feta-tahini sauce in this vegetarian masterpiece.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton30/53Chicken and Potato Gratin With Brown Butter Cream
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson31/53Chicken Fricassée With Lemon Mustard Sauce
Do you think of chicken as merely aweeknight dinner idea? This recipe may convince you it’s worthy of a special occasion. The richly flavored, mustard-laced pan juices from the white-wine-and-cream-braised chicken are reduced and emulsified into a rich, velvety sauce that will impress everyone who tastes it.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou32/53Braised Butternut Squash in Spiced Coconut Gravy
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell33/53Roasted Niçoise Salad With Halibut
Here’s acooking trickyou may not have heard of before: Jarred marinated artichoke hearts get super-crispy when roasted, making them the secret star of this simple sheet-pan dinner.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton34/53Spiced Yogurt-Marinated Cornish Hens With Sweet Onion-Roasted Potatoes
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova35/53Chicken Paillards With Schmaltz Bread Salad
Pounding a skinless, boneless chicken breast to even thicknesshelps it cook it quickly and evenly. For extra flavor, cook it in rendered chicken fat, then use that same fat to toast croutons for a crispy, delicious topping.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Christopher Barsch36/53Shrimp With Chochoyotes in Smoky, Herby Broth
This brothy soup is packed with herbs, buttery shrimp, and cloud-likemasa dumplings. Check out this guide if you’re not surewhere to buy fresh masa (or masa harina)near you.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad37/53Chicken Tagine With Apricots and Almonds
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell38/53Cider-Braised Chicken With Apples and Kale
Mustard-rubbed chicken legs get super tender whenbraisedin apple cider and white wine. It’s a Valentine’s Day dinner idea that’s cozy while still being pretty light.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Dana Bonagura39/53Oven Risotto With Crispy Roasted Mushrooms
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Photo by Eva Kolenko40/53Spicy Unstuffed Pasta Shells With Roasted Garlic and Chèvre
This browned and bubblypasta bakeis so much greater than the sum of its parts, thanks to molten roasted garlic, buttery goat cheese, and just enough red pepper flakes to add a little oomph.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson41/53Gluten-Free Crab Cakes With Snap Pea Salad
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Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Heather Greene, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou42/53Chicken Piccata
If you’ve only ever had chicken piccata in a restaurant, you might be surprised to learn that it’s simple to make—andbudget-friendly. Serve over pasta ormashed potatoesand finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton43/53Fusilli in Creamy Vegan Asparagus Pesto
Saving room forValentine’s Day dessert? Pair al dente fusilli with a punchy vegan pesto for a lighter entrée that won’t leave you stuffed.
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Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Heather Greene, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou44/53Sausage and Ricotta Baked Cannelloni
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Photo by Colin Price46/53Mushroom Stroganoff
When your loved ones dig into a big plate of this creamy mushroom pasta, it’s likely they won’t realize it took you just30 minutesto make.
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Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich48/53Crispy-Skinned Fish With Herb Sauce
You don’t need a culinary school degree to cook fish with skin as crunchy as a potato chip. Grab your nonstick skillet, start the fish skin side down, and slowly raise the heat. The skin will lie flat, gradually rendering fat like a strip of bacon, while the flesh gently cooks through. You can do this. And your Valentine’s date will definitely be impressed.
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Photo by Chelsie Craig51/53Rigatoni With Easy Vodka Sauce
Didn’t plan ahead for Valentine’s? Don’t worry—you probably have most of the ingredients for this luscious tomato-packed sauce in your kitchen right now. For a guaranteed home run, serve withhomemade meatballs.
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Photo by Marcus Nilsson, Prop Styling by Amy Wilson, Food Styling by Frances Boswell53/53Creamy Pasta With Crispy Mushrooms
If you want Valentine’s dinner ideas that feel like restaurant-worthy meals at home, you can’t go wrong with apasta recipe. Bucatini has satisfying bite, but you can make this luxurious mixed-mushroom pasta with spaghetti too.
