11 Easy Valentine’s Day Dinners to Wow Your Loved Ones

Work hard to make a Valentine’s Day dinner that they will love. Here are some ideas of tasty recipes to make that fit the occasion well.

Recipe 1: Easy Crab Cakes Recipe

Baked with lumps of juicy crab meat, seasoned breadcrumbs and plenty of seasoning, these crab cakes come together with just seven ingredients. Regardless of how they are cooked, whether that is fried, baked or broiled the end result is fancy and fun. Keep the crab meat whole for more flavor. It is mixed with bread crumbs, egg, fresh parsley, Old Bay seasoning, mayo and ground mustard. The end result goes well with a fresh salad and some crunchy bread. Kids and adults love these—and it is easy to see why, as they are elegant, yet accessible.

Recipe 2: The Ultimate Beef Wellington

Please note that this recipe is more for the advanced cook, as it contains multiple components, but the end result is spectacular. A duxelles meets seasoned beef before being placed in a green peppercorn sauce. To round out the meal, roasted fingerling potatoes are packed with herbs and served with some warm greens. This multi-course meal is as good as what you could find at a restaurant.

Recipe 3: Marry Me Chicken

This recipe makes whoever is eating it want to say “yes!” this Valentine’s Day. Chicken, bacon and sundried tomatoes are placed in a rich sauce, comprised of butter, garlic, oregano, thyme, chicken broth, Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes and salt. For best results, use a nonstick pan and purchase chicken that has been butterflied at the store. Since it is a thinner cut, they will cook faster. Serve on al dente pasta. Angel hair or spaghetti work well to make this tasty dish come together.

Recipe 4: Lemon Garlic Pasta with Shrimp and Scallops

Quick, easy and flavorful, this is best for those who want to present something nice but who may not have a lot of time to cook. The sweetness of the fresh shellfish works well with the lemon and garlic pasta. Top everything off with freshly grated parmesan and parsley and you almost have a full dinner in 30 minutes. Just add wine or sparkling soda and toast to love! This is also a hit at dinner parties, so perhaps you can enjoy the versatility of this recipe and start making a new favorite.

Recipe 5: Pan Seared Salmon with Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce

The salmon is crispy on the outside while being tender and flaky on the inside. Lemon, butter, garlic and parsley come together in flavor harmony to make a savory sauce. Pro tips: gather a nonstick pan (so you do not have to worry about the fish sticking to it), pour in some white wine and only use fresh parsley. These three tips will save you some tears and make things taste more gourmet. Serve with pilaf, a salad or green beans.

Recipe 6: Best Filet Mignon

Steak is a classic February 14 meal idea. Coat the beef with rosemary, butter, salt and pepper. Heat up a pan with some olive oil, thoroughly cook it and serve with mashed potatoes and an elegant plate of greens. Buying a prepackaged cut can reduce prep time as well, which can be a plus for those who tend to have busy days.

Recipe 7: Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala is an Italian-American dish that contains pan-fried chicken cutlets, mushrooms and a Marsala wine sauce. While it is usually found at restaurants, it can be made in one pan in about 45 minutes. Serve over rice, polenta, mashed potatoes and pasta. Buy chicken breasts and then get ready to pound them thin at home, and get pre-sliced mushrooms to save time. Any leftover Marsala will be fine when stored in a cool, dry place for months. See? Making fancier dishes does not have to be super hard!

Recipe 8: Best Vegetable Lasagna Recipe

Packed with vegetables, spinach and a tomato sauce, this lasagna is a favorite among vegetarians and meat lovers—and proves even veggie recipes can be good. It is hearty, flavorful and served best with a loaded green salad. This recipe also freezes well, and could make a good special meal for a grandparent or friend in need.

Recipe 9: Classic Shrimp Scampi

While scampi are small crustaceans that are similar to lobster, chefs in the States swapped them out for shrimp (to keep things cheaper) but kept both names. Garlic, white wine and butter are what make up the delectable sauce, which tastes wonderful over pasta or rice and with bread. Keep an eye on the pan for this recipe: cooking the shrimp until they have just turned pink is a key element to make sure the shrimp are crispy while the pasta is soft, so the dish has the right balance.

Recipe 10: Baked Ratatouille

The veggie spirals are enough to delight fans of a certain animated movie and those who are slightly vegetable adverse. Zucchini, squash, tomatoes and eggplant are layered in a pan before being coated with oil and herbs. A pan is covered with tin foil and then baked for about 40 minutes. The end result is so pretty that you may not want to eat it! This vegan dish is enough to hold its own, but tastes good when paired with rice as well.

Recipe 11: Grilled Eggplant Parmesan Pomodoro

Tomato, eggplant, onions and cheese offers up a slightly different take on eggplant Parmesan. Your favorite dressing and croutons mean this grilled dish will have some classic flavors that are sure to delight. Fresh basil gives it a prettier finish. This is ideal for those who want to eat a meat-free dish that is still something spectacular.

May you have a great dinner this Valentine’s Day!

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