Valentine’s Day is on a Tuesday this year, which might mean that you and your special someone are spending the holiday at home. That doesn’t mean you can’t have an amazing Valentine’s Day dinner, though! We’ve curated our favorite romantic recipes for the perfect dinner for two. With an entrée, side dish and dessert, your stomachs will be as full as your hearts on your special day.
We love this brussels sprouts recipe for a Valentine’s Day dinner for two because it requires minimal prep work. The slow cooker does all the work for you, which gives you time to prep and cook your main course and dessert as the veggies cook to perfection. You also likely have most of these ingredients at home already, which makes this recipe even easier.
These Brussels sprouts are the perfect addition to any Thanksgiving meal. All you need is a slow cooker and you're set!
To make the balsamic reduction, add balsamic vinegar and brown sugar to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a slight boil and reduce by half, about 6-8 minutes; set aside and let cool.
Place Brussels sprouts into a 3-qt slow cooker. Stir in olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Top with butter.
Cover and cook on low heat for 3-4 hours or high for 1-2 hours.
Serve immediately, drizzled with balsamic reduction and topped with Parmesan.
Ingredients
Directions
To make the balsamic reduction, add balsamic vinegar and brown sugar to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a slight boil and reduce by half, about 6-8 minutes; set aside and let cool.
Place Brussels sprouts into a 3-qt slow cooker. Stir in olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Top with butter.
Cover and cook on low heat for 3-4 hours or high for 1-2 hours.
Serve immediately, drizzled with balsamic reduction and topped with Parmesan.
For a main course that’s decadent but not too heavy, we love this spicy eggplant pasta. Fresh veggies, red pepper flakes and freshly grated parmesan capture a range of delicious Italian flavors. We love using rigatoni in this recipe, but feel free to swap for the noodle of your choice. If you want to be extra fancy, a dollop of burrata on top really takes this spicy rigatoni to the next level.
Boil the noodles until al dente according to the box directions. Drain, saving 1/4 cup of pasta water, and set aside.
Heat a pan over medium heat. Add butter.
Once the butter has melted, add the minced garlic and cook until slightly browned, stirring often.
Dice the eggplant and tomatoes. Add to the pan.
Season the garlic and vegetables with salt and pepper, to taste. Turn the heat to low.
Stir in the rigatoni and pasta water until all ingredients are combined. Season again with salt and pepper.
Turn off the heat and stir in the grated parmesan and red pepper flakes.
Plate your pasta, garnishing with additional red pepper flakes, parmesan and parsley.
Serve and enjoy!
Ingredients
Directions
Boil the noodles until al dente according to the box directions. Drain, saving 1/4 cup of pasta water, and set aside.
Heat a pan over medium heat. Add butter.
Once the butter has melted, add the minced garlic and cook until slightly browned, stirring often.
Dice the eggplant and tomatoes. Add to the pan.
Season the garlic and vegetables with salt and pepper, to taste. Turn the heat to low.
Stir in the rigatoni and pasta water until all ingredients are combined. Season again with salt and pepper.
Turn off the heat and stir in the grated parmesan and red pepper flakes.
Plate your pasta, garnishing with additional red pepper flakes, parmesan and parsley.
Serve and enjoy!
And of course, you have to finish your Valentine’s Day dinner with a delicious dessert. This edible cookie dough is surprisingly easy to make and gets a festive touch with red or heart-shaped sprinkles. Get creative with the garnish for an extra-festive look—you can even use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to make your dessert look particularly romantic. Good luck having just one!
Everyone knows that one of the best things about baking chocolate chip cookies is snacking on the cookie dough before it goes into the oven. If that's your favorite part too, then why not skip the baking altogether and just make the cookie dough? That's exactly what this cookie dough bite recipe does. Not only is it a time-saver, it also doesn't contain any eggs, so you'll avoid the risks associated with eating normal raw cookie dough. You'll love how easy it is to make, and how great they taste. Whipping up these cookie dough bites is super simple, and coating them in chocolate ups the yum factor—if you can make it that far before eating them all. And did we mention that these make the perfect Valentine's Day treat?
In a large mixing bowl, combine softened butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Once thoroughly mixed, add vanilla extract and mix more.
In another large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix thoroughly, then slowly add this mixture to the wet mixture in the first bowl. Mix until a dough forms, then work the dough with your hands. When the dough is completely mixed, add 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and work evenly through the dough. If the dough feels too thick or dry, add a tablespoon of water.
Cover a large cutting board with parchment paper, then place the dough on the paper and spread it out until you have a layer of dough about 1/2″ thick. Place it into the fridge for 20 minutes.
When the dough is chilled, use a cookie cutter (heart-shaped if you have one) to cut out bite-sized pieces. Continue to combine and re-work scraps of dough to ensure you don’t waste any.
After all of the dough has been cut, place 2 cups of chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave them for 15-20 seconds, stir, and repeat until all chips are melted.
One at a time, coat the cookie dough bites in melted chocolate, then place them back on the parchment paper. The chocolate will still be hot, so use a fork to be safe.
Add sprinkles while the chocolate is still warm. Repeat for all cookie dough bites. Place back into the refrigerator to set and enjoy when done!
Ingredients
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, combine softened butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Once thoroughly mixed, add vanilla extract and mix more.
In another large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix thoroughly, then slowly add this mixture to the wet mixture in the first bowl. Mix until a dough forms, then work the dough with your hands. When the dough is completely mixed, add 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and work evenly through the dough. If the dough feels too thick or dry, add a tablespoon of water.
Cover a large cutting board with parchment paper, then place the dough on the paper and spread it out until you have a layer of dough about 1/2″ thick. Place it into the fridge for 20 minutes.
When the dough is chilled, use a cookie cutter (heart-shaped if you have one) to cut out bite-sized pieces. Continue to combine and re-work scraps of dough to ensure you don’t waste any.
After all of the dough has been cut, place 2 cups of chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave them for 15-20 seconds, stir, and repeat until all chips are melted.
One at a time, coat the cookie dough bites in melted chocolate, then place them back on the parchment paper. The chocolate will still be hot, so use a fork to be safe.
Add sprinkles while the chocolate is still warm. Repeat for all cookie dough bites. Place back into the refrigerator to set and enjoy when done!
Staying in on Valentine’s Day doesn’t mean you can’t have a wonderful evening. These recipes are fairly easy to make and pair perfectly for a romantic meal. If you’re looking for more inspiration or have something else in mind for your dinner, browse our entire recipe collection.
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