59 Valentine’s Day Dinner Ideas That Feel Fancy (but Not Cheesy)
You and your valentine decided to stay in this year to celebrate, so you want to whip up a recipe that feels special…without feeling corny. (Naked angels and conversation hearts? Pass.) Luckily, Cupid is on your side: We’ve rounded up the 59 best Valentine’s Day dinner ideas—from roasted chicken to homemade pasta—that are fancy and a breeze to pull off. We promise there’s no cheesiness in sight (well, unless you count actual cheese).
RELATED: 68 Valentine's Day Dessert Recipes That Will Make You Swoon
1. Antoni Porowski’s Lazy Pierogi with Wild Mushrooms, Cabbage and Prunes
Homemade dumplings in 35 minutes? Consider your date wooed. (Feel free to make extra to sprinkle with breadcrumbs and sugar.)
2. Salmon al Pastor
Pork takes a backseat to quick-cooking salmon in this Mexican-inspired dinner (which only takes 40 minutes to prepare, BTW). Think warm ancho chile powder, fresh citrus juices, diced pineapple and pickled onions.
3. Polenta with Roasted Mushrooms and Bacon
Pop the mushrooms in the oven while you cook the polenta and dinner is halfway done. (Psst: You don't have to stir it nonstop, either!)
4. Mac and Cheese with Crispy Parmesan-Phyllo Crust
Pop quiz: A bouquet of phyllo dough rosettes or a bouquet of long-stem roses? (FYI, there’s a right answer.)
5. Butternut Squash Risotto with Crispy Leeks
Risotto feels sophisticated and chic, but it’s actually just as easy to make as regular rice (albeit with a bit more stirring). This one gets jazzed up with a frizzled leek topping that’s *chef’s kiss.*
6. Pan-Seared Scallops with Citrusy Corn Succotash
Intimidated by the thought of cooking shellfish at home? Don’t be. These scallops require just two minutes of cooking per side.
7. Cheater’s White Wine Coq au Vin
Don’t tell Julia Child, but we took some shortcuts with this elegant dish to make it doable in under an hour. We think she’d give us a pass for Valentine’s Day.
8. Sweet Potato Gnocchi in Herbed White Wine Sauce
The key to our heart is homemade gnocchi. Luckily, the pasta in this dish only needs five ingredients and nine minutes to come together.
9. Alison Roman’s Swordfish with Crushed Olives and Oregano
It tastes like chicken and is just as easy to make, but also has a certain je ne sais quoi that’s ideal for a cozy night in with bae.
10. Lobster Risotto
Fact: There's no more surefire way to impress your dinner date than with lobster.
11. Skillet Steak with Asparagus and Potatoes
Cooking steak at home doesn’t have to strike fear in your heart. Just turn to your trusty cast iron skillet for guidance.
12. Whole Roasted Chipotle Chicken
Few things are as romantic as an impeccably cooked bird. Just ask Ina Garten.
13. Dorie Greenspan’s Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken with Baby Potatoes and Mushrooms
When you pull this beautifully burnished chicken out of the oven, you won’t be able to stop yourself from swooning.
14. Greek Chicken and Rice Skillet
Easy? Check. Gorgeous? Double check. And don’t even get us started on how it tastes.
15. Pomegranate-Maple Glazed Lamb Chops
Dressed in an effortless five-ingredient glaze, these lamb chops are ready for their Instagram closeup.
16. Cacio e Pepe
A six-ingredient, 20-minute bowl of pasta is better than a box of chocolates in our book. (But we’ll take the chocolates, too.)
17. 30-Minute One-Pot Cheater’s Bouillabaisse
You don’t have to hop a flight to Provence to be romantic. Just make this rustic seafood stew and serve it with lots of crusty bread.
18. Foolproof Cheater’s Confit
Impossibly juicy, fork-tender duck meat and crispy skin? We didn’t think it was possible to have a crush on a meal, but here we are.
19. 30-Minute Cheater’s Beef Stroganoff
Craving warm and fuzzy feelings? Look no further than this buttery, melt-in-your-mouth bowl. The only thing it's missing is a glass of red wine.
20. Cheater’s Skillet Paella
Traditionally, this hearty Spanish rice dish isn’t exactly easy to cook at home…but we made a few tweaks so dinner can be foolproof.
21. Pan-Fried Cod with Orange and Swiss Chard
The whole thing goes from fridge to plate in less time than you would have to wait for a table at your favorite restaurant.
22. Pasta Alla Norma
Roses are red, tomato sauce too…if you’re eating this pasta, we’re jealous of you.
23. Potato and Burrata Pizza
If pizza is our first love, potatoes and burrata are both tied for second.
24. Baked Mac and Cheese Bites
What’s better than mac and cheese? (Hint: nothing.) These baked bites are crispy on top and chewy on the inside, just how you like 'em.
25. One-Pot Tomato Basil Pasta
The best part (beyond having just one pot to clean)? Once you’ve mastered this version, you can customize the recipe to your heart’s content.
26. One-Pan Steak with Beets and Crispy Kale
Because a no-fuss, no-mess dinner is exactly what a romantic night in calls for.
27. Spaghetti with Avocado Pasta Sauce
This recipe is rich but totally virtuous, and the whole meal takes just 30 minutes to prepare. (Cue the singing angels.)
28. Creamy Sweet Corn Pappardelle
Cashews and lemon create a cream sauce that doesn’t use any actual cream for this way-too-easy-to-eat pappardelle.
29. Skillet Gnocchi with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
This hearty and delicious dish is super simple, but tastes like you spent all day making it.
30. Asparagus, Pea and Ricotta Tarts
It begins with store-bought puff pastry and ends with you enjoying every bite.
31. Sweet Potato and Arugula Salad
This one takes only 35 minutes and is oh so impressive (and healthy to boot).
32. Chipotle Chicken Cobb Salad
Plump, juicy strawberries and buttery avocado are tough to beat.
33. Mini Peach Tarts with Goat Cheese and Honey
You might want to make a second batch…they’re that good.
34. New Caprese Salad
Few things are more satisfying than a plateful of ripe tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese.
35. Grilled Flank Steak with Lemon-Herb Sauce
For big, bold flavor, marinate the steak before it hits the grill pan. Then, serve it with fresh herb sauce for an extra boost.
36. Easy One-Pan Ratatouille
This dish, starring squash, bell peppers and zucchini, is traditionally cooked low and slow on the stove, but we roast it in the oven to minimize the cooking time.
37. Lemon and Herb Roast Chicken
You only need five ingredients and 80 minutes to pull this stunner off. Color your beau impressed.
38. Pistachio-Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Apple and Escarole Salad
Chalk the crunchy, flavorful breading up to pistachios, garlic, rosemary and cayenne.
39. Slow Cooker Chicken Piccata
Throwing everything in the Crockpot and calling it a day is almost as convenient (and way less expensive) than having a private chef cook your dinner.
40. One-Pan Roasted Salmon with Potatoes and Romaine
We've never met a sheet pan recipe we didn't like love. This one cooks your protein (read: flaky, tender salmon) and sides in one shot.
41. Spiralized Winter Vegetable Gratin
Meet the creamiest, dreamiest vegetarian bake ever created. It's got parsnips, sweet potatoes and butternut squash, plus lots of fresh herbs, Parmesan and Gruyère.
42. Seared Scallops with Green Peas, Mint and Shallots
Make sure you thoroughly dry the scallops before searing them in the skillet to ensure a gorgeous outer crust.
43. Pork Scallopini with Lemon, Capers and Radicchio
A 20-minute dinner = more time for watching romantic movies with your S.O.
44. Baked Ginger and Lemon Chicken
Warming ginger, zingy lemon and sweet honey make for the most delectable sticky marinade of all time.
45. Vegetable Wellington with Mushrooms and Spinach
How do we love thee, frozen puff pastry? Let us count the ways.
46. White Wine Braised Short Ribs with Buttered Mushroom Cream Sauce
Nothing says "I love you" like fall-apart-tender beef over herbed mashed potatoes.
47. Vegan Avocado Caesar Salad
Capers, green peppercorns and Dijon mustard give the dressing all the umami of traditional anchovies.
48. Flank Steak Tacos with Cucumber Salsa
Steak says fancy, tacos say casual. Give your boo the best of both worlds with these handhelds (and maybe a side of chips with fresh guac).
49. Gluten-Free Cauliflower Gnocchi Pomodoro
Homemade pasta? In under an hour? From buffalo "wings" to pizza crust, cauliflower really can do anything.
50. Easy Skillet Linguine with Trumpet Mushroom ‘Scallops’
Trumpet mushrooms are affordable, easy to prepare and an uncanny vegetarian substitute for scallops.
51. Honey-Mustard Sheet Pan Salmon
Pro tip: Marinate the salmon and cut the veggies while the oven preheats to save time.
52. Cheater’s Sicilian-Style Pizza with Jalapeños and Honey
The key to this ingenious hack is using a large store-bought focaccia for the base.
53. Balsamic Cranberry Roast Chicken
This skillet delight is festive, seasonal and super hands-off. Glazing the chicken in a zingy marinade and roasting it at a high temperature for the last few minutes of cooking guarantees a crackly outer crust.
54. Antoni Porowski’s Strip Steak with Harissa Butter and Parsley Salad
Believe it or not, this restaurant-caliber meal only requires ten minutes of prep and ten minutes of cooking. (Oh, and the side salad will change your opinion of parsley forever.)
55. Seared Scallops with Citrus-Shallot Salad
Consider this recipe an ode to citrus season. Opt for navel oranges, or mix it up with grapefruit, blood oranges or cara cara oranges.
56. Skillet Roast Chicken with Schmaltzy Potatoes
The buttermilk brine is a hack on its own, but so is this tip: Position the chicken's legs in the back corner of your oven so the breast, thighs and drumsticks finish cooking at the same time without the breast meat drying out.
57. Cheater’s Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
Think of this comforting classic as an edible hug. (The mashed potatoes make it twice as romantic, if you ask us.)
58. Salmon with Pesto and Blistered Tomatoes
Fancy enough for date night, simple enough to add to your weekly rotation. Serve it with a side of rice or atop a bed of pasta.
59. Camarones al Mojo de Ajo (Shrimp in Garlic Sauce)
If you always keep V-Day casual (like, order in a pizza casual), this 15-minute gem is right up your alley. Have dinner rolls on hand to soak up all the leftover lemon-garlic butter.
RELATED: Date Night Recipes: 60 Romantic, Easy Meals for Two
For even more great recipes, check out our first cookbook, Only the Good Stuff.
