Instead of going out and having to deal with cold food, long lines, and overcrowded venues on your much-anticipated date night, why not create a romantic, delicious meal at home? Not only will you be able to enjoy a restaurant-quality meal, but you will also get to enjoy it in the comfort of your own home.
Let’s take a look at some of the best recipes for a romantic dinner. You’ll find all kinds of ideas, from simple to complicated – be sure to tell us which one is your favorite! Once you find a favorite you can even share recipes with your friends for them to try.
Creamy Steak Fettuccine
You can put this creamy steak fettuccine together quickly, and you’ll be happy to know that it’s full of flavor. Honestly, it’ll make you forget that chicken fettuccine Alfredo exists in the first place. If you would like to enjoy the steak without the pasta, we suggest making Cajun butter steak.
Lemony Slow-Cooked Salmon with Potatoes and Fennel
Did you know that you may have your own personal chef sitting in your kitchen right now? Who is that, the slow cooker! This fennel-forward meal is made in the slow cooker and involves subtle yet sweet leeks and bright lemon. The flavors all blend together beautifully when making this meal in the slow cooker. The device will do all the work for you, so you can sit back, relax, and enjoy a glass of wine!
Truffle Mac and Cheese
Mac and cheese is the comfort food of many, but you may be thinking this isn’t really a romantic dish. You can spice up traditional mac and cheese with truffle, and it instantly becomes more than just comfort food. This delicious meal mixes a creamy, rich white cheddar sauce with just the perfect amount of earthy truffle oil. The truffle adds an irresistible variation that’s not too overpowering.
Lobster Risotto
Lobster risotto is a relatively simple recipe, but you will undoubtedly be digging in for seconds if you make this meal. It’s a combination of seafood stock, white wine, and fresh aromatics that transforms simple Italian rice into a luscious, cheesy, dreamy porridge that you’re sure to love. Rice is a food staple for more than 3.5 billion people around the world so this dish is sure to be popular. Adding sweet, fresh lobster is all that’s needed to take risotto to the next level.
Shrimp Scampi Linguine
This simple recipe can be whipped up in just 15 minutes. You’ll want to serve it immediately and add a generous amount of lemon zest and chopped parsley for a restaurant-level presentation. Add a glass of fine white wine to complement the white wine and garlic butter sauce the meal is made with.
Sweet Potato Gyoza with Beet Puree
This recipe consists mainly of hazelnut butter and sweet potato. It’s the filling in the gyoza. To complement the gyoza, this recipe calls for a silky beet puree shot with preserved lemon that adds just a hint of brightness.
Creamy Mushroom Risotto
You can never go wrong with mushroom risotto. It’s a cozy and deliciously creamy romantic dinner that works in any season. Mushroom risotto is full of bold earthy flavor. You can use whatever mushrooms you like because risotto is the perfect canvas. Throw them together with white wine, Parmesan cheese, and even some homemade mushroom broth if you’re feeling fancy.
Charred Sun Gold Tomato and Fennel Pizza
Pizza is always a safe choice since almost everyone loves it! However, if you’re trying to create a romantic meal, you don’t want to serve just a pepperoni pizza. You can upgrade the pizza experience significantly by making a farmer’s market–fresh pizza that’s dotted with garlic confit, fennel fronds, and sweet Sungold tomatoes. You can choose to either buy your dough fresh from the grocery store or make it.
Polenta with Wild Mushroom Ragú
Polenta with Wild Mushroom Ragú is definitely a showstopper. You can make it with a custom blend of your favorite mushrooms! However, we do suggest button or cremini mushrooms because they work perfectly in this kind of recipe. You can make the ragú up to three days in advance or the day of. If you choose to make it ahead of time, just reheat it gently on the stovetop while you’re making the polenta.
Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon and Crème Fraîche
Roasting butternut squash with a touch of salt and some honey intensifies the natural sweetness butternut squash offers and helps caramelize the honey. We recommend that you take time to brown the onions because it makes all the difference. You can do this by cooking them on low; it deepens this hearty soup’s flavor.
Pecan Crusted Salmon
Pecan crusted salmon is a romantic dinner idea that will consistently have those who are eating the meal say Wow. We could not recommend trying this Pecan Crusted Salmon more! It’s definitely a restaurant-style meal and is more on the fancy side; however, it’s easy to whip up. It takes traditional salmon to the next level. You coat it with Parmesan cheese, seasoned breadcrumbs, and nuts.
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Winter Rainbow Panzanella Salad
Don’t let the name fool you; winter rainbow panzanella salad is a type of salad that can be eaten year-round! It can be hard to create a good salad in the winter because tomatoes tend to be flavorless and watery during the winter months.
This salad is packed with crunchy and crisp sourdough croutons and in-season veggies. It’s topped with a grapefruit vinaigrette, making it the perfect meal to brighten a gloomy winter day.
The Bottom Line
If you’re planning to cook up some romantic dinner ideas with your partner, you’ve got to be in the right mindset for a cooking date! Be sure that you don’t tackle an overly ambitious meal! Pick a primary recipe to focus on and accent it with a simple dessert or salad.
Most importantly, be sure to slow down and have fun! Cooking can be fun, but it requires a relaxed demeanor and a sense of humor! Even if the meal doesn’t turn out quite like you were expecting, enjoy the time it took for you to get the end result.