The Most Romantic Valentine’s Day Recipes

Valentine’s day is a crucial holiday for couples, with romantic dinners, precious gifts, and even proposals to look forward to. Additionally, Valentine’s day provides the perfect opportunity for you to show your significant other just how much you love and appreciate them.

There is no better way to show your loved one how important they are to you than by providing them with a romantic and elegant dinner. To make sure your Valentine’s day dinner goes smoothly and creates the perfect atmosphere for stress-free romance,  we have prepared a list dedicated to preparing a perfect Valentine’s day menu with breakfast, dinner, and dessert, included.

Keep reading to learn about 6 recipes that can make your Valentine’s day dinner a night to remember.

1. Red Velvet Pancakes with Glaze

This cute Valentine’s Day recipe will be a hit with your spouse and kids by making delicious red velvet pancakes with a rich glaze. This recipe has a 15-minute prep and cook time, making it ready in 30 minutes. The original recipe makes 4 servings of pancakes, but it can be doubled to fit larger families easily.

Ingredients:

Glaze

• 1 – 4 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon milk, (or add as needed)

Pancakes

• 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup of milk
• 1 cup of buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons red food coloring
• ¼ cup of melted butter

Directions:

Prepare the cream cheese glaze by beating the cream cheese, confectioner’s’ sugar, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, in a bowl until smooth. Thin the mixture with 1 tablespoon of milk or as needed to achieve the desired consistency. Set the glaze aside.Directions:

1. Whisk the flour, white sugar, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt, together in a bowl until the mixture is evenly blended. Once the mixture is evenly blended, set it aside.
2. Beat the eggs in a separate mixing bowl until smooth. Whisk in the ¼ cup milk with the buttermilk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, vinegar, and food coloring.
3. Stir in the flour mixture until its moistened. Drizzle in the melted butter and stir until the butter has incorporated and small lumps of flour remain.
4. Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium-high heat. Drop batter into the griddle by large spoonfuls and cook until bubbles form and the edges are dry.
5. Flip the pancake and cook until browned on the other side. Repeat for the remaining batter.
6. Drizzle the cream cheese glaze onto the pancakes and serve.

2. Shrimp Scampi

Another perfect dish for a romantic Valentine’s day menu is the elegant and simple shrimp scampi dish. This traditional shrimp dish is a fan-favorite and pairs nicely with garlic bread and a side salad for dinner. This particular recipe serves 4 servings of the dish. The Shrimp scampi has a 15-minute prep time and a 10-minute cook time, making it ready in 25 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 1 8 oz. package of angel hair pasta
• ½ cup of butter
• 4 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 cup of dry white wine
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot filled with salted water to a boil. Stir in the pasta and return the pot to boil.
2. Cook until the pasta is al dente and drain well.
3. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic and shrimp. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes and stir constantly.
4. Stir in wine and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 seconds while stirring constantly.
5. Mix shrimp with drained pasta in a serving bowl. Sprinkle with cheese and parsley and serve immediately.

3. Filet Mignons with Pepper Cream Sauce

This elegant Valentine’s day dinner will make your Valentine’s day a night to remember. This recipe is for juicy and tender filet mignons that are covered in a velvety pepper cream sauce. This recipe yields four servings and takes 25 minutes to make, with a 10-minute prep time and 15-minute cook time.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup of coarsely crushed black peppercorns
• 4 (6 oz.) 1 ½ inch thick filet mignon steaks
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup beef broth
• 1 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Place the peppercorns into a shallow bowl. Sprinkle the beef tenderloin filets with salt on both sides, and coat both sides with the crushed peppercorns.
2. Melt the butter with the olive oil over high heat in a heavy skillet (not nonstick) until the foam disappears from the butter.
3. Gently place the steaks in the pan and cook until they become firm, reddish-pink, and juicy in the center. Generally, this is achieved by cooking the steaks about 3 ½ minutes on each side. Place an instant-read thermometer into the center of the meat to be sure it reads 130 degrees F.
4. Remove the steaks from the pan and onto a platter then cover them tightly with foil.
5. Pour the beef broth into the skillet and use a whisk to stir the broth and scrape up any dissolved brown pieces from the skillet. Whisk in the cream and simmer the sauce until it is reduced and thickened, which is about 6 to 7 minutes. Place the steaks back into the skillet, turn to coat with sauce, and serve with any remaining sauce in the pan.

4. White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

No Valentine’s day menu is complete without dessert. A romantic and festive white chocolate raspberry cheesecake is the perfect way to end your evening. This cheesecake must be made the day before your dinner, however, as it must rest in a refrigerator for about 8 hours. This dessert takes 1 hour of prep time and 1 hour of cook time, along with an 8-hour rest period, making it ready in 10 hours.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• ¼ cup melted butter
• 1 10 oz package of frozen raspberries
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• ½ cup water
• 2 cups white chocolate chips
• ½ cup half-and-half cream
• 3 8 oz packages of cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the cookie crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, and melted butter. Press this mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
2. In a saucepan, combine the raspberries, 2 tablespoons of sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 5 minutes or until the sauce is thickened. Strain the sauce through a mesh strainer to remove the seeds.
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a metal bowl sitting over a pan of simmering water, melt the white chocolate chips with the half-and-half, stirring occasionally until smooth.
4. In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese and ½ cup sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time.
5. Blend in vanilla and melted white chocolate. Pour half of batter over crust and spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over the batter. Pour the remaining cheesecake batter into the pan and again spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over the top. Swirl batter with the tip of a knife to create a marbled effect.
6. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the filling is set. Let it cool then cover it with a plastic wrap. Refrigerate it covered for 8 hours before removing it from the pan. Serve with any remaining raspberry sauce.

Related: How to Make the Best Homemade Ice Cream

5. Strawberry Spinach Salad

A perfect example of a side dish for your romantic Valentine’s day dinner is the Strawberry Spinach Salad. This recipe prepares 4 full servings and is ready in 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced onion
• 10 ounces fresh spinach – rinsed, dried, and torn into bite size pieces
• 1-quart strawberries – cleaned, hulled, and sliced
• ¼ cup almonds, blanched and slivered.

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and onion.
2. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
3. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries, and almonds. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss. Refrigerate 10 – 15 minutes before serving.

6. Lamb Chops with Balsamic Reduction

This recipe is perfect for two – Lamb chops with balsamic reduction. This recipe makes 4 lamb chops and sauce. It is ready in 40 minutes with a 10-minute prep time and a 15-minute cook time.

Ingredients:

• ¾ teaspoon dried rosemary
• ¼ teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 lamb chops – ¾ inch thick
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ cup minced shallots
• 1/3 cup aged balsamic vinegar
• ¾ cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon butter.

Directions:

1. In a small bowl or cup, mix together the rosemary, basil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Once the ingredients are well combined, rub the mixture onto both sides of the lamb chops. Place the seasoned lamb chops on a plate, cover them with wrap, and set them aside for approx. 15 minutes to let them absorb the flavors of the dry rub.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place lamb chops in the skillet and cook for about 3 ½ minutes per side, if you want a medium rare lamb. Cook the lamb chops longer if you want your lamb medium-well to well-done. Once the lamb chops are cooked to your desired doneness, remove them from the skillet and place them on a warm serving platter.
3. Add the shallots to the skillet and cook until they are browned. Stir in the vinegar, making sure to scrape any bits of lamb off the bottom of the skillets, then stir in the chicken broth.
4. Continue to cook and stir over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes or until the sauce has been reduced by half. If you take the sauce off the heat before it has been reduced to half its original size, the sauce will be too runny to serve.
5. Once the sauce has been reduced and is the consistency that you desire, remove it from heat and stir in the butter.
6. Pour over the lamb chops and then serve.

Conclusion

And there you have it, 6 amazing Valentine’s meals that you can put on your next Valentine’s day dinner. While these meals can take a while to make, they will be sure to show how appreciative you are of your girlfriend, boyfriend, spouse, or significant other. An elegant meal can be a beautiful labor of love that both you and your loved one can share under candlelight, without having to spend a fortune on an expensive restaurant.

Happy Valentine’s day!