Do you want to impress your sweetheart without going broke? Check out these delicious romantic meals that are simple to prepare and easy on your budget. Bonus points if you scatter some flower petals to create a path to an elegant table setting. Add lit candles and you have the perfect recipe for happily ever after.
10. Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots
A beef and potatoes meal is filling and impressive. However, buying beef in a restaurant is out of many people’s budgets. The beef industry predicts the cattle inventory will continue to shrink, leading to higher prices throughout 2025 and an additional two to four years after.
You might think cooking a pot roast is complex, but it is one of the simplest set-and-forget meals you can prepare.
Pot Roast as a recipe began appearing in cookbooks in the late 1800s in New England. Traditionally, the meat is seared in a hot stovetop pan before being slowly cooked. However, you can skip that step if preferred.
Add a layer of cut or baby carrots to the bottom of your ceramic pot.
Wash, peel and dice three or four potatoes and layer them on the carrots.
Pour a cup of beef stock over the vegetables.
Season both sides of your chuck roast with salt, pepper and onion powder. Sear if you’d like, but it is not necessary.
Sprinkle about a tablespoon of dry ranch dressing mix on top.
Set the crock pot to low and cook for six to eight hours.
The roast is finished when it separates easily with a fork.
Serve the finished roast and vegetables with a big salad and some crusty bread and you have a romantic meal as tasty as anything you can buy in a restaurant. It’s difficult to mess up a slow cooker pot roast, so you can feel confident your dinner will be excellent.
9. Simple Tomato Pasta
People worldwide love Italian food, and pasta is one of the least expensive meals you can cook. Mixing meat, tomatoes and creamy sauces is a treat for your tastebuds. Fortunately, pasta is very easy to cook. Even beginners can create a delicious meal quickly. If you’re worried your date might not be impressed with a simple pasta dish, pair it with a fine wine and some tasty dessert. Using prepared ingredients will speed up your cooking time and make this meal easy. Who has time to make pasta from scratch?
Fill a medium pot with water and place on the stove on high until it comes to a boil.
Add a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and add pasta of your choice.
Reduce heat to medium and let the pasta simmer.
While the noodles cook, grab your favorite jar of pasta sauce. Pour into a saucepan to heat on low.
If you want to dress up the sauce, add some fresh minced garlic, Italian seasoning or fresh herbs. You could also make a simple red pasta sauce with ingredients you likely have on hand.
Spaghetti is a dish that never fails to impress. It’s inexpensive but filling. Add browned ground beef or sausage to your sauce to add more flavor for top-notch romantic meals.
8. Themed Paninis
Some of the best dinners happen because of food presentation. Paninis are easy to make, and you can quickly get them on the table. Pick up some soup from your favorite restaurant and serve it with the sandwiches for a special treat.
Purchase thick Texas toast-style bread or a loaf of Italian sliced.
Use a large heart-shaped cookie cutter or a knife to cut out hearts.
Butter each side of the bread. You can also use mayonnaise in the place of butter for a savory treat.
Place one piece of bread on your hot skillet or griddle. Add toppings and top with another slice of bread with the buttered side up.
Cook the panini for a few minutes, pressing down with a heavy press, second skillet or spatula.
Serve alongside soup or another side of your choice.
Finish the meal with a delicious dessert. Upscaling your bread and adding fresh vegetables can take a panini from a sandwich to a delightful romantic dinner. Go with a theme like a caprese panini.
7. Salmon Foil Pouches
If the love of your life likes fish, you can easily make salmon in tin foil pouches. You can buy pouches at the store instead of making your own to save time. To prevent spills, place the pouches on a sheet pan.
Season both sides of salmon filets.
Clean veggies that pair well with salmon, such as broccoli, squash and snow peas.
Arrange veggies around the fish.
Top everything with butter and fresh garlic.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until fish is flakey.
Leading up to big date, watch for sales on fish. You can freeze your filets until you’re ready to cook them. Unthaw in the refrigerator for a day or two before preparing.
6. Chicken Florentine Pasta
If you love all things spinach, chicken Florentine offers a robust mix of flavors to please even the pickiest eater. Even inexperienced cooks can throw this simple but creamy pasta dish together for a romantic date night. You can combine pasta with the flavors of chicken Florentine or follow a step-by-step one-pot recipe.
Season and cook chicken. Cut into diced pieces.
Add garlic, seasonings and onion to the skillet and cook on low for two minutes.
Add a can of diced tomatoes. Alternatively, you can use sundried tomatoes, which add a sweet taste to an otherwise savory dish.
Add a container of chicken broth, a cup of milk and pasta.
Bring everything to a boil and allow the pasta to cook until tender and you’ve reduced the liquid.
Add pieces of spinach to taste.
Grate parmesan cheese and stir as it melts.
Serve Chicken Florentine pasta with crusty bread and a big salad for an impressive meal. The dish is so tasty that your date will want to take home the leftovers.
5. Shrimp Scampi
People have loved shrimp for hundreds of years. In 600 BC China, people raised shrimp in ponds, eating and trading them for other goods. Shrimp sounds fancy, but it is relatively easy to make this dish, even for an inexperienced cook. A shrimp meal for two should cost less than dining out. You can often find the seafood on sale at the grocery store and freeze it for an upcoming holiday like Valentine’s Day or your significant other’s birthday.
The recipe gives you a savory, buttery, bursting with garlic taste explosion. Since shrimp scampi isn’t a typical everyday dish, it will feel special for a treat.
Clean and marinate shrimp in butter, garlic, salt and pepper.
Heat additional butter or olive oil in a skillet and grill the shrimp until slightly brown on both sides. Remove the shrimp and set it to the side.
In the same pan, scrape the bottom to loosen brown bits and add white wine, lemon juice, butter, garlic and seasonings of your choice.
Add the shrimp back to the pan to coat with the sauce. Cook until the shrimp looks slightly pink. Remove from heat, add garnish, such as parsley and serve.
Pairs great with rice or pasta.
Shrimp scampi is easy to make but looks impressive.
4. Korean Beef and Rice
If you have some ground beef, you can make a tasty Asian dish that will surely please and won’t break the bank. Add some customized fortune cookies, and you may have the perfect scene for a marriage proposal. You likely have all the ingredients needed to make this dish.
Steam rice variety of your choice and put a lid on it to set aside.
Prep the sauce with soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger sesame oil, ginger and red pepper flakes.
Brown your ground beef and mix in fresh garlic.
Once the beef is browned, pour in the sauce.
Scoop rice into bowls, top with the Korean ground beef, and finish with sliced green onion stalks for visual presentation. You can also add some sesame seeds if desired.
Korean ground beef tastes great the next day, so make a large batch and plan on leftovers to save even more on the dinner.
3. Cottage Pie
You’ve probably heard of shepherd’s pie, but cottage pie is similar with a bit of a twist. Shepherd’s pie was originally made with lamb, but cowboys in America’s West used beef instead. If you prefer the taste of beef, you’ll love this pie. As a bonus, beef is typically less expensive.
Boil potatoes and make mashed potatoes from scratch, or buy them ready-made from the deli.
Brown the ground beef or use leftover pot roast as the base.
Add minced onions, carrots, sweet peppers and celery.
Cook the moisture from the vegetables out and mix everything together.
Stir in a couple tablespoons of tomato paste.
Add about a tablespoon of beef or vegetable broth.
Pour in two tablespoons of dry red wine.
Stir in a tablespoon of fresh garlic or four cloves.
Add two egg yolks and 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream to the mashed potatoes. Stir in some shredded pepper jack and shredded medium cheddar to the potatoes.
Place the beef mixture in a rectangular glass baking dish.
Top with the potato mixture and smooth it until it covers the beef.
Top with more cheese of choice.
Cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 25 minutes until the top browns.
You can cook this dish in a regular oven or a Dutch oven. Allow to cool for ten to twenty minutes before serving.
2. Potpourri of Flavors
A fun option for a special dinner is to gather favorite appetizers and create a charcuterie board of interesting flavors. Instead of a formal, sit-down dinner, cozy up on the couch with your smorgasbord and stream a romantic comedy.
Cut up cheese and meat.
Add crackers
Throw some fruit on the tray.
Include nuts and dinner mints.
Bake a few appetizers, like pigs in a blanket and won tons.
Make some simple caprese skewers with mozzarella balls, grape tomatoes and a balsamic drizzle.
You don’t have to spend much time creating a romantic meal. The focus should always be on what the other person enjoys and spending quality time together.
1. Turkey Breast and Sides
If you’re a beginning cook, cooking a turkey may seem daunting. Fortunately, you can cook only the breast with as little effort as possible to put it in the oven or a slow cooker. Most grocery stores sell turkey breasts. Many come in their own bags, so you remove them from the outer wrapper and pop them in the oven.
You can also cook them in a slow cooker, although they won’t brown, so you might consider broiling them for the last five minutes to give them that golden-baked look. Prepare simple sides or precooked items from your local deli, such as:
Salad
Mashed potatoes
Stuffing
Green beans
Mac ‘n’ cheese
Limit the dinner to turkey, two sides, rolls and a tasty dessert. You will impress your date and limit the dishes to clean. You’ll even have leftovers to make things like turkey pot pie or turkey tetrazzini.
The time you spend with the person you love is worth more than any recipe gone wrong. When it comes to making a great romantic dinner, the thought truly counts. Still, with these recipes, you can share a delicious meal and memories that will last a lifetime.
