Going out to dinner is one of the most classic dates in the book. It’s a great way to spend time with your partner and it gives you a chance to talk to each other while sharing a meal. But going out to dinner all the time can get expensive.
A fun alternative to going out and having dinner at a restaurant is to have a date night in instead. There are plenty of dinner recipes you can make from home to have a date night quality meal without the date night quality price. Plus, cooking for someone is a really sweet gesture. Your date will totally be impressed if you whip up a nice dinner for them.
Add to your in house dinner date night with some candles and a nice tablecloth, maybe some nice music to set the mood. Here are some dinner recipes for a perfect date night in.
This Air Fryer Pork Chop is a great pick for an in-house date night. It only takes a few minutes to prepare, and it’s not super difficult either. It’s as simple as coating some pork chops in a mixture of Parmesan cheese and spices and cooking them in an air fryer. This recipe will give you flavorful and juicy pork chops in no time at all.
These pork chops would pair wonderfully with some steamed asparagus or a cucumber salad.
Chicken Parmesan is a classic date night dinner that you could get at any Italian restaurant. But it’s so easy to make at home that you won’t need to order takeout from a restaurant to have a nice Italian date night dinner.
What makes this recipe go above and beyond is the sauce: why use jarred sauce when tomato sauce is super easy to make yourself? That little bit of extra effort can go a long way when making a date night dinner.
Chicken parmesan goes best with pasta. I recommend spaghetti or something similar, but you can really use any pasta you want.
Save some money by making a steakhouse dinner at home. Steak is a little bit harder to make, so it might be a good choice if you’re a more experienced home cook who’s looking for a little bit of a challenge.
For a pair of side dishes, try roasted potatoes and creamed spinach. These two side dishes will help tie your whole meal together and take your date night from good to great. And if you and your partner are of legal drinking age, why not finish off your meal with a nice glass of red wine?
It may feel like a lot of at home date night dinners involve meat, but there are a lot of options for dinners that are vegan and vegetarian friendly. One example is a Creamy Garlic Brussels Sprouts Pasta. This recipe can be made in about half an hour and can be made in one pot, which makes it super convenient.
It’s also heartier than something like plain spaghetti with tomato sauce, so this can definitely work as a main dish. Some vegan garlic bread could make a great side dish for this dinner. If you’re looking for dessert to tie the whole meal together, try something like a vegan chocolate cake.
Chicken and Dumplings is a good recipe if you’re looking for some Southern inspired cooking at home. In essence, chicken and dumplings is a chicken soup with some dumplings on top. It’s a good recipe for rainy day dates or for those days when it gets chilly and you just want to share a hot cup of soup with your partner.
Making your own dumplings may sound intimidating, but it’s really not that hard. It’s as simple as making the dumpling batter and then dropping them into the simmering soup and allowing them to cook.
Sticking with the southern theme, some green beans would make a great side dish for a chicken and dumplings dinner. Finish off with something like a peach cobbler or a red velvet cake for dessert to create a whole southern meal.
If you or your partner are a fan of fish and chips, give beer battered fish a try for your next date night. Beer battered fish is pretty easy to make. Just batter cut up pieces of cod in a mix made up of flour, seasoning, beer, and egg and fry for a few minutes in a pan of hot oil.
Finish off this meal with a side of frozen french fries and maybe a glass of beer for a nice date night dinner inspired by the United Kingdom. If you want something closer to the full experience, try wrapping up your fish and chips up in some parchment paper and going for a walk around town. It’s a nice way to spice up your at home date night.
Nothing says cozy at home date night quite like a crock of nice hot French onion soup. It can be a little bit tricky to make, so this is a good recipe if you’re looking for a bit of a challenge to impress your partner.
French onion soup can be an appetizer or your main course, depending on how big you make the portions. It’s definitely hearty enough to serve as your entree, but it can also serve as an appetizer if you’re planning on having something else as your main course.
If you are planning on serving French onion soup as a side dish, it may work nicely with something like a hot sandwich as your main dish. French onion soup as a main dish could go nicely with something like a side salad. Whatever you choose to pair it with, French onion soup is a great choice for a cozy date night in.
The cool winds of winter are creeping in, and you might be noticing your skin getting a little dry. Don't…
There are so many ways to make your partner feel appreciated. It doesn't have to be a huge gift or…
Winter: the season of bundling up in big sweaters, cozy sweatpants and cuddling under fleece blankets. Sometimes it can be…
It's the week before finals. You just found out that the exam in your 4000-level class is 200 multiple choice…
Are you looking to take a few easy courses at Indiana University? Whether you’re entering into your freshman year or…
Are you thinking about sorority recruitment at Penn State University? As an incoming freshman, I had no interest in rushing…
