They say couples need date nights now and then to keep the spark alive, but some days, you do not have the energy to get dressed, look nice, and pull up to a fancy place. On days like this, you could always have a date night in the comforts of your home by cooking for your partner. After all, what better way to express your love than making a meal from scratch?
If you are a natural in the kitchen, you might find our 20 dinner for two recipes pretty straightforward, but even if you are a beginner, these recipes are doable and are not that much work.
A cast iron pizza is one of the easiest and most delicious homemade. It is so delicious and easy to make that you will skip the takeout. Even without an oven and just a skillet, the fluffy pizza dough will become ethereally airy with a golden, crispy crust reminiscent of focaccia.
Topped with tomato sauce, melty mozzarella cheese, crispy sausage, and bright peppers, this pan pizza is as easy as pie. It goes very nicely with a fresh salad or soup for optimal dunking.
A Shrimp Po’Boy is perfect for a casual date night at home. The sandwich is piled high with crispy fried shrimp on crusty French bread that is slathered with a zesty, spicy mayo and layered with lettuce, tomato, and pickles for added texture.
You can serve this Po’Boy with potato chips because we all know these two are a match made in heaven. But if you want to take it up a notch, serve with potato salad or pasta salad.
Pasta is always a great idea for date night because it is easy to reduce the amount you cook if you are feeding fewer people. Try a Pasta Puttanesca that is an easy-to-throw-together Italian dinner and is deliciously addictive.
This pasta dish contains briny olives, anchovies, tomatoes, and hunks of Parmesan and only takes five minutes. All the ingredients come together in a wonderful, magical way.
The best thing about having mini calzones for a date night is that they are easy to customize. If you and your partner have different tastes, you can stuff your calzones with fillings of choices.
Calzones are usually filled with ricotta cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, and pepperoni. But really, you can stuff a calzone with anything you put on pizzas. Apart from the fillings, these hand-held delights call for frozen dinner rolls. Let them thaw and rise, then roll them out and stuff them.
There is something special about making Chicken Teriyaki at home that makes you feel like you and your partner are being rewarded with a restaurant meal from the comfort of your kitchen.
This stir-fry chicken dinner is sure to satisfy you and your partner. The marinade for this dish can take a little extra planning, but the savory-sweet sauce makes it all worthwhile, especially since the whole dish only takes 10 minutes.
If you are looking for a date night project, these super-flavorful and surprisingly easy pork and ginger pot stickers might be it. This homemade ginger and pork-filled dumpling only requires a handful of ingredients.
Once the dumpling filling is ready, wrap them in a wrapper and pan-fry them for the crisp exterior we crave in a pot sticker. And don't worry too much about the folding process. These will taste amazing no matter how they look.
Making pad Thai for your date night will definitely satisfy your noodle cravings. A Pad Thai calls for ingredients like dried shrimp, pressed tofu, and bean sprouts, but you can use subtititues that you can find in your local grocery store if they are not available.
The key to a good pad Thai is in the sauce, which is made with palm sugar, fish sauce, and tamarind concentrate, so make sure you have these ingredients before you start cooking.
Ready in under 10 minutes, an air fryer salmon allows you to spend more time decorating and setting the mood for your date. This is the fastest meal you could whip up and will probably become your go-to weeknight dinner after your date night.
This salmon comes out perfectly tender and flaky on the inside with an amazing crust. Serve with steamed rice and your favorite vegetable side for a complete meal.
With only a few ingredients and the right technique, you can recreate fancy steakhouses' classic filet mignon without the extravagant price point. Make the most of the expensive steak cut by butter-basting your filet mignon with garlic and rosemary in an iron skillet.
When cooked right, the steak has a melt-in-your-mouth texture you cannot get from other cuts, so avoid the overpriced, stuffy steakhouses and make this delicious dish at home.
A chicken piccata is a light and flavorful dish that is perfect for a spring or summer date night. Pan-fried chicken is coated in a piccata sauce made with butter, oil, fresh lemon juice, and capers.
You can add whole pieces of the lemon to make the most of the fruit because it loses its sharp bitterness once it is simmered in a broth. This piccata is great over pasta or accompanied by plenty of crusty bread.
Beef short ribs are one of life's greatest pleasures, and when served on fancy dinner plates, you have just brought a slice of an upscale steakhouse to your home. These short ribs are the most flavorful, delectable, and tender pot roast you can possibly imagine.
Pair your short ribs with Pinot Noir. The rich, earthy flavors of the Pinot Noir perfectly complement the tender, succulent meat of the braised short ribs.
Homemade orange chicken is perfect for couples who have a shared love for the classic Panda Express dish. This homemade orange chicken is sweet, sour, and perfectly sticky with delicious sweet and savory flavors.
The key to a good orange chicken is the thick sauce made from orange juice, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, chili sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, and lemon juice. Serve over rice for a stay-at-home meal that will impress your Panda Express-loving date.
Crab Cakes are the quintessential appetizers in fancy restaurants, and you probably ordered some while on a date. That is why you have to make these crisp, golden crab cakes at home on your next date night.
Pack your crabcake with juicy crab, spices, and fillers (mayo, egg, and breadcrumbs). You can bake or fry them until golden and serve with a spicy, homemade remoulade.
Related: 20 Crab Meat Recipes To Tantalize Your Taste Buds
A Chocolate Lava Cake is probably the best way to end a romantic dinner. This decadent dessert is visually stunning, and when you crack into it, a molten chocolate center that oozes out like lava.
Pair the lava cakes with a robust red wine like a Cabernet Sauvignon to elevate your dessert experience. The bold fruit flavors of the Cabernet Sauvignon cut through the sweetness of the chocolate lava cake, preventing it from being overly cloying.
There is something special about serving a humble yet delicious fruit crumble on your date night. A fruit crumble is lighter and more refreshing, unlike heavy desserts that can leave you feeling sluggish.
This is especially ideal if you just had a rich main course like a filet mignon. The combination of sweet, juicy fruits with a crumbly, buttery topping creates a delightful contrast in taste and texture that leaves you wanting more.
You do not have to be a master chef to whip up an apple crisp. You can whip it up in under an hour, which means you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying your date's company.
But just because it is easy does not mean it lacks flavor. The combination of warm, tender apples, a sweet and crumbly topping, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream is hard to resist.
There is nothing better than a delicious and refreshing homemade ice cream to end a hot date night. Making this sweet treat at home means you can customize the flavors and toppings to create an ice cream that is special for your date.
If you and your date love coffee, make a coffee ice cream. The caffeine in the ice cream could keep you up for your Netflix movie marathon, which is not a bad idea.
There is no way you could get it wrong with a chocolate chip cookie because everyone loves it. They are also simple to make and less intimidating, unlike an elaborate cake or pie.
All you have to do is mix wet and dry ingredients and bake them for chewy, crispy-edged cookies. You can also buy frozen cookie dough if you are not in the mood to make them from scratch.
The best thing about a red velvet mug cake is that you do not have to stress yourself over a whole red velvet cake. Just grab two mugs, double the recipe, and pop it in the oven.
The cake is soft, light, and melts in your mouth. The subtle cocoa notes complement the distinct tanginess of the cake that comes from the buttermilk.
Charming individual servings of mini lemon meringue pies are sure to impress your date and create a lasting memory. These pies have toasted meringue topping and bright yellow filling, which makes for a visually stunning dessert.
The tangy lemon filling is light and refreshing, balancing perfectly with the sweetness of the meringue. They are not overly heavy or rich, making them a perfect ending to a meal without feeling overly indulgent.
