Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and we’re all starting to make our plans. Sure, you could go out – there are a ton of wonderful options in Bryan and College Station! But for a holiday that’s all about love, why not show your family, friends or significant others your feelings by making them a special meal yourself? If you’ve ever had someone cook for you, you know a good meal means so much more coming from a loved one. Whoever you'll be celebrating with, we've put together some ideas for you!
You can make it as easy or as elevated as you want. It can be as simple as picking lots of red and white foods and going after everything with a heart-shaped cookie cutter. Alternatively, you can really put some time and effort into a gourmet five-course meal if you want! Adapt anything and everything to fit you and your loved ones’ personal tastes.
Fun Valentine’s Dinner with Kids
Having a Valentine’s celebration with your kids is a great way to show them that all love is worth cherishing and celebrating, not just the romantic kind. What a valuable lesson to absorb while they are still young!
- Kids love to feel that they are being treated like grown-ups. Serve sparkling (non-alcoholic) cider or cherry soda in wine glasses or champagne flutes with dinner. (You can find plastic/disposable ones at the grocery store for safety!)
- We’re all about the sweets, but you can make sure they get a couple vegetables too with this easy and cute Valentine’s “Show the Love” Salad.
- Everyone loves pizza – here’s a great recipe for a Heart Pizza with heart-shaped pepperonis on top. (Time saving tip: quite often grocery stores will have ready-to-bake heart-shaped pizzas around Valentine's Day.)
- Another cheesy delicious option is Heart-Shaped Quesadillas. It doesn’t get much easier or tastier than this! Simply cut your tortillas into heart shapes, load with cheese and your other favorite fillings, and enjoy.
- Finally, finish everything off with a beautiful Heart-Shaped Fruit Pizza. Make a giant sugar cookie (feel free to use store-bought dough) and top it with a cream cheese frosting and pink and red fruit. Gorgeous. Delicious. Easy.
Easy but Fancy Dinner for a Group / Party
Whether you’re hosting Galentine’s Day, a low-key group date night with other couples, or just want to spend Valentine’s Day with your friends, we’ve got you covered. These recipes are sure to impress, with minimal effort on your part!
- Since you’re already cooking for a crowd, keep the beverages simple. We recommend a couple nice bottles of wine or a pitcher cocktail, like this Sparkling Rosé Sangria.
- Get things started with this Valentine’s Caprese Salad and Prosciutto-wrapped Cantaloupe with Balsamic Glaze. They look fancy and taste great but are super easy to whip up ahead of time and have ready when your guests arrive.
- For a main course, we recommend yet another easy-but-looks-fancy recipe, like Shrimp Scampi or Baked Ravioli with Vodka Sauce. Do your prep before guests arrive, and you can whip these up in minutes while visiting.
- Finally, finish it off with the sweets! This Valentine’s Day Dessert Board will assure that everyone finds something they like – plus it’s so pretty to look at!
Romantic Dinner for 2
Lastly, there’s the classic gesture of cooking a lovely dinner for your significant other. Is there anything more romantic? Don’t be intimidated – you may be surprised at how simple some of these classically romantic recipes are.
- Of course, a nice bottle of wine can’t hurt! If you want help choosing a nice bottle that pairs well with your menu, we recommend popping by a local winery or wine bar like Vino Boheme, Messina Hof, or Perrine Winery.
- If you want to keep it low-maintenance and not too filling, a Charcuterie Board is always a beautiful and tasty choice. You can find high-quality gourmet and imported options locally at Farm Patch, HEB, and even the Brazos Valley Farmers Market.
- For a more substantial meal try a Bacon-wrapped Filet Mignon or Dijon Herb-crusted Rack of Lamb. High quality meat makes all the difference – we recommend going to Readfield Meats & Deli, Khairallah Halal Meat, or the Texas A&M Rosenthal Meat Center. They can help you select a great cut and give you some cooking tips.
- If your tastes run more “surf” than “turf” why not cook up these succulent Broiled Lobster Tails or Lemon Butter Scallops?
- Of course, you can’t do Valentine’s Day without something sweet. A box of chocolates is always classic – we recommend The Chocolate Gallery or Truman’s Chocolates. If you want to make dessert yourself, we recommend these Molten Nutella Lava Cakes or 10-minuteBananas Foster!
However you spend this Valentine’s Day, we hope it’s full of love and goodness.
If all this time spent in your kitchen makes you realize it’s time for an upgrade, contact Inhabit Real Estate Group. We’ll help you find a home (and a kitchen) to cook up memories in for years to come.
