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Make the perfect Valentine’s Day menu!! From main dishes to desserts, we’ve got all of the Valentines dinner ideas!
More Collections: Valentines Desserts, Italian Dinner Recipes, Italian Appetizers
![Valentines Dinner Ideas (1) Valentines Dinner Ideas (1)](https://i0.wp.com/lilluna.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Valentines-Dinners-Horizontal-RU-Collage-1.png)
We Love Love!
We know that Valentine’s Day is often associated with romantic love, but it can be celebrated with anyone special in your life.
Over the years, we have made a variety of meals to celebrate – from Heart Shaped Pizza to Steak, and today we wanted to share some menu ideas for you to use in your own family.
Heart day dishes to love:
- Make it special. We’ve tried to make it a special night for the family and usually have a fun and festive dinner with the whole family.
- Celebrate all day. From breakfast to desserts, some recipes can help your loved ones feel special all day long.
- Variety. I searched for easy, yummy recipes as well as ones that use fun colors of red and pink.
![Valentines Dinner Ideas (2) Valentines Dinner Ideas (2)](https://i0.wp.com/lilluna.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_6362.jpg)
Make it Special
Before we share some of the recipes, we wanted to give a few ideas of things you can do to make the Valentine’s Day dinner (or breakfast) even more special.
- Heart attack the kids’ door with hearts and notes with compliments or reasons why you love them.
- Make homemade valentines with the kids and Valentine’s boxes.
- Go to your local library and check out Valentine books to read together.
- Share “10 Things I LOVE About You” with one another.
- Play your favorite games together.
- Show love to others by serving them. Find a family service project in your area. One of my favorite websites to search on is JustServe.org.
- Include fondue dinner. Whether it’s savory (cheese) or sweet (caramel or chocolate with fruit), the kids will love it!
- Use plastic champagne glasses for sparkling cider or another yummy drink to make it more special.
- Add some candles to your dinner for a more romantic touch.
- Use our printable Valentine’s placemats.
- Keep all the food pink or red to make it extra festive!
- Use fresh fruit or herbs to garnish any of your dishes – from a lemon on a drink to berries, to herbs on your meat, it makes it look fancier.
- Sprinkle the table with conversation hearts or other Valentine’s candy. Or add a small box of chocolates to each plate as a treat for after dinner.
- Make Sugar Cookies for a treat and let the kids frost and decorate them after dinner.
![Valentines Dinner Ideas (3) Valentines Dinner Ideas (3)](https://i0.wp.com/lilluna.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/valentines-charcuterie-board-resize-3.jpg)
Tips for Picking Your Menu
The best way to figure out the menu you’d like to make for the night is to first figure out what you’d like to make for the main dish.
The main dish will help you plan the sides and the desserts, but who are you making it for?
- The whole family?
- Just the two of you?
Pick the main dish and from there you can plan everything else to create an amazing Valentine’s menu!
Top Valentines Day Dinner Recipes
Here are some of our favorite dinner ideas for the whole family (our favorite is found below).
1 Heart Shaped Pizza
Main CourseHeart Shaped Pizza
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
5 from 28 votes
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2 Steak Marinade
Main CourseSteak Marinade
Total Time: 4 hours hours 5 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
4.97 from 78 votes
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3 Best Pork Chop Recipe
Main CourseBest Pork Chop Recipe
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
4.99 from 590 votes
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4 Spaghetti Recipe
Main CourseSpaghetti Recipe
Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
5 from 351 votes
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5 Swiss Chicken Bake Recipe
Main CourseSwiss Chicken Bake Recipe
Total Time: 1 hour hour 7 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
4.94 from 441 votes
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6 Baked Salmon Recipe
Main CourseBaked Salmon Recipe
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
5 from 17 votes
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7 Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe
Main CourseFettuccine Alfredo Recipe
Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
5 from 374 votes
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8 Easy Lasagna Recipe
Main CourseEasy Lasagna Recipe
Total Time: 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
4.88 from 87 votes
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9 Chicken Cordon Bleu Recipe
Main CourseChicken Cordon Bleu Recipe
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
5 from 6 votes
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10 Chicken Penne Pasta Recipe
Main CourseChicken Penne Pasta Recipe
Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
5 from 18 votes
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Valentine’s Day Side Dishes
Now that you’ve picked what you want to make for the main dish, you should have a better idea of what you’d like for the sides.
Below we have listed out some of our favorites to pair with the main dishes above.
11 Honey Glazed Carrots Recipe
Side DishHoney Glazed Carrots Recipe
Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
5 from 15 votes
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12 Crescent Rolls
BreadCrescent Rolls
Total Time: 2 hours hours 32 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
5 from 191 votes
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13 Roasted Red Potatoes Recipe
Side DishRoasted Red Potatoes Recipe
Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
5 from 90 votes
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14 Olive Garden Breadsticks Recipe
BreadOlive Garden Breadsticks Recipe
Total Time: 2 hours hours 27 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
4.96 from 64 votes
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15 Asparagus Roll Ups
Appetizer, Side DishAsparagus Roll Ups
Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
4.91 from 33 votes
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16 Cheddar Bay Biscuit Recipe
BreadCheddar Bay Biscuit Recipe
Total Time: 14 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
5 from 5 votes
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17 Garlic Knots Recipe
Side DishGarlic Knots Recipe
Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
5 from 13 votes
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18 Potatoes Au Gratin Recipe
Side DishPotatoes Au Gratin Recipe
Total Time: 1 hour hour 55 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
5 from 13 votes
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19 Twice Baked Potatoes Recipe
Side DishTwice Baked Potatoes Recipe
Total Time: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
5 from 11 votes
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20 Parmesan Crusted Zucchini Recipe
Appetizer, Side DishParmesan Crusted Zucchini Recipe
Total Time: 16 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
4.95 from 18 votes
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21 Strawberry Harvest Salad Recipe
SaladStrawberry Harvest Salad Recipe
Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
5 from 14 votes
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22 Baked Parmesan Asparagus Recipe
Side DishBaked Parmesan Asparagus Recipe
Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
5 from 4 votes
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23 Sauteed Green Beans Recipe
Side DishSauteed Green Beans Recipe
Total Time: 12 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
5 from 2 votes
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24 Wedge Salad Recipe
SaladWedge Salad Recipe
Total Time: 4 hours hours 15 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
5 from 4 votes
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25 Steak and Tortellini Salad Recipe
SaladSteak and Tortellini Salad Recipe
Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
5 from 7 votes
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26 Asparagus Salad Recipe
SaladAsparagus Salad Recipe
Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
5 from 9 votes
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27 Roasted Tomatoes Recipe
Side DishRoasted Tomatoes Recipe
Total Time: 22 minutes minutes
5 from 7 votes
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28 Spinach Tortellini Salad Recipe
SaladSpinach Tortellini Salad Recipe
Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
4.89 from 27 votes
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29 Brussel Sprouts and Bacon Recipe
Side DishBrussel Sprouts and Bacon Recipe
Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
5 from 6 votes
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30 Ambrosia Salad Recipe
Salad, Side DishAmbrosia Salad Recipe
Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
5 from 9 votes
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Valentine’s Day Dessert Ideas
Now, to the best part – DESSERT!
There are so many treats you may want to make for your Valentines dinner, but we wanted to share some of our favorites.
If you’d like to see even more ideas, be sure to check our post ALL ABOUT Valentine’s Desserts with even more options – all from chocolate to pink and red to fruity!
31 Valentine Cookies Recipe
DessertValentine Cookies Recipe
Total Time: 17 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
5 from 120 votes
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32 Valentine Sugar Cookies
DessertValentine Sugar Cookies
Total Time: 18 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
5 from 19 votes
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33 Valentine’s Charcuterie Board Recipe
AppetizerValentine’s Charcuterie Board Recipe
Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
5 from 4 votes
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34 Chocolate Covered Strawberries
DessertChocolate Covered Strawberries
Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
5 from 80 votes
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35 Red Velvet Poke Cake Recipe
DessertRed Velvet Poke Cake Recipe
Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
5 from 13 votes
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36 Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe
DessertChocolate Lava Cake Recipe
Total Time: 23 minutes minutes
5 from 17 votes
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37 White Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Cookies Recipe
DessertWhite Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Cookies Recipe
Total Time: 19 minutes minutes
4.92 from 12 votes
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38 Cherry Almond Cupcake Recipe
DessertCherry Almond Cupcake Recipe
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
5 from 12 votes
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39 White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Recipe
DessertWhite Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Recipe
Total Time: 9 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
4.78 from 9 votes
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40 Crème Brûlée Recipe
DessertCrème Brûlée Recipe
Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
5 from 8 votes
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41 Flourless Chocolate Cake recipe
DessertFlourless Chocolate Cake recipe
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
5 from 128 votes
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42 Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe
DessertEasy Chocolate Cake Recipe
Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
4.97 from 263 votes
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43 Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe
DessertHot Fudge Sauce Recipe
Total Time: 13 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
4.99 from 61 votes
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44 No Bake Cheesecake
DessertNo Bake Cheesecake
Total Time: 6 hours hours 25 minutes minutes
5 from 27 votes
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45 Chocolate Covered Strawberries
DessertChocolate Covered Strawberries
Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
5 from 80 votes
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46 Strawberry Shortcake Bars Recipe
DessertStrawberry Shortcake Bars Recipe
Total Time: 3 hours hours 25 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
4.98 from 70 votes
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47 Dessert Kabobs Recipe
DessertDessert Kabobs Recipe
Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
5 from 11 votes
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48 Cheesecake Cupcakes Recipe
DessertCheesecake Cupcakes Recipe
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
4.97 from 54 votes
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49 Strawberry Cookie Recipe
DessertStrawberry Cookie Recipe
Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
4.97 from 54 votes
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50 Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies Recipe
DessertRed Velvet Cake Mix Cookies Recipe
Total Time: 48 minutes minutes
5 from 9 votes
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Valentine’s Day Drinks
Last, but not least, are the drinks!! It’s always fun to have a festive and delicious drink with your Valentine’s meal.
But, not to worry – don’t feel like making anything?! Sparkling apple cider is always great and kids love how fancy it is. Cherry 7UP is another tasty option – it’s pink, kid-friendly, and delicious.
51 Pineapple Pink Lemonade Soda Recipe
DrinksPineapple Pink Lemonade Soda Recipe
Total Time: 3 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
4.99 from 305 votes
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52 Shirley Temple Recipe
DrinksShirley Temple Recipe
Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
5 from 12 votes
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53 Pudding Milkshake Recipe
DrinksPudding Milkshake Recipe
Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
5 from 5 votes
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54 Red Velvet Milkshake Recipe
DrinksRed Velvet Milkshake Recipe
Total Time: 7 minutes minutes
5 from 9 votes
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55 Watermelon Juice Recipe
DrinksWatermelon Juice Recipe
Total Time: 8 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
4.94 from 32 votes
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56 Frozen Strawberry Lemonade Recipe
DrinksFrozen Strawberry Lemonade Recipe
Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
4.63 from 8 votes
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57 Best Strawberry Lemonade
DrinksBest Strawberry Lemonade
Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
5 from 5 votes
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58 Sonic Cherry Limeade Recipe
DrinksSonic Cherry Limeade Recipe
Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
Recipe Video
5 from 75 votes
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Our Go-To Family Valentines Dinner Recipe
For our delicious, go-to Valentine’s Dinner Recipe that our kids love, try this Heart Shaped Pizza. It’s a family favorite!
Here is the recipe:
5 from 6 votes
55+ Valentine’s Dinner Ideas – {Pizza, Spaghetti + More}
By: Lil’ Luna
Adorable homemade heart shaped pizza is deliciously simple. This tasty dish is ready to enjoy in only 30 minutes!
Servings: 2
Prep: 15 minutes mins
Cook: 15 minutes mins
Total: 30 minutes mins
Ingredients
- 1 ball pizza dough homemade or store-bought
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 30 pepperoni
- ¼ cup pizza sauce
- 1 ½ cup shredded mozzarella
- 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons chopped parsley or basil *optional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a pizza pan with parchment paper, set aside.
Fold each pepperoni in half and cut into heart shapes using kitchen shears. Place on a paper towel lined plate and microwave for 15 seconds on high. Dab any excess grease off, set aside.
Lightly flour a surface, roll dough into a heart shape, about 16 inches in width. Fold edges over and press to create the crust.
Transfer pizza dough to prepared baking sheet. Brush with olive oil, then dock the crust with a fork to prevent bubbles from forming.
Place in the oven and bake for 6 minutes. Remove and spread sauce over top, then add cheeses and pepperoni.
Return to the oven and bake for 8-12 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the pepperoni is crispy. Remove from the oven and top with fresh parsley or basil, if desired. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 2g, Calories: 1395kcal, Carbohydrates: 100g, Protein: 70g, Fat: 80g, Saturated Fat: 35g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 191mg, Sodium: 3549mg, Potassium: 344mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 15g, Vitamin A: 1519IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 1153mg, Iron: 7mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Additional Info
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Making this recipe? Tag us!
Share it with us on Instagram using the hashtag #lilluna, so we can see what you’re creating in the kitchen!
Make it Special
Whether you’re planning a romantic meal at home for just the two of you, or a festive family dinner, you’re sure to find the perfect Valentine’s Day recipes on this list.
More Collections: Easy Dinner Ideas, Sunday Dinner Ideas, Chicken Dinner Ideas
Categorized as: Extras, Food Roundup, Holiday Dinners, Holidays, Main Dishes, Recipes, Valentine's
About Kristyn
My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!
More About Kristyn
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