Between the drain on your bank account and the dreaded task of making reservations, sometimes going out for date night can feel like more trouble than it’s worth. Whether you’re already coupled or single and mingling, hosting a dinner at home can be a fun bonding experience. What’s more intimate than inviting someone into your home and cooking together? To take the stress out of planning and cleaning, we rounded up quick and delicious homemade dinners and desserts that are perfect for two. Bonus: We’ve got a couple healthy cocktail recipes to take the edge off any nerves, too.
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13 Healthy Date Night Recipes
1. Easy Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
Nothing says “fancy” quite like planning a multi-course date night meal. This comforting tomato soup recipe looks impressive, but keeps things extra easy for a delicious appetizer. The main ingredient is just a tray of roasted tomatoes and garlic (which we bet you could even prep ahead). Photo and recipe: Layla Atik / Gimme Delicious Food
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2. Spaghetti with Mushroom Herb Cream Sauce
Make like Disney’s Lady and the Tramp with this delicious adult spaghetti dish. This restaurant-status recipe cooks in under 30 minutes at home. It’s not only a comforting meal, but also incredibly wallet-friendly, meaning you can splurge on the wine and dessert to go with it. The recipe calls for half a pound of pasta to make four servings, which would make for very small portions. Serve with a salad or throw in some pre-made turkey sausage or ground turkey meatballs to make it a heartier meal. Photo and recipe: Chungah Rhee / Damn Delicious
3. Healthier Fettucine Alfredo
You don’t need to fly to Italy to get an authentic experience at home. This healthier fettucine alfredo recipe helps you avoid the calorie bombs at most restaurants, while offering up a high-quality, indulgent meal. Made with less than half the cheese you’d see in a traditional recipe, this dish allows you to do as the Italians do: Enjoy a small plate of pasta with a big serving of veggies. If your date is vegan, follow our recipe for preparing a cauliflower pasta sauce. Photo and recipe: Erin Dooner / Texanerin Baking
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4. Vegetarian Sushi Bowl Recipe
If you’ve tried making sushi at home, you already know it’s basically graduate-level home cooking. This sushi bowl recipe combines rice and nori (seaweed) in the base of the bowl to save you hours of detail-oriented sushi-rolling labor. Not vegetarian? Learn more about poke bowls and try topping your sushi bowl with raw fish, too. P.S. Don’t skip the Sriracha mayo here — it’s a game changer! Photo and recipe: Kathryne Taylor / Cookie and Kate
5. Lemon Pepper Sheet Pan Salmon
Take the stress out of preparing an elaborate meal with this make-ahead sheet pan salmon. Make ahead plus sheet pan meal equals more Netflix and chill time and less prep and clean up. A simple dry rub adds all the flavor you need, and the yogurt sauce is a versatile topping you can use for other meals throughout the week. This recipe makes four servings, but if you don’t fancy reheated fish, you can easily halve the recipe. Photo and recipe: Denise / Sweet Peas and Saffron
6. Garlic, Wine and Butter Steamed Clams
Garlic. Wine. Butter. What more is there to say? Wine-steamed clams feel like an indulgent (read: spendy) meal out at a restaurant, but are actually remarkably affordable at home. Once you’ve shelled out for your seafood, the rest of the meal can largely be made from ingredients you have on hand. Plus, you get to drink the rest of the wine with dinner. Photo and recipe: Deb Perelman / Smitten Kitchen
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7. Spicy Shrimp with Cauliflower Mash and Garlic Kale
If your sweetheart is a picky eater, the little bit of bacon grease in the kalettes will make them want to eat all the greens. (Sub regular kale if you can’t get your hands on the adorable kale-Brussels sprout hybrid.) And as for the creamy cauliflower mash, they won’t be able to tell the difference. Your secret is safe with us! Photo and recipe: Lindsay Ostrom / Pinch of Yum
8. Slow-Cooked Baked Boneless BBQ Short Ribs
Do your date night cravings veer more toward the saucy and meaty end of the spectrum? You’ll love these easy BBQ short ribs. While there is very little active prep involved in this recipe, the three-hour cook time makes it perfect for a Saturday night dinner for two. We can think of no better reward waiting for you at the end of a hectic Saturday of errands, cleaning or whatever else life sends your way. Photo and recipe: Jennifer Segal / Once Upon a Chef
9. Garlic Steak & Cheesy Bacon Potato Hash Foil Packs
Skip the steakhouse and stay in. These foil packets can be cooked on the grill (what better excuse for your very own outdoor dinner and a movie night?!). But you can also make them over stovetop by sticking your foil packet straight into a cast iron pan. Best part: No dishes when you’re done! Photo and recipe: Karina Carrel / Cafe Delites
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10. Rosemary Olive Oil Ice Cream
If you don’t split dessert, did you even have a date? Marrying savory and sweet, this homemade ice cream is perfect for the yin to your yang. The classic scoop gets a majorly shmancy pants upgrade with olive oil and rosemary flavors. We’re not saying you have to, but you might want to strongly consider topping this ice cream with balsamic-glazed strawberries. Photo and recipe: Anetta / The Wanderlust Kitchen
11. White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cheesecake
While the name might sound like a majorly unhealthy dessert, this white chocolate macadamia nut cheesecake is actually gluten-free and vegan. The single-serving ramekin cups mean you can continue enjoying it for days afterward — without the risk of “accidentally” finishing the rest of the cake in a single sitting. Photo and recipe: Dana Shultz / Minimalist Baker
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12. Lemon Ginger Gimlets
While cocktails at the bar are often laden with super-sweetened juices and sodas, an at-home lemon ginger gimlet is much more waistline-friendly with sparkling water and just a hint of sweetness from agave nectar (or your sweetener of choice). Photo and recipe: Jeanine Donofrio / Love and Lemons
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13. Rose and Rosé Bourbon Cocktail
Rose, wine and whiskey add up to the perfect his and hers cocktail recipe. (And you can’t deny the pink-red hue is extra-romantic.) Look for food-grade rose water or roses to make the syrup. Not a fan of the intense tartness of grapefruit? Swap the grapefruit slice garnish for just a twist. Photo and recipe: Ana Stanciu / Hello Glow
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