Are you looking to stay in this Valentine’s Day? You still need to eat! Here are my best at-home Valentine’s Day dinner ideas for couples and families alike!
I make no secret about the fact that I much prefer staying home on Valentine’s Day. And I think you should stay home too. It’s just not worth braving the cold temperatures and the crowds for an experience that it usually less than stellar. But just because you decide to stay home on Valentine’s Day doesn’t mean you don’t celebrate. An at-home Valentine’s Day celebration is easier, cheaper, and much less stressful, whether you decide to celebrate as a couple or make it a family affair.
Although of course I love the idea of easy little Valentine’s Day traditions being part of your celebration, the cornerstone of any celebration is, of course, food. What the heck do you make for dinner when you’re staying home to celebrate Valentine’s Day?
I am not a fancy food kind of gal. I like to keep food pretty casual, even when I’m celebrating. For an at-home Valentine’s Day dinner, I tend to pick a meal that’s just a little out of the ordinary. Food that’s just a little special doesn’t stress you out, but it makes you feel like you’re celebrating. This is the sweet spot for at-home Valentine’s Day dinner.
You can make an at-home Valentine’s Day dinner that hits the right note whether you’re celebrating just with your sweetheart or with your whole family. Of course, adult and kid palates and preferences can be pretty different, so you’ll want to pick a dinner that everyone eating it will enjoy. If you don’t have a meal in mind, this list is for you! Here are simple but special at-home Valentine’s Day dinner ideas for couples and families.
At-Home Valentine’s Day Dinner Ideas
Couples
If you’re just feeding your partner and yourself with your at-home Valentine’s Day dinner, think elevated. Take a staple meal and make it just a little bit special. If you don’t know how to do this, I’ve got a few ideas.
Steak
Steak is the classic choice for carnivores on Valentine’s Day, and I think it’s because most of us don’t have steak for dinner very often. It just feels a little special. Because it’s the protein choice here that feels special, you don’t need to do much else to it. In fact, I prefer to cook steak simply, with just salt, pepper, and butter (don’t skimp on the butter!).
If I’m making an at-home Valentine’s Day dinner for just my husband and me, I tend to pick a cut of steak that’s a little nicer than what I would choose on a random Saturday night. We like filet mignons and NY strip steaks best when we’re celebrating with steak. But if you prefer a different cut of meat, go for whatever is your favorite!
On the side
My favorite things to eat alongside a steak are classic, so nothing groundbreaking here. I love a good baked potato and if I really want to feel fancy, I might make scalloped potatoes. And, because I’m an adult and I know that I need to consistently consume vegetables, I’ll add some sort of roasted vegetable. Usually this is broccoli, but it could just as easily be green beans or carrots. My secret to any roasted vegetable is to season them with adobo seasoning instead of salt. It’s a game-changer.
Pasta
If you aren’t a meat-eater, a red meat-eater, or you’re just not in the mood for steak, a pasta that feels a little fancy is a good choice. I’m not saying you can’t make spaghetti and meatballs if that’s what you’re craving, you do you, but at-home Valentine’s Day dinner is a good opportunity to break out of your normal routine. My suggestions for pasta dishes that might feel a little special are carbonara (if you eat meat, of course) and vegetable lasagna. They’re still comforting and not super hard to make, but they just feel a little bit extra. Perfect for an at-home Valentine’s Day dinner.
On the side
I crave a simple side salad when I eat pasta. My body wants to balance out all the heavy carbs and cheese, I suppose. My go-to side salad isn’t complicated. I chop Romaine lettuce and then throw in cucumbers, baby carrots, and maybe some grape tomatoes. I then toss it with a simple Italian dressing and some croutons. It just hits the spot.
If you choose a pasta dish for your at-home Valentine’s Day dinner, I highly recommend that you make homemade garlic bread to go with it. I learned how to make homemade garlic bread from my Mam, who could cook only 2 or 3 edible things. If she could make this be delicious, you can too!
Garlic bread
Buy a loaf of fresh Italian bread. Don’t get it pre-sliced! Slice the bread such that the bottom of the bread remains connected to the loaf. Melt 5-6 Tbsp butter and to it add 5-6 cloves of minced garlic. Take a pastry brush and paint both sides of each slice of bread with the garlic butter. You should have some left over and you’re going to want to pour that over the top. Wrap your loaf in tin foil and pop it into a 400°F oven for 15-20 minutes. Heaven awaits you.
Chicken
If you are more of a poultry-loving couple, you can make chicken feel fancy enough for an at-home Valentine’s Day dinner if you choose wisely. My #1 pick for a fancy-feeling chicken dish is the appropriately named Marry Me chicken. It’s lightly pan-fried chicken in a sundried tomato cream sauce. It tastes divine and it comes together super quickly. A very good option for when Valentine’s Day falls on a weeknight.
On the side
You need to serve something alongside your Marry Me chicken that can soak up the delicious sauce from the chicken. Mashed potatoes, rice, and pasta work equally well here. I would choose to toss together a simple side salad with this dish too.
Pork
If you prefer the other white meat, why not go for broke? I’m talking pork on pork deliciousness. If you make pork for your at-home Valentine’s Day dinner this year, make it bacon wrapped pork tenderloin. You will swoon. Your partner will swoon. A happy Valentine’s Day indeed.
On the side
I don’t know why, but I always want rice when I eat pork tenderloin. Specifically rice pilaf. If you’re crunched for time, some of the boxed options are actually quite good. Of course, you can make it from scratch with just a few extra minutes, so just know your day and what you can take on.
I also like to serve some sort of vegetable with my pork tenderloin. You can go the roasted route (don’t forget the adobo seasoning!) or do a simple steamed veggie if want something that feels a little fresher.
Families
If I’m making dinner at home, even on Valentine’s Day, I don’t want to make it twice. So, for me, an at-home Valentine’s Day dinner needs to be family-friendly. For at-home Valentine’s Day dinners for families, I tend to lean more celebratory and less fancy. Holiday meals should be fun!
Sliders
There is something so fun about miniature food. That definitely includes miniature sandwiches, otherwise known as sliders. And my kids agree – if I make food mini, they are way more likely to eat it. We went through a period of time a bit ago when they wouldn’t eat burgers. But sliders? They gobbled them up! Sliders remain a favorite in my house too.
The only “problem” with sliders is that you can make so many different varieties so it’s hard to choose which one to choose for an at-home Valentine’s Day dinner. Let me narrow it down for you.
Burgers
If you want burger sliders, absolutely make the crunchy sheet pan sliders from Caro Chambers’ new cookbook. They were our favorite new dinner from January. I included a streamlined recipe in my January Things 2025 post if you don’t have the cookbook or it won’t arrive in time for Valentine’s Day.
Chicken
Is chicken more your jam? Caro includes a chicken parmesan sliders recipe in her book too. You basically make a big chicken patty from ground chicken, slap it on slider buns and top with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese. Brush the top buns with garlic butter and bake until gooey and melty. What have we learned today? You need Caro’s cookbook.
Meatless
Want a meatless variation? I am obsessed with Half Baked Harvest’s pull apart street corn dip sliders. You can absolutely use frozen corn for these (I have many times), so they’re accessible during the winter for Valentine’s Day.
Taco bar
Tacos are so fun, especially you can make them yourself from a plethora of toppings. My kids love when dinner is do-it-yourself. It’s one of my best tips to actually get your kids to eat their dinner. Tacos are one of the easiest (and tastiest) do-it-yourself dinners out there, so we often choose tacos when we are celebrating.
All you need to do is pick a protein or two (chicken, ground beef, beans, tofu, etc.) and go wild with toppings. Shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, and guacamole are good toppings to start with, but let your stomach be your guide. Add some rice on the side and you’ve got yourself a well-rounded meal for your at-home Valentine’s Day dinner.
Pizza
I love the idea of making a heart-shaped pizza for dinner as an easy Valentine’s Day tradition. Everyone loves pizza (well, most everyone) and it’s so easy to get your hands on a heart shaped one for an at-home Valentine’s Day dinner. If you have a few spare minutes, you can shape homemade (or storebought) pizza dough into a heart shape and load it up with the toppings of your choice (which is cheese if you have young kids). Heck, you can even just cut pepperoni into heart shapes and stick with the traditional round crust if that’s more your style.
If the day gets away from you, just order a heart-shaped pizza from your local Domino’s. We can all make this at-home Valentine’s Day dinner work.
Pancakes
Breakfast for dinner has always been one of my favorite meals. I absolutely love breakfast food, but I don’t have time to make it in the morning. This is especially true for a labor-intensive breakfast like pancakes or French toast. If your family loves breakfast food too, why not make breakfast for your at-home Valentine’s Day dinner?
My go-to breakfast for dinner selection is pancakes. They are just so good. And pretty easy to make heart-shaped for Valentine’s Day too. Round out your breakfast for dinner meal with your breakfast meat of choice (always bacon in my house) and some fresh fruit and you’ve got a fun holiday meal on your hands. Don’t forget the maple syrup!
Other posts
Are you looking for more Valentine’s Day content? What about more dinner ideas? You’ve come to the right place. Check out these posts:
Tell me, what are you making for your at-home Valentine’s Day dinner this year? Share down below or over on Instagram @sarainseason.
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