Looking for some Valentine’s Day dinner ideas for a cozy night in – or to host a soiree for your closest friends? You’re in luck! I really enjoy celebrating Valentine’s Day, and I typically choose to do this at home.
I would rather cook a cozy dinner for two and enjoy a night in with my husband than go out to eat. We are both really into cooking, so the foods we whip up for ourselves are often more enjoyable than paying for a big dinner.
Another fun way to celebrate this holiday is to spend time with your best girlfriends. Hosting an intimate Galentine’s Day dinner is so much fun and gives you time to catch up with your besties. And rather than paying to eat out, you can create some special cocktails and a delicious dinner menu to enjoy at your house.
However you choose to spend this holiday, here are some of my favorite ideas for hosting – from the tablescape, to the drinks, to the dinner and dessert menu. I hope these Valentine’s Day dinner ideas inspire you to host a special soiree for your favorite people!
Whether you are hosting a party for your gal pals or a date night for you and your significant other, you’ll want to create a tablescape that really shines! Scour your collection of glassware and other entertaining accoutrements, as well as any Valentine’s Day knick-knacks that you have in your décor stash.
If you need anything to fill in the gaps, you can find things like plate chargers, napkins, napkin rings, and more out thrifting or at places like Hobby Lobby, Ross, or Target for a low price.
Get inspiration for your tablescape from this stunning Valentine’s Day table that I created last year. Many of these items were thrifted, borrowed, or handmade, so I didn’t spend much creating this setup. You can also look on Pinterest for additional inspiration!
[Valentine’s Day Tablescape Inspiration]
If you’re hosting a party, be sure to check out my table setting guide to learn the proper way to set up your tablescape.
When I’m trying to make a night feel extra special, I love creating a delicious craft cocktail. Creating your own is fun, but if you aren’t so inclined, here are some pink mocktail and cocktail recipes to try out.
Pink lemonade sangria has long been one of my favorite pink drinks to make. The vibrant color is perfect for Valentine’s Day. Craft two and serve you and your partner, or make them for your best girlfriends.
I first made this drink in the summer, but if you can’t find fresh berries, you can always use frozen instead. It’s a delicious and tasty drink that would be perfect to serve a group of gals for a Valentine’s Day bash.
Blood oranges are a winter fruit whose peak season is between December and April. I actually prefer blood oranges to regular, as they are sweeter and slightly less acidic. This orangey-red mocktail recipe is so sweet and delicious.
Whether you are serving two people or a group, these delicious dinner recipes are easy to put together and will allow you to truly enjoy your evening, without being bogged down in the kitchen.
For something warm and cozy for a chilly February evening, try serving this amazing crock pot chili. You can get the work done early in the day, and in the evening, you can simply serve yourself some chili and relax. Consider making a side of yummy corn bread to pair with (and maybe try cutting out the slices with a heart-shaped cookie cutter).
Another fun idea is to serve a selection of appetizers for your meal. Think mini hot dogs, nachos, spinach and artichoke dip, mozzarella sticks, pimiento cheese – whatever appetizers you love to make. We love this buffalo chicken dip, which serves two people if it’s your entire meal, but can also serve about 4-6 people if served in conjunction with other tasty apps.
Serve some battered fish tacos with a delicious homemade mango chipotle mayo. We tried this combination recently, and it was absolutely amazing! These recipes are more effort than the others I’ve shared, but the result is so worth it. For the fish tacos, you can sub the mango chipotle mayo for the slaw that the recipe calls for.
What is Valentine’s Day without a sweet treat? These tasty recipes are perfect for the occasion.
I love chocolate covered dates! They are such a special treat, yet they are easy to make. My version used butterscotch peanut butter, but if you can’t get your hands on any, regular peanut butter is a perfectly acceptable substitution.
[Chocolate Covered Dates with Butterscotch]
These brownie cookies feel so special – like a treat you got from a bakery. Sprinkle them with powdered sugar for an extra special touch. You can even cut out a heart shaped piece of paper, place in on top of the cookies, and sprinkle sugar to get a heart shape on the cookie.
These easy mug cakes are perfect if you are serving just two. They are quick and easy and save you the trouble of baking an entire cake. I made the one pictured in a heart shaped casserole dish.
For the icing on this mug cake, I followed the small batch vanilla icing recipe below, but substituted coconut oil for butter. This was an amazing swap, and I loved how it tasted!
Just keep in mind that icing made with coconut oil has a lower melting point. If you make this substitution, either allow your cake to cool before icing, or enjoy your cake warm with your icing a bit melty. The resulting icing was enough to ice about two small mug cakes.
[Small Batch Vanilla Frosting]
If you were inspired to set up a special night for your friends or significant other, I’d love to hear about it! Share your photos on Instagram and tag @LaurenMagazine, or share in the comments below.
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