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Irresistibly Romantic Valentine's Day Dinner Recipes

LongIsland.com

Valentine's Day is just a couple of days away! It's not too late to find the perfect recipe for a romantic Valentine's Day dinner with that special someone.

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Photo by: Shutterstock

Valentine’s Day isn’t just about the tasty chocolates, fluffy teddy bears and bouquets of flowers. Give your Valentine something different this year by turning your home into a romantic restaurant for the evening. 
 
Surprise them with a delicious meal and some tempting desserts that they are sure to enjoy! These recipes are simple enough to make and are a great choice for both novice cooks and those who have been cooking for years.
 
Main Course
Chicken Parmesan with Pepperoni Hearts – Impress your loved one with this Italian classic made special for Valentine’s Day with tiny pepperoni hearts.
 
Ingredients:
  • Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4)
  • 2 eggs
  • ¼ cup of milk
  • ¼ cup of flour
  • 1 cup of breadcrumbs
  • ½ cup of Panko crumbs
  • ¾ grated Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ tsp. pepper
  • 1 jar marinara sauce (your choice)
  • 1 lb. spaghetti or angel hair pasta
  • 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella
  • 24-30 pepperoni slices
Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 275 degrees F.

2. Pound the chicken breasts until they’re about ½ thick.

3. Sprinkle about 2 tbsp. of oil into a large pan and heat it on medium heat

4. Whisk eggs and milk together in a bowl and combine the breadcrumbs, panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese and pepper into a separate shallow bowl.

5. Place the chicken in flour and dip into the egg mixture until completely coated with crumb mixture.

6. Place in pan until brown on both sides. (2-3 minutes on each side)

7. Cook in preheated oven for about 12-15 minutes once sides are browned.

8. While your chicken is cooking, cook noodles on the stove following box directions as well as the sauce you chose.

9. Once the chicken is cooked through, pour about ¼ cup of warmed sauce over the chicken breasts and top with mozzarella cheese and heart shaped pepperoni.

10. Once the toppings are added, put back in oven for another 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted and browned in some spots.

11. Serve over noodles and sauce and enjoy!

Appetizers & Side Dishes

If you’re interested in going all out for your Valentine, add a few more dishes to the meal as an appetizer or snack while your main course is cooking.

Mini Heart Potatoes - Instead of the classic French fry dish, add a twist by making roasted potatoes in a heart-shape.
 
Ingredients:
  • 6 large potatoes
  • ¼ cup of olive oil
  • 1-2 tsp. salt
  • Grounded pepper
  • 2 tsp. caraway seeds
  • ½ tsp. paprika (optional)
Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F & line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with a non-stick spray or use oil.

2. Add 1-2 qts. of water, 1 tbl. Salt to a pot and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.

3. While water is boiling, peel potatoes and slice them using a small metal cookie cutter. Make as many small hearts as possible.

4. Cook the potatoes for 3 minutes in simmering water, then drain and let cool slightly.

5. Combine the salt, olive oil, pepper, paprika and caraway seed into a bowl and pour over the potatoes. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes or so.

6. Place potatoes onto the baking sheet and roast them for 20-25 minutes. Broil potatoes for another 5 minutes if your oven has a broiler until they are golden brown. 

Mini Heart Quesadillas - Keeps the heart theme going with these simple to make, mouth-watering chicken quesadillas!
 
Ingredients:
  • 2 large burrito-size flour tortillas
  • 1 heart cookie cutter
  • ½ cup of diced cooked chicken
  • ½ cup of grated Monterey Jack cheese
Directions:

1. Cut out a bunch of tortilla hearts with the cookie cutter (amount depends on the size of your cookie cutter)

2. Mix the chicken and cheese together in a bowl.

3. Top the tortilla hearts with the chicken and cheese mixture then broil in oven or toaster for about 5 minutes. Turn over and broil for an additional minute.

4. Once complete, serve with sour cream, salsa or guacamole. 

Dessert 
What’s a Valentine’s Day Dinner without the dessert?! Check out these tasty treats to top off your night.
 
Red Velvet Brownies – End the meal off right with these delectable Red Velvet brownies that are sure to hit the spot.  
 
Ingredients:
Red Velvet:
  • 1 Stick unsalted butter, melted (8 tbsp.)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • salt
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 eggs
  • ¾ cup of all purpose flour
Cream Cheese:
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F & butter an 8x8 inch pan.

2. For the brownie layer, add melted butter, sugar, vanilla, salt, cocoa powder, food coloring and vinegar into a large bowl. 

3. Mix in the flour until lightly combined.

4. Pour the batter into the baking pan, saving about ⅓ of the batter for the cream cheese layer.

5. For the cream cheese layer, blend the sugar, cream cheese, egg, and vanilla into a mixing bowl.

6. Spread the cream cheese on top of the brownie batter that is in the pan then put the remaining cocoa batter over the cream cheese layer.

7. Swirl through the cream cheese mixture to create a swirl pattern using the tip of a knife.

8. Bake the brownies for 30 minutes then remove from oven and let cool.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries - Keep it simple with this Valentine’s Day favorite that your Valentine will absolutely love! A plus, it is extremely simple to prepare. 
 
Ingredients:
  • Strawberries (any amount you would like)
  • Nestle chocolate chips
  • Wax paper
  • Cookie sheet
  • Vegetable oil
Directions:

1. Boil water on the stove on medium heat and add chocolate chips. 

2. Add about one capful of vegetable oil for each bag of chocolate chips you are melting.

3. Stir chocolate until it is smooth.

4. Hold each strawberry by the stem and dip into the mixture.

5. Place strawberries on wax lined cookie sheet (make sure they are not touching one another)

6. Refrigerate for about 2 hours until chocolate is hardened.