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Easy Date Night Dinner Ideas to Make at Home

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It is possible to create a romantic evening, at home, even with the kids around. And this list of Date Night Dinner Ideas will help make it delicious!

Date night in is super important but it can be hard to get out of the house sometimes. And you don’t need to! Just light some candles, cook together and reconnect.

Man and women clinking wine glasses in a cheers.
These date night dinner ideas are some of our favorites!

This post was originally published on August 25, 2020 and has now been updated with even more details to make these date night dinner recipes.

You’ll love these Date Night Dinner Ideas

For the most part, my husband and I enjoy staying home. While we like to get dressed up and check out a new restaurant from time to time, we also love to be cozy at home.

From time to time we try to do a quick romantic weekend getaway to Palm Springs because we love to relax in the desert. But with the busyness of life, sometimes it can be harder to plan a date night than a weekend getaway.

When we feel like we need to carve out time for each other, we look at the ideas from my Date Nights for Homebodies post.

But sometimes just planning a themed date night feels like too much work. So even just making time to share a meal between just the 2 of you is all you really need.

You’ve got to eat dinner anyway, and it can totally feel like a date night. I gathered up a list of easy date night recipes to make at home.

These recipes aren’t difficult, but feel special. With options like lobster tail and grilled salmon, these meals feel different from a typical weeknight but are still totally doable.

Or browse this list of easy Sheet Pan Dinner Recipes so you can get to that movie, or whatever you have on deck for the night faster.

Collage of date night dinner ideas.

What’s a good date night dinner?

In my opinion, a good date night dinner is a recipe that is new to both of you.

Cooking together can be part of the date experience and learning something new together is always fun.

Date night dinner ideas should be delicious and allow you to linger over the conversation. And it doesn’t hurt if you create a romantic ambiance also. (Here’s a great summer playlist that will bring chill vibes into the kitchen).

Make some cocktails or grab a glass of wine and enjoy getting the meal together.

This list of dinner recipes features tons of options that are perfect no matter what season you are in. There are a lot of yummy pasta dishes to choose from and options for meat and seafood too.

This list has everything you need to enjoy a delicious night in together.

Create a Romantic Table

The big thing here is that you don’t want it to feel like every other dinner. Find easy ways to make it feel special.

These romantic table ideas don’t need to break the bank or take tons of time but make dinner at home feel out of the ordinary.

Quick ideas to make dinner feel romantic

  • Use a tablecloth and linen napkins
  • Put fresh flowers on the table
  • Dim the lights and eat by candlelight
  • Create a romantic playlist
  • Pour a little wine
  • Use different dishware

Just get creative. If the kids are old enough, maybe you can even enlist them to serve you! Which could totally add stress…

And while you can’t probably do anything too wild with the kids at home, you can absolutely get to know each other better with a love language card game.

Plan a night for the kids

While you don’t want to shut your kids up in their bedrooms, you absolutely can set them up for a fun night of their own, so you can enjoy time together.

Serve them dinner early. Whether you make it or order something in, no biggie.

Suggest they build a fort and watch a movie. Set them up with some movie candy or popcorn.

They may not stay in their rooms the whole night, but it is ok for the kids to know that time alone with your partner is important.

Try to preplan for their needs so your attention doesn’t get pulled away from your date night.

And then just roll with it! Don’t let anything stress you out. We’re all in the same boat. Just let yourself find moments of enjoyment where you can.

Date Night Dinner Recipes

These easy date night dinner ideas will help you create a delicious evening to share with your partner. Set a romantic table and enjoy one of these over 40 recipes to cook and share together.

Pasta

There's ever a bad time for pasta! Whether you are cooking together or you're prepping ahead of time, pasta is always a great date night dinner idea.

Seafood and Shellfish

Seafood isn't for everyone. But if you and your spouse enjoy seafood and shellfish, this section is for you!

Steak

Red meat is a delicious option that feels sophisticated and perfect for date night.

Chicken

Chicken doesn't have to be boring. These easy date night ideas are elevated and anything but run of the mill.

Something Different

You may not serve Lamp Chops all the time, but it's totally something you can make at home. Give it a try on your next date night.

Veggie Options

While we don't have any full-on vegetarians in our house, here are a few options in case you do!

I bet you can’t just pick one of these great date night dinner ideas! But that just means you’ll have to plan another one.

Even easier dinner ideas for date night

Looking for a few even easier dinner ideas for date night?

It’s more about spending that much needed time together than what you are eating really!

These date night dinner ideas will keep you both happy and allow you to spend a delicious, stress-free evening together at home.

Have you been making time for date nights? Leave a comment and let me know what you have been doing!

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