Don't let that big game on Sunday distract you, Valentine's Day is coming fast, and you must get your plan in place. Not doing it is like missing your anniversary—no excuses. Get planning today with some of these easy and delicious recipes.
Jump To:
We love Valentine's Day. Full of love and goodwill, along with great food. But I wouldn't say I like crowded restaurants. We can do much better at home. Let's review some of my top recipes that are easy to make.
Breakfast
We all need a great start to the day. We always go with the baked sausage and blueberry pancake. So good.
How to Cook Bacon in the Oven—Quick and Easy
Oven baked bacon is the easiest way to cook bacon with no mess and no splatter while you do something else—perfect crispy bacon every time from your convection oven on an aluminum foil covered tray.
Check Out This Recipe
How To Cook Sausage in the Oven
Cooking sausage in the oven is the best and easiest way to cook any sausage, like breakfast sausage patties or links, smoked sausage, Kielbasa, Italian sausage, or even brats—perfectly moist and tender results.
Check Out This Recipe
Baked Blueberry Pancakes
Delicious and fluffy oven-baked blueberry pancakes make a great breakfast. No standing there flipping all morning—just mix and bake. Make them as plain baked pancakes, or add the suggested blueberries or other fruit.
Check Out This Recipe
Baked Carrot Cake Pancakes with Cream Cheese Glaze
One of the best breakfast recipes is this amazing baked carrot cake pancake with cream cheese glaze. It is time for dessert for breakfast or breakfast for any meal.
Check Out This Recipe
Small Cinnamon Roll Cake
Cinnamon Roll Cake is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert. All the wonderful taste of gooey Cinnabon rolls and topped with a drizzle of vanilla icing. This easy smaller recipe is ideal for a small household or quickly doubled to full size.
Check Out This Recipe
Steak, Steak, and More Steak
For us, an extraordinary meal starts with beef, but we are flexible. Although pork and chicken are great, and I love Italian and Mexican, here are my top beef recipes, plus a chicken and pork if you must. I also include a couple of enhancements.
How to Grill a Ribeye Steak on the Grill
Learn How to Grill a Ribeye Steak on the Grill that is tender and juicy with these easy step-by-step photo instructions. You can be the grill master, too.
Check Out This Recipe
How to Grill Filet Mignon
Learn how to grill filet mignon to perfection with this simple technique in about 10 minutes. You can easily cook the best filets for your special dinner tonight.
Check Out This Recipe
Pan Seared Filet Mignon
The perfect filet mignon recipe uses the tried and true sear and oven bake method to get the best filet mignon every time—moist, tender, and flavorful.
Check Out This Recipe
Pan Seared Oven Roasted Strip Steak
Quick and easy, this New York Strip Steak Recipe uses the tried and true sear and oven bake method to get the best steaks every time. Your steaks will be moist, tender, and flavorful.
Check Out This Recipe
How to Grill Strip Steak on a Gas Grill
Learn to grill your New York strip steaks to perfection on your grill. The best juice and tender strip steaks are easy with this never-fail recipe that will serve you well for many years.
Check Out This Recipe
How to Grill a T-bone or Porterhouse Steak – A Tutorial
Grilled T-bone and Porterhouse steaks are easy with just a few steps. Start with a great steak, season simply, and cook over high heat. What is more traditional than grilled T-bone and porterhouse steaks? Let's get to it.
Check Out This Recipe
Steak Enhancements
The Best Steak Marinade
This easy, mouth-watering steak marinade is not only insanely good but adds tenderness to any steak in as little as 30 minutes. Using soy sauce, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and a few other pantry ingredients, you can have the best juicy steak at home in less than an hour.
Check Out This Recipe
Blue Cheese Compound Butter
Make that steak or vegetables pop with this excellent blue cheese compound butter with garlic. Adding butter, blue cheese, and garlic will make any steak special and enhance most vegetable and potato dishes.
Check Out This Recipe
Easy Italian
I'm always up for great Italian and double points if it's easy.
Crock Pot Baked Ziti
This easy Crock Pot Baked Zit has delicious meat sauce, three kinds of cheese, and uses uncooked pasta. You can have the best Italian for dinner tonight.
Check Out This Recipe
Healthier Baked Chicken Parmesan
Better than restaurant quality, this Healthier Baked Chicken Parmesan recipe can be made at home in about an hour with these easy step by step photo instructions.
Check Out This Recipe
Mayo Parmesan Chicken
You can't have enough great chicken recipes, and this quick and easy recipe uses only a few ingredients and goes in the oven in about 10 minutes. Also known as Melt in Your Mouth Chicken (MIYM), it makes a moist and delicious easy dinner.
Check Out This Recipe
Soups
Soups are good as the main dish or an additional course. All are easy and can be made ahead.
Easy Crock Pot French Onion Soup—Long and Slow
Classic French onion soup features beefy broth loaded with caramelized onions, then topped with crusty bread and melted cheese. With only 10 minutes of preparation, you let your crock pot handle the all-day long low and slow cooking.
Check Out This Recipe
Quick & Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup
This quick and easy Broccoli Cheese Soup uses fresh or frozen broccoli and cheddar, Velveeta, or other cheeses. Make it a copycat of Panera's Broccoli Cheese Soup or one of the other variations.
Check Out This Recipe
Easy Pasta e Fagioli Soup—Stovetop or Crock Pot
Pasta e Fagioli soup is thick and hardy with beans, pasta, vegetables, a spicy tomato sauce, and optional meat. You can easily make this Olive Garden copycat at home on the stovetop or in your crock pot.
Check Out This Recipe
Veggies and other side dishes
Side dishes make or break the meal. Here are some of our favorites—a little of this and a little of that.
Roasted Red Potatoes
Quick and easy with only four ingredients, crispy oven Roasted Red Potatoes are the perfect side dish for any meal, including that special holiday spread—crispy on the outside with a tender inside.
Check Out This Recipe
Baked Green Beans with Bacon
Baked green beans with bacon are the perfect side dish for almost any meal. This easy green bean recipe features a sweet and savory sauce with brown sugar and garlic topping tender green beans sprinkled with bacon.
Check Out This Recipe
Parmesan Baked Potatoes
Quick and easy Parmesan Baked Potatoes halves have a creamy center and a crispy Parmesan cheese crust with butter and garlic.
Check Out This Recipe
Green Beans with Almonds—Quick & Easy
One pan and 20 minutes to make this delicious side dish of fresh green beans with toasted almonds and garlic. Use only fresh ingredients to make the simplified version of Green Beans Almondine the whole family will love.
Check Out This Recipe
Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
This caramelized Parmesan roasted cauliflower recipe will become your favorite way to cook cauliflower. Using fresh or frozen, it makes a great hot baked side dish.
Check Out This Recipe
Cheesy Potatoes with Real Potatoes
Cheesy potatoes with real potatoes from scratch, like grandma would make. Perfect with almost any meal. With no soup and no frozen potatoes, it is loaded with creamy real potatoes, sour cream, melted cheese, and a browned top.
Check Out This Recipe
Easy Yeast Dinner Rolls in 60 Minutes
Do you need a bread course for that special meal? Whip up some homemade 60 minute rolls with this easy recipe. Golden brown and buttery these tender yeast rolls will be the talk of the meal.
Check Out This Recipe
Desserts
Sweet endings are a must for a great meal but are especially important on Valentine's Day. I would skip everything for one of these.
Berry Crisp for Two or More
An irresistible berry crisp for two that's easy to adjust up or down to fit your needs. While I used fresh blueberries, any fresh or frozen berries will work. Just follow the easy step-by-step photo instructions.
Check Out This Recipe
Easy Flourless Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache Glaze
It's easy to make this classic, eloquent dessert by following simple step-by-step instructions. Finish with a chocolate ganache glaze, and you have the perfect decadent ending to any special dinner.
Check Out This Recipe
Easy Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
Chocolate chip cheesecake is a creamy, decadent dessert but is one of the easiest recipes to make. While it is not "cheesecake for two," it will become your signature dessert for gatherings. Just follow the easy step-by-step photos to impress your friends and family.
Check Out This Recipe
Apple Berry Crumble—Quick & Easy
A quick and easy version of an old-fashion apple crumble even the beginner can make. Go the easy route with frozen berries and pie filling, or use fresh berries and apples. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the perfect company dessert or a family favorite.
Check Out This Recipe
Candy
Something special for the ones you love. Add red sprinkle candies to the nut clusters to make them special for the holiday.
Crock Pot White Chocolate Almond Clusters
Super easy and delicious white chocolate almond clusters are the perfect gift for the holidays or for any special occasion. Simple with these step by step photo instruction for the perfect white chocolate candy.
Check Out This Recipe
Crock Pot Chocolate Peanut Clusters
Chocolate peanut clusters are the best candy treat and are super easy to make at home in your crock pot. Lightly salted peanuts covered with sweet chocolate coating make the perfect gift, or keep them all for yourself—you can always make more with this smaller recipe.Only a few ingredients.
Check Out This Recipe
Candied Almonds or Other Candied Nuts
This easy roasted candied almonds recipe makes the perfect holiday gift and a great crunchy party snack. Or make some delicious candied mixed nuts or other nuts with only a few ingredients and minimal skill.
Check Out This Recipe
Editor's Note: Originally Published February 11, 2017, and updated yearly with new recommendations.
Jane
Your Flourless Chocolate Cake is a favourite in this Canadian household. The only debate is to whether the Ganache tastes better made with cream or sour cream. Thank you for your sensible achievable recipes.