Valentine Day Recipe Roundup from 101 Cooking for Two

Welcome to the Valentine Day recipe roundup. You can have a great homemade “better than restaurant quality” Valentine's dinner with a little planning, a little work, and a lot cheaper. No need to fight the crowds.

Jump to:

Breakfast
Main Course
Veggies and other side dishes
Desserts

Introduction

Don't you just love Valentine's Day? Full of love and goodwill, along with great food. But I hate 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.

How to Cook Bacon in the Oven

Easy step by step photo instructions to cooking bacon in the oven. Nothing is better than great bacon.

How To Cook Sausage in the Oven

Learn how to cook sausage in the oven with this easy to follow step by step photo instructions. Great breakfast sausage "fried" in the oven.

Oven Baked Blueberry Pancakes

Are you pancake impaired? Or just don't want the mess? Try this foolproof method for great pancakes. Super easy, just mix and bake. No skill needed.

Baked Blueberry Pancakes from 101 Cooking For Two

Carrot Cake Baked Pancakes

One of the best breakfast recipes ever, amazing carrot cake baked pancakes with maple cream cheese glaze. It is so time for dessert for breakfast or breakfast for any meal.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

EVIL GOOD. Get the great taste of cinnamon rolls with a fraction of the work. Just follow these easy step by step photo instructions. Think of it as easy cinnamon rolls.

Main Course

For us, very special meals usually mean beef but we are flexible. Although pork and chicken are great and I love Italian and Mexican, here are my top beef recipes (and one chicken). I also include a couple of enhancements.

Pan Seared Oven Roasted Strip Steak

Cook your strip steaks like the steakhouses do. Pan sear to brown and then finish cooking the steak in the oven to your taste. Easy to follow step by step photo instructions. Make it perfect the first time and every time.

How to Grill a Strip Steak on a Gas Grill

Step by step photo instruction tutorial of how to grill a strip steak. This is the never fail easy method. You are just a few minutes away from "grill master".

image of a strip steak with grill marks on a blue plate

Pan Seared Oven Roasted Filet Mignon

Cook your filet mignon the way top steakhouses do for absolute best filet mignon ever. Pan sear and finish in the oven. And it is so simple to do.

Image of a medium rare done filtet mignon

How to Grill a Filet Mignon on a Gas Grill

Grilled Filet Mignon. A very special meal for very special times or as an everyday surprise. As good as it sounds and it can be yours with this simple technique.

How to Grill Filet Mignon on a Gas Grill from 101 Cooking For Two

How to Grill a T-bone or Porterhouse Steak – A Tutorial

How to grill a T-bone steak seems to be a problem for a lot of people. You can be the "grill master" too and have an excellent grilled steak in about 10 minutes every time. Learn how with these easy to follow step by step photo instructions.

Picture of a nice porterhouse steak with grill marks on a blue plate with french fries

Parmesan Mayonnaise Baked Chicken Breast

This skinless boneless chicken breast recipe has everything. It's extremely moist with great taste and a little crunchiness. Plus, it is SIMPLE. You can never have enough great chicken breast recipes.

Parmesan Baked Chicken Breast from 101 Cooking for Two

Enhancements

The Best Steak Marinade

Step that steak up a few notches with an excellent marinade that will add tons of flavor and tenderness. Easy to do and all your friends will want the recipe.

Blue Cheese and Garlic Compound Butter

This wonderful blue cheese and garlic compound butter will add layers of butter, garlic, and blue cheese to make the meal extra special.

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.

Baked Bacon Green Beans

Jazz up your boring side dishes with these outstanding baked bacon green beans. Ultra easy from frozen beans. Topped with bacon and cooked with butter and brown sugar, this will be a family staple.

image of Bacon Green Beans on an orange plate

Crispy Parmesan Baked Potatoes

Meet your new favorite side dish, crispy parmesan crusted potato half infused with garlic and butter. Just follow these easy step by step photo instructions.

Green Beans with Toasted Almonds

Simple one pan stovetop fresh green beans with toasted almonds make a great side dish for family or a special meal. A one-pan recipe that is so easy, it will be your go-to green bean recipe.

green beans with almonds on a white plate

Old Fashion Cheesy Potato Casserole

Our favorite side dish. No special family meal is complete without this delicious old fashion cheese potato casserole. Just follow these easy step by step photo instructions.

close up image of cheesy potato casserole on a white plate

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.

60 Minute Dinner Rolls

Great homemade yeast dinner rolls in 60 minutes. Just fire up the mixer and follow these easy step by step photo instructions.

image of nicely browned dinner rolls still in a baking pan being brushed

Desserts

Sweet endings are a must for a great meal but especially important on Valentine's Day. I would skip everything for one of these.

Easy Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Absolutely awesome "REAL" cheesecake. Not one of those "no cook" pie pan things. And it is easy... so easy with only six ingredients. Just follow the easy step by step photo instructions.