Thirty very special recipes for Valentine's Day, all delicious, economical, and scale easily for two and smaller households.
Valentine's Day is coming fast, and you must make a plan, but let's find some small-batch recipes that fit your needs.
We love Valentine's Day- it is full of love, goodwill, and great food. But crowded restaurants are not our favorite places, and you can do much better at home. Let's review some of my top recipes that are easy to make.
All these recipes are designed for two or fewer households. They are either already small or can be adjusted according to the instructions in the recipe post.
Smaller Breakfast Recipes
We all need a great start to the day. We always go with baked sausage and blueberry pancakes. They're so good.
How to Cook Bacon in a Convection Oven
The easiest way to cook crispy bacon is in a convection oven on aluminum foil for easy cleanup of the bacon grease. Use standard or thick-cut bacon to make great crispy bacon strips for breakfast or other uses.
Convection Oven Bacon
How To Cook Sausage in the Oven
The best and easiest way to cook crispy and juicy breakfast sausage patties or links is in the oven. We always bake breakfast sausage patties or links, Italian sausages, or other full-size sausages for perfect sausages every time without the mess.
Oven Baked Breakfast Sausage Patties
Baked Blueberry Pancakes
Delicious and fluffy oven-baked blueberry pancakes make a great breakfast. No standing there flipping all morning—mix and bake.
Baked Blueberry Pancakes
Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake
This Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake recipe is fast and easy to make in under an hour. Filled with the sweetness of Cinnabun cinnamon rolls, topped with a tasty caramelized streusel topping and a frosting glaze, it is the perfect breakfast, brunch, or dessert recipe.
Recipe for Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake
Oven Baked Carrot Cake Pancakes with Cream Cheese Glaze
One of the best breakfast recipes is this amazing Oven Baked Carrot Cake Pancake with cream cheese glaze. It is time for dessert for breakfast or breakfast for any meal.
Recipe for Carrot Cake Pancakes
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
Tender and juicy grilled Ribeye Steak perfectly every time with this quick and easy ribeye steak recipe. With only a few minutes of prep, simple seasoning, and about 10 minutes on your BBQ grill, you can have the best steak dinner for your family or special occasions.
Recipe for Grilling Ribeyes
Pan Seared Oven Roasted Strip Steak
Quick and easy, this New York Strip Steak recipe uses the classic sear-and-bake method to get the best moist and tender steaks every time. Trim and season, then a fast pan sear and finish to temperature in the oven.
Seared and Oven Baked Strip Steaks
How to Grill Filet Mignon
Learn How to Grill Filet Mignon to perfection in about 10 minutes. With these simple step-by-step photo instructions, you can easily cook the best grilled filet mignon.
Grilled Fillet Mignon
Pan Seared Oven Roasted Filet Mignon
Learn to cook filet mignon like the best steakhouses. Start by pan-searing it briefly in a cast iron skillet, then finish cooking it in the oven. Fast and easy, it makes perfectly juicy and tender beef filet steak.
Seared and Bake Filet Mignon
Grilled New York Strip Steaks
Perfectly Grilled NY Strip Steaks on the Gas Grill are fast and easy with this never-fail recipe. Fire up that backyard BBQ for some juicy, flavorful, and tender strip steaks—we grill steaks several times a month
How to Grill New York Strips
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. Get perfect grilled steaks every time.
Grilling Perfect Porterhouse Steaks
Steak Enhancements
Easy Steak Marinade
This Easy Steak Marinade recipe is quick to make and use. Perfectly balanced acid and savory flavors make this the best homemade steak marinade. While we use it mainly for New York Strip steaks, it is excellent with any beef steak cooked on the grill or stove.
The Best Steak Marinade
Steak Butter with Blue Cheese and Garlic
Steak Butter with Blue Cheese and Garlic is the perfect enhancement for NY strips, t-bones, rib-eyes, filets, or porterhouse steaks. Try it on burgers and vegetables for extraordinary flavor. Add a special layer of creamy flavor to your meal with this fast and easy compound butter recipe.
Blue Cheese Compound Butter
Easy Smaller Italian Recipes
Everybody loves great Italian. Here are recipes you can easily adjust to your needs.
Crock Pot Baked Ziti
Delicious Crock Pot Baked Zit has delicious meat sauce, three kinds of cheese, plus uncooked pasta baked in the slow cooker. You can have the best Italian pasta for dinner tonight.
Crock Pot Baked Ziti
Healthy Chicken Parmesan—Oven Baked
This Healthy Chicken Parmesan is oven-baked in about an hour with chicken cutlets and pantry ingredients. Perfect for two or a crowd with better-than-restaurant results.
Healthy Chicken Parmesan
Mayo Parmesan Chicken
Known as Melt-in-Your-Mouth Chicken, Mayo Parmesan Chicken is oven-baked, skinless boneless chicken breasts coated with garlic, Parmesan, mayonnaise, and a sprinkle of Panko bread crumbs. A fast and easy-to-make recipe that's crunchy, moist, and tender baked mayo chicken breasts for a perfect weeknight dinner.
Mayo Parmesan Chicken
Smaller Soup Recipes
Soups are good as the main dish or an additional course. All are easy and can be made ahead. The post includes instructions for cooking in 2-quart mini crock pots, but they may also be made in larger crock pots.
Crock Pot French Onion Soup
Crock Pot French Onion Soup is an easy and economical way to make classic French onion soup at home without standing at the stove all day. With rich buttery caramelized onions in a rich broth, topped with toasted crusty bread and melted cheese.
Crock Pot French Onion Soup
Crock Pot Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup
Rich and creamy, this easy Crock Pot Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup is made with frozen or fresh broccoli, cheddar cheese, and common ingredients in only a few minutes of prep before going in your slow cooker—the perfect comfort food for a cold winter day.
Crock Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup
Crock Pot Beef Barley Soup
An easy and delicious dump-and-go crock pot beef barley soup recipe with tender stew meat, beef broth, vegetables, and plump barley. Use any size slow cooker, from mini crock pots to full-size.
Beef Barley Soup 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, but all easily adjustable.
Oven Roasted Baby Potatoes
Quick and easy Oven Roasted Baby Potatoes make the perfect side dish for any meal—great garlic-tasting crisp potatoes on the outside with a tender inside.
Oven Roasted Baby Potatoes
Baked Green Beans with Bacon
Baked Green Beans with Bacon are the perfect side dish with any meal—an easy green bean recipe with brown sugar, garlic, bacon, and tender green beans.
Baked Green Beans with Bacon
Parmesan Baked Potatoes
Quick and easy Parmesan Baked Potatoes halves have a creamy center and a crispy Parmesan cheese crust with butter and garlic.
Parmesan Baked Potatoes
Sautéed Green Beans with Almonds
Sautéed Green Beans is a fast, easy skillet stovetop recipe with fresh green beans, butter, garlic, and toasted almonds for a delicious and eloquent side dish in only 20 minutes.
Green Beans with Almonds
OK, you caught me, but making bread for two is hard. These delicious rolls can be made as only six rolls.
Easy Dinner Rolls
This easy dinner roll recipe is ready in an hour. You can serve delicious homemade yeast dinner rolls that are the perfect addition to any meal. Soft and fluffy, these easy yeast rolls will become a family favorite. Make a full recipe for the whole family or a small batch half recipe for smaller needs.
Yeast Dinner Roll Recipe
Small Dessert Recipes
Dessert is a must for a great Valentine's meal, but it is vital on Valentine's Day. Here are my favorite recipes for small desserts.
Berry Crisp for Two or More
An irresistible Berry Crisp for Two that's easy to adjust up or down to fit your needs. Use fresh or frozen berries in a sweet filling topped with a crispy oat streusel topping.
Berry Crisp for Two
Apple Berry Crumble
A fast, old-fashioned Apple Berry Crumble that combines apples and berries with a buttery streusel crumb topping. Use fresh berries and apples, or make it "semi-homemade" with frozen berries and a can of apple pie filling. So easy, so good.
Apple Berry Crumble
Candy Recipes
Candy is traditional but expensive. Making yourself is easy and economical, but it also adds some special meaning for the ones you love. These recipes will make manageable amounts for smaller households. Add red sprinkle candies to the nut clusters to make them unique for the holiday.
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.
Chocolate Peanut Cluster Recipe
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.
White Cluster Almond Clusters Recipe
Candied Almonds or Other Candied Nuts
Candied Almonds have a caramelized coat of vanilla, sugar, and cinnamon. Roasted nuts are a perfect party snack or holiday gift. Use this easy recipe to make candied walnuts, pecans, or mixed nuts. No one will believe you roasted these sweet candied nuts yourself at home.
How to Make Candied Nuts
Don't forget the dog treats.
Low-Fat Homemade Dog Treats—Healthy & Delicious
Low Fat Homemade Dog Treats are the perfect low-calorie treat for your dog. With only five ingredients, your dog will love the peanut butter and pumpkin taste. Much healthier than commercial treats—any veterinarian would approve.
Healthier Low-Fat Dog Treats
Editor's Note: Originally Published February 11, 2017, and updated yearly with new recommendations.
Jane says
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.