Easy Valentine's Day dinner recipes for planning your own festive family meal at home with the kids. Enjoy a romantic dinner the adults will love with food the kids will enjoy, too.
Valentine's Day with kids can be a little tricky when you want to enjoy a romantic dinner for two but are stuck without a babysitter or just want to avoid the holiday rush at your favorite local restaurant.
The good news is, you can plan an amazing and EASY Valentine dinner for your family with easy recipes that taste just as good (if not better!) than your favorite restaurant dishes.
Pick one of these delicious Valentine dinners and plan a simple menu with make-ahead dishes you can prep ahead.
Or make it a fun family theme night and pick one of these family-friendly movies set in Paris and plan a French themed meal to go with the movie. I included some of my easy favorites in the movie list for you!
Easy Valentine's Day Dinner Ideas for Families
Take just a minute to set the family dinner table with these easy touches to make your Valentine's Day meal together a little more special:
1. Set the Table:
Bring out the good stuff and set the table with your best dishes. Got that wedding china hiding in a cabinet? Now's a great time to use it!
2. Light the Candles:
It doesn't matter if you're eating frozen pizza, eating by candlelight is a lovely experience to share with the kids!
3. Turn on the Music:
Play the same kind of dinner music you'd hear at your favorite restaurant while you eat. Italian favorites? Quiet jazz? Stream it from a speaker near your dining table.
4. Plan Something Sweet:
Once you've got your menu set, don't forget your Valentine's dessert! You could plan a simple cookie decorating party to keep the kids busy while you enjoy some quiet time with your partner, too.
Valentine's Day Dinner Recipes
These easy Valentine's recipes and menu suggestions are perfect for adults who want a special meal while they're home for the holiday with their kids.
Family-friendly recipes that feel a little more grown-up and special for the holiday but are sure to be yummy for the kids, too!
Our family's go-to Valentine's Day dinner for many years was this fantastic steak marinade.
Saute the beef chunks in a skillet and serve it with a simple buttered noodle side dish for a budget-friendly way to serve beef for a family dinner!
If you're really craving a fine dining experience but need to be home with the kids, this macadamia crusted halibut is one of the most popular recipes on my site for good reason!
Prep it ahead early if you want and just use my special trick for baking it so that it is nice and crispy.
Serve with lemon butter sauce and roasted asparagus for an elegant meal the kids will love.
The savory red tomato sauce in this baked cheese tortellini skillet recipe is just perfect for Valentine's Day. The creamy tortellini and crispy breadcrumb topping make it extra tasty for kids.
Whether you serve this easy French onion soup as the main course or as part of a larger French Bistro inspired menu, your family will have fun dreaming of Paris over dinner.
Be sure to play some French love songs while you eat!
These tender beef meatballs simmered in red tomato sauce would be fun to eat with party skewers or over a bowl of spaghetti like the famous scene from Lady & The Tramp!
Serve with my easy homemade garlic bread for dunking.
If your kids only every want a classic cheese pizza, why not give them their hearts' content with this delicious homemade upgrade?
Use my super-easy bread maker pizza dough recipe or even a store bought pizza crust or naan bread to make homemade cheese pizzas together.
This delicious pasta recipe is so easy that my kids make it for us on our anniversary! You can use either spicy or sweet sausage for the dish and make it all your own.
If you've got your eye on a recipe you just know your kids won't like, make it for you and your partner anyway! Just be sure to plan a big pan of this easy 15-minute baked mac and cheese for your kids.
BONUS: Serve the kids their dinner first and enjoy a quiet dinner for two when they're done!
This light and refreshing pasta salad would make an excellent Valentine's dinner because of the red grapes and artichoke hearts!
But honestly, the best part is that it tastes even better the next day so you could prep it ahead and chill it in the fridge for a super simple dinner.
My kids think that shrimp is a fancy restaurant dinner for sure. Treat the whole family to this utterly delicious garlic butter shrimp skillet with large chunks of toasted bread for dunking.
Want a lower mess meal? Prep it with peeled shrimp instead of the shrimp with shells and serve it over pasta.
The sundried tomatoes in the rich and creamy sauce of this easy Tuscan chiken recipe make it perfectly festive. This comfort food classic is an easy way to enjoy an Italian meal for Valentine's day.
Does Mexican food make your family's heart go pitter-patter? Plan a fiesta with this bright red homemade salsa and pair it with your kids' favorite tacos, enchiladas, or quesadillas!
Love a more down-home dinner? Drizzle the bright red BBQ sauce over this pulled pork and enjoy it as sandwiches or a barbecue plate with the mac and cheese I mentioned above.
Is winter starting to drag on for you? Brighten up your Valentine dinner with this spiced air fryer jerk chicken. No air fryer? You can find instructions for baking it in the oven in the recipe, too.
Serve the chicken alongside a red rice casserole or make jerk chicken quesadillas.
This classic Italian bolognese sauce does take a bit more time to prepare than a faster pasta sauce but you could do all the work on a lazy Sunday afternoon and freeze it.
It makes a hearty portion, save some for an Italian Valentine's Day dinner with pasta or gnocchi.
This fancy shrimp appetizer takes just THREE MINUTES to make, do you believe it?? Serve them with my favorite shrimp dipping sauces for a nibbly night.
This savory bourbon chicken tastes even better than the kind your kids might have taste-tested at the mall food court. The sticky sauce pairs great with a simple rice side dish for a fun dinner.
You can use frozen meatballs from the grocery to make these totally delicious meatballs subs with melted cheese for the family.
Want a heart-healthy dinner for your loved ones? This lighted up ground turkey soup has a bright red tomato based broth and plenty of tender veggies.
Sausage lasagna is always a festive pick, especially since it tastes even better the next day! Prep it ahead and serve with Texas Toast or garlic bread for a heart warming meal.
My whole family loves this easy soup recipe. I usually make it in the Instant Pot but included stovetop instructions, too.
The name says it all: Italian Wedding soup is the perfect Valentine's Day soup!
Want to feel like you're at a fancy restaurant with waiters passing canapes? Make these super easy roast beef crostini with horseradish sauce and fresh tomatoes in just minutes.
The light pink color of our favorite oven baked salmon is a delicate dinner for Valentine's Day. Serve it with roasted vegetables and my favorite herb butter rice.
Tell your kids this is chicken "salsa soup" and pile up the tortilla chips and shredded cheese for the table!
The bright red color and light and healthy meal is perfect for the whole family.
When in doubt, just add a platter of these 10-minute roasted cherry tomatoes to whatever dinner your family loves most for a little pop of Valentine's day color.
Plan a light salad with chicken and fruit and drizzle my easy fresh strawberry vinaigrette over the top for a sweet way to do Valentine's Day.
My daughter's all-time favorite restaurant dish is creamy fettucine alfredo. Make this lighter version with cream cheese right at home!
On second thought, wishing your Valentine's Dinner was more of a date night and less a family night?
Pop the kids in front of a movie and plan to have a delicious date night at home in the dining room:
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