Looking for a Valentine's Day meal for the whole family that's special but inexpensive?
Families don’t have to go overboard with expensive ingredients and overly impressive dishes to win the hearts of loved ones this Valentine’s Day. Try out these money-saving ideas for a Valentine’s dinner the whole family will enjoy and appreciate.
Easy Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients:
- 4-6 frozen breaded chicken breasts
- 4 cups homemade tomato sauce or store-bought pasta sauce
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2 cups Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings (garlic, rosemary, oregano, etc.)
- 1 small box spaghetti noodles
Directions:
- Bake chicken breasts according to package instructions. While chicken is baking, in a small saucepan, boil hot water for spaghetti noodles, and once boiling, add the noodles, cooking until al dente. Drain water from noodles and add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil over noodles and stir.
- Place 2 cups of tomato sauce on the bottom of a small casserole dish and spread cooked noodles over sauce. Place cooked chicken breasts on noodles and pour remaining 2 cups of sauce on chicken breasts, evenly over all four pieces. Spread 2 cups of Parmesan cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese evenly over chicken, and top with Italian seasonings. Bake at 325 for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly on top.
Lemon Pepper Grilled Asparagus
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch frozen asparagus, trimmed of their ends
- ½ cup Vidalia Onion Tomato Salad Dressing or an Italian dressing
- 1 teaspoon Lemon and Pepper Seasoning Salt
- ¼ lemon, juiced (discard after juicing)
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) non-stick spray or butter-flavored Pam
Directions:
- Heat grill pan over stovetop and spray with non-stick EVOO or butter-flavored Pam. When heated at medium-low, place asparagus in row across grill.
- Evenly sprinkle Lemon and Pepper Seasoning Salt over asparagus pieces and drizzle them with ½ cup or so of dressing and juice lemon wedge over all of asparagus.
- Grill on one side until grill marks appear and asparagus begins to soften. Turn each piece over to cook on other side. Grill asparagus until charred and softened through. Serve warm off the grill.
Buttermilk Rosemary Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
- 6-7 small red potatoes, quartered
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon rosemary seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon onion salt
- ¼ teaspoon regular salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 small cloves garlic
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ stick butter or margarine
Directions:
- Place the potatoes that have been cut into a large pot. Cover with water until reaches top of potatoes. Add garlic cloves. Place pot on stovetop and bring to a boil. Once reaches a boil, cook for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are softened or easy to break apart. Drain water and return to stove over low heat for 10 seconds or so until water evaporates.
- Remove cooked potatoes from heat and place the potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, add margarine and buttermilk to potatoes and mix until most lumps are out of potatoes and garlic is beaten into potatoes.
- Add onion salt, regular salt, pepper and rosemary and mix until well incorporated. Serve hot.
For other Valentine's Day dinner recipes and ideas, sample the Chicken Alfredo and Strawberry Pecan Green Salad. What's Valentine's Day without a few desserts, especially something with a little chocolate?
The copyright of the article Valentine's Day Dinner with Family in Dinner Recipes is owned by Kenda Williams. Permission to republish Valentine's Day Dinner with Family in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
