Holidays & Occasions Valentine's Day 53 Best Valentine's Day Recipes of All Time By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on July 1, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Photographer: Will Dickey Prop Stylist: Missie Crawford Food Stylist: Erin Merhar Valentine's Day is the heavenly holiday when we get to nibble on heart-shaped boxes full of chocolates and candies—and sometimes Chick-fil-a chicken nuggets—in lieu of the usual suspects like apple slices, Cheez-its, and yogurt cups. So why not serve a date night meal that feels just as special? When it comes to picking Valentine's Day dinner recipes, make the menu something to remember. No, make it something so good that Cupid himself would be smitten. First, skip the casseroles. (Because casseroles just aren't that romantic. There, we said it.) Second, don't be afraid to be a little kitschy. Slow-cooked braised lamb shanks? Molten red velvet cakes? Now that's a menu that'll make us blush. This year, we've got you covered with soups, salads, main dishes, and desserts that'll be sure to win over every sweetheart, secret admirer, and suitor. These Valentine's Day recipes will leave them lovestruck. 01 of 53 Air Fryer Steak Photography and Styling: Caitlin Bensel Recipe: Air Fryer Steak Steak for two comes together with just 10 minutes of hands-on time with the help of your air fryer. Finish with homemade herb butter for a restaurant quality meal in the comfort of your own home. 02 of 53 Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cheesecake Photographer: Will Dickey Prop Stylist: Missie Crawford Food Stylist: Erin Merhar Recipe: Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cheesecake Instead of grabbing a box of chocolate covered strawberries this year, treat your Valentine to this homemade cheesecake that has the same flavor, but is even more decadent. 03 of 53 Caesar Salad with Garlicky Croutons Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Caesar Salad with Garlicky Croutons Skip the bagged salad for the special occasion and serve a homemade Caesar salad as the first course. 04 of 53 Sheet Pan Hanger Steak and Vegetables Victor Protasio; Prop Styling; Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Sheet Pan Hanger Steak and Vegetables Using a sheet pan is the easiest way to cook an entire meal at one time. A mixture of softened butter, seasonings, and herbs give this steak dinner a special finishing touch. 05 of 53 Lobster Mac and Cheese Jennifer Davick; Styling: Rachael Burrow; Recipe: Darcy Lenz Recipe: Lobster Mac and Cheese This classic side dish is elegant enough to be the main course when upgraded with lobster. 06 of 53 Shrimp on Seasoned Crackers with Pepper Jelly and Cream Cheese Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Recipe: Shrimp on Seasoned Crackers with Pepper Jelly and Cream Cheese Step up your appetizer game by topping seasoned crackers with shrimp, cream cheese, and pepper jelly. 07 of 53 Baked Tortellini Alfredo With Mushrooms Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Baked Tortellini Alfredo With Mushrooms Thanks to refrigerated tortellini, this pasta dish will be ready to serve in just 25 minutes. 08 of 53 Chocolate Cobbler Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Chocolate Cobbler The method used for this cobbler includes pouring boiling water over the batter. This creates pockets of pudding between the tender sections of cake. 09 of 53 Chicken Scallopini Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Prop Styling: Audrey Davis, Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Chicken Scallopini Our Test Kitchen recommends choosing a wine you like to drink for this recipe so you can enjoy the leftovers with your meal. 10 of 53 Bourbon-Chocolate Cake with Browned Buttercream Frosting Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop styling: Lydia Pursell Recipe: Bourbon-Chocolate Cake with Browned Buttercream Frosting Adding a splash of bourbon to both the cake and the icing give this dessert a decadent flavor any bourbon lover will enjoy. 11 of 53 Pork Tenderloin with Farro Salad Victor Protasio; Prop Styling; Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Pork Tenderloin with Farro Salad You'll need just 20 minutes to treat your sweetheart to this easy yet delicious dinner so even if you're short on time, you can still enjoy a homemade meal together. 12 of 53 Red Velvet Brownies Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Prop Styling: Audrey Davis, Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Red Velvet Brownies You can't go wrong serving these colorful brownies smothered in rich cream cheese frosting for dessert. 13 of 53 Vidalia Onion Soup Southern Living Recipe: Vidalia Onion Soup Using Vidalia onions adds even more flavor to this classic soup. Serve it as a starter or pair it with a salad for the main course. 14 of 53 Slow-Cooker Bolognese Sauce Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce This traditional meat sauce makes a comforting choice for Valentine's Day—and it's perfect for busy cooks. You can set it in the slow cooker and leave it alone. 15 of 53 German Chocolate Cake Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: German Chocolate Cake Strong-brewed coffee and German's sweet chocolate baking bars give each layer of cake just the right amount of flavor that's perfect for pairing with the showstopping Coconut-Pecan Frosting. 16 of 53 Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomato Bruschetta Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Anna Hampton; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Recipe: Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomato Bruschetta You can serve this appetizer with the tomato skin on or off, whichever you prefer. 17 of 53 Marbled Sugar Heart Cookies Zoe Denenberg; Prop Styling: Grant Gaar Recipe: Marbled Sugar Heart Cookies No cookie decorating experience is necessary to create these cute treats. 18 of 53 Creamy Rice with Scallops Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Creamy Rice with Scallops Scallops are the steak of the sea—so splurge this Valentine's Day by making these and serving with risotto-like creamy rice. 19 of 53 White Chocolate Raspberry Loaf Cake Photo: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Styling: Kay Clarke, Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: White Chocolate Raspberry Loaf Cake This pretty pound cake can also be made with fresh strawberries instead of raspberries, or you can use a mixture of both. 20 of 53 Braised Lamb Shanks with Parmesan-Chive Grits Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Recipe: Braised Lamb Shanks with Parmesan-Chive Grits Considering how fancy and date night-worthy this dish looks, you'd never guess that this sophisticated supper was made in a slow cooker. 21 of 53 Conversation Heart White Chocolate Bark Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Recipe: Conversation Heart White Chocolate Bark This recipe combines classic heart-shaped candy with melting chocolate for an indulgent Valentine's Day treat. 22 of 53 Best-Ever Crab Cakes with Green Tomato Slaw Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Best-Ever Crab Cakes with Green Tomato Slaw Celebrate the day of love with pure crispy decadence—in the form of these best-ever crab cakes. Serve as a main dish or an appetizer! 23 of 53 Garlicky Roasted Spatchcock Chicken Alison Miksch Recipe: Garlicky Roasted Spatchock Chicken Have you heard the rumor that making roasted chicken increases your odds of getting a proposal? It's not exactly science, but this recipe might help. 24 of 53 Crab-and-Bacon Linguine Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Crab-and-Bacon Linguine White wine, heavy cream, and bacon combine to make a pan sauce that feels oh-so indulgent. As if crab linguine even needs help in that department... 25 of 53 Buttermilk Drop Biscuits Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos Recipe: Buttermilk Drop Biscuits Give your buttermilk biscuits a special makeover for a fancy date night. 26 of 53 No-Bake Peanut Butter-Fudge Ice-Cream Pie Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Recipe: No-Bake Peanut Butter-Fudge Ice-Cream Pie Do you have a Reese's Cup lover in your midst? This mile-high creamy pie is just what you need to really impress. 27 of 53 Molten Red Velvet Cakes HECTOR MANUEL SANCHEZ Recipe: Molten Red Velvet Cakes Molten and miniature, these red velvet cakes basically scream "Valentine's Day-worthy." 28 of 53 Roasted Tomato-Cheddar Soup Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos Recipe: Roasted Tomato-Cheddar Soup This classic soup with a cheesy twist is always a great pick, especially on cold winter nights. 29 of 53 Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake with Caramel Buttercream Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake with Caramel Buttercream Is there really any reason to not make this easy, decadent, and oh-so-yummy chocolate fudge cake? Didn't think so. 30 of 53 Ginger-Plum Slump Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones Recipe: Ginger-Plum Slump Something about warm, stewed fruits in a cast-iron skillet makes us swoon. This ginger-plum recipe feels worlds away from your basic peach cobbler. 31 of 53 Slow-Cooker Pot Roast Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Mary-Claire Britton Recipe: Slow-Cooker Pot Roast For many, comfort food evokes the feeling of love, and this traditional pot roast is the perfect example. Serve with our Crispy Potatoes. 32 of 53 Butterscotch Pie with Whiskey Caramel Sauce Greg DuPree Recipe: Butterscotch Pie with Whiskey Caramel Sauce It had us at butterscotch pie, but the whiskey-caramel sauce really seals the deal. Have leftovers? Use the sauce for drizzling over ice cream, pound cake, and warm apple pie. 33 of 53 Pasta with Shrimp and Tomato Cream Sauce Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Anna Hampton Recipe: Pasta with Shrimp and Tomato Cream Sauce Maybe you didn't get to take that romantic weekend to the beach—or maybe you did. Either way, this pasta gives a taste of the coast. 34 of 53 Fudgy Flourless Chocolate-Pecan Cookies Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Fudgy Flourless Chocolate-Pecan Cookies Cupid will make a special appearance for these intensely rich chocolate cookies. So rich, in fact, they snub even a pinch of flour. 35 of 53 Banana Pudding Cheesecake Jennifer Davick Recipe: Banana Pudding Cheesecake Two Southern favorites—cheesecake and banana pudding—create one show-stopping dessert your significant other will love. 36 of 53 Fresh Salmon Cakes with Buttermilk Dressing Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Fresh Salmon Cakes with Buttermilk Dressing We're here to impress, right? Skip the crab cakes—so expected. Try your hand at these salmon cakes, instead. 37 of 53 Turkey with Shallot-Mustard Sauce and Roasted Potatoes Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Recipe: Turkey with Shallot-Mustard Sauce and Roasted Potatoes The turkey cooks in the slow cooker for ultimate hands-off ease in this Valentines' Day dinner that would impress company, too. 38 of 53 Cherry-Nectarine Pandowdy Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones Recipe: Cherry-Nectarine Pandowdy Achy, breaky heart? Try ooey, gooey dessert! Nectarines and cherries make a fabulous duo. 39 of 53 Oysters Rockefeller Southern Living Recipe: Oysters Rockefeller Oysters are heralded as one of the most romantic foods—so serve them up with a Southern twist by making this dish that originated in New Orleans. 40 of 53 Red Velvet Fudge Alison Miksch Recipe: Red Velvet Fudge It doesn't get much more romantic than homemade fudge paired with a movie for your Valentine. 41 of 53 Deep-Dish Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie Alison Miksch Recipe: Deep-Dish Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie Make your date night feel young again. This skillet cookie should be served warm with a hefty scoop of vanilla ice cream. 42 of 53 Lemon-Lime Meringue Pie Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling; Tina Bell Stamos Recipe: Lemon-Lime Meringue Pie "My love for you is as strong yet tender as the peaks on my meringue pie." At least, that's what we'd say. 43 of 53 Cacio e Pepe Heidi's Bridge Recipe: Cacio e Pepe If desired, you can add chicken or shrimp to this easy yet impressive pasta dish. 44 of 53 Ancho Chile Flank Steak and Sweet Potato Tacos Alison Miksch Recipe: Ancho Chile Flank Steak and Sweet Potato Tacos Who says tacos can't be romantic? 45 of 53 Shrimp Scampi Linguine Luca Trovato Recipe: Shrimp Scampi Linguine This recipe is as decadent as it is simple. 46 of 53 Dark Chocolate Sablés Iain Bagwell Recipe: Dark Chocolate Sablés This elegant cookie is delicate and crumbly – just baking perfection. The result is a beautiful cookie that needs just 20 minutes of active work. 47 of 53 Pecan-Crusted Chicken and Tortellini with Herbed Butter Sauce Photo: Jennifer Davick Recipe: Pecan-Crusted Chicken and Tortellini with Herbed Butter Sauce A nutty, smooth dish ready for your Valentine's date in 30 minutes? Yes, please. 48 of 53 Brennan's Bananas Foster Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Karin Olsen Recipe: Brennan's Bananas Foster Bananas Foster would be a fun dessert to make together, and the result is oh-so-tasty. 49 of 53 Carrot-Pineapple Mini Bundt Cakes with Buttermilk-Vanilla Icing Cedric Angeles; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Carrot-Pineapple Mini Bundt Cakes with Buttermilk-Vanilla Icing These cakes look so elegant when plated and they couldn't be any easier to make. 50 of 53 Slow-Cooker Lemon-Asparagus Risotto Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Slow-Cooker Lemon-Asparagus Risotto We concocted this recipe so that even beginner chefs can make a creamy, silky risotto at home. You could serve this as a light side with a protein of your choice or enjoy it as a main dish before an indulgent dessert. 51 of 53 Radish, Avocado, and Citrus Salad Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Radish, Avocado, and Citrus Salad This jewel-toned salad is just as delicious as it is pretty. Festive Valentine reds and pinks are sure to impress any holiday guests. 52 of 53 Dark Chocolate-Pistachio-Orange Kisses Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Dark Chocolate-Pistachio-Orange Kisses If you can master the art of a meringue then you're sure to wow your Valentine with these deliciously citrusy and decadent kisses. 53 of 53 Valentine's Day Cake Photographer: Will Dickey Prop Stylist: Missie Crawford Food Stylist: Erin Merhar Recipe: Valentine's Day Cake No special pan is required to create this heart-shaped cake. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit