What is a good Valentine's dinner to make at home?

A seared filet mignon with a red wine pan sauce, roasted asparagus and a baked potato, followed by chocolate lava cakes. It tastes like a steakhouse dinner, takes under an hour, and the dessert batter can be made the day before.

Can I make chocolate lava cakes ahead?

Yes. Make the batter up to a day ahead, fill the ramekins or cups and refrigerate them, then bake just before serving. Cold batter may need a minute or two longer in the oven.

What day is Valentine's Day in 2027?

Sunday, February 14, 2027, which makes a relaxed dinner at home easy to plan.

How do I cook steak for two without overcooking it?

Use an instant-read thermometer: pull a filet at about 125 degrees F for medium-rare and let it rest five minutes; the temperature rises a few degrees as it rests. Our steak doneness chart has every stage.

Valentine's Dinner at Home

Updated November 1, 2026

Collage of a Valentine's dinner: filet mignon with red wine sauce, broiled lobster tails, seared scallops and chocolate lava cakes

Skip the crowded restaurant and the fixed-price menu. A Valentine's dinner at home can be better than a steakhouse, and most of it comes together in under an hour: a seared filet with a red wine pan sauce, lobster tails or scallops, a couple of easy sides and chocolate lava cakes that bake while you eat. In 2027, Valentine's Day falls on a Sunday.

Three menus for two

Steakhouse night: shrimp cocktail, filet mignon with red wine pan sauce, steakhouse baked potatoes and roasted asparagus, then chocolate lava cakes.
Surf and turf: oysters Rockefeller, filet mignon and lobster tail, creamed spinach and Hasselback potatoes, then molten chocolate cakes with sugared raspberries.
Seafood dinner: tomato bruschetta, pan-seared scallops or linguine with clams, a green salad, then vanilla panna cotta with berries.

Planning the evening

The day before: shop, and make the lava cake batter; both of our lava cake recipes can be made a day ahead and refrigerated in the ramekins or cups. Panna cotta needs a few hours to set, so it is a make-ahead dessert too.
In the afternoon: set the table, chill the wine and prep the vegetables. Take the steaks out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking.
An hour before: potatoes in the oven; baked and Hasselback potatoes take the longest.
Twenty minutes before: sear the steaks or scallops and roast the asparagus. Let steaks rest while you make the pan sauce.
When you sit down: slide the lava cakes into the oven. They bake in about the time it takes to eat dinner, and should come out set at the edges and soft in the middle.

What to pour: our wine pairing guide matches each of these dishes; Champagne or another sparkling wine goes with everything from oysters to dessert. Not drinking? It has ideas for that too. More ideas: date night recipes, cooking for two and how to cook a steak to the doneness you like.

19 recipes

To start

Classic Shrimp Cocktail55 min total | 6 servings
Large shrimp poached in a lemony court bouillon, chilled on ice and served with a zesty homemade horseradish cocktail sauce. Serves 6.
How to Shuck and Serve Raw Oysters30 min total | 24 oysters, 4 servings
How to shuck fresh oysters safely and serve them on the half shell over ice with lemon, a shallot mignonette and cocktail sauce. Serves 4 (2 dozen oysters).
Oysters Rockefeller42 min total | 24 oysters, 4 servings
Oysters on the half shell topped with a rich green herb and spinach butter and golden bread crumbs, baked until bubbling. The New Orleans classic. Serves 4.
Tomato Bruschetta35 min total | About 16 pieces
Slices of grilled country bread rubbed with garlic and topped with ripe chopped tomatoes, fresh basil and good olive oil. The simplest Italian starter. Makes about 16.

The main event

Filet Mignon with Red Wine Pan Sauce35 min total | 4 servings
Thick filet mignon steaks seared in a hot skillet, finished in the oven and served with a glossy red wine, shallot and butter pan sauce. An elegant dinner for 4.
Surf and Turf (Filet Mignon and Lobster Tail)40 min total | 2 servings
A pan-seared filet mignon topped with garlic herb butter and a broiled butterflied lobster tail, served with drawn butter, lemon and asparagus. A steakhouse dinner for two.
Steak au Poivre30 min total | 2 servings
Strip or filet steaks pressed into cracked black peppercorns, seared in a hot skillet and finished with a creamy brandy pan sauce. A French bistro classic for two.
Broiled Lobster Tails with Garlic Butter23 min total | 4 servings
Lobster tails butterflied so the meat sits on top of the shell, brushed with garlic, lemon and paprika butter and broiled until just opaque. About 25 minutes; serves 4.
Pan-Seared Sea Scallops with Lemon Butter18 min total | 4 servings
Sea scallops seared in a very hot skillet until deeply golden, then finished with a quick lemon, garlic and butter pan sauce. Ready in about 20 minutes; serves 4.
Linguine with Clams (Linguine alle Vongole)1 hr 5 min total | 4 servings
Fresh littleneck clams steamed open in garlic, white wine and olive oil, tossed with linguine, parsley and a pinch of red pepper. A classic Italian seafood pasta; serves 4.

Sides

Roasted Asparagus with Lemon and Parmesan22 min total | 4 servings
Asparagus spears roasted at 425°F with olive oil and garlic until tender-crisp, then finished with lemon zest, lemon juice and shaved Parmesan. Serves 4.
Hasselback Potatoes1 hr 15 min total | 4 servings
Whole potatoes sliced thinly almost all the way through, basted with butter and roasted until the fanned edges are crisp and the centers creamy, finished with bread crumbs and cheese. Serves 4.
Steakhouse Baked Potatoes1 hr 5 min total | 4 potatoes
Russet potatoes rubbed with oil and coarse salt and baked directly on the oven rack until the skin is crisp and the inside is fluffy. Serves 4.
Steakhouse Creamed Spinach30 min total | 4 to 6 servings
Classic steakhouse creamed spinach: tender spinach folded into a garlic and shallot cream sauce with Parmesan and a pinch of nutmeg. Serves 4 to 6.

Dessert

Chocolate Lava Cakes28 min total | 4 cakes
Individual chocolate cakes baked in ramekins until set outside and molten in the center, turned out warm and served with whipped cream or ice cream. Serves 4.
Molten Chocolate Cakes with Sugar-Coated Raspberries35 min total | 8 cakes (8 servings)
Individual chocolate cakes with soft, molten centers, baked in extra-large paper muffin cups and topped with raspberries rolled in sugar. The batter can be made a day ahead; makes 8.
Vegan Chocolate Lava Cakes30 min total | 4 cakes
Individual dark chocolate cakes with a molten center hidden inside, made without eggs or dairy. Makes 4.
Vanilla Panna Cotta with Berries4 hr 20 min total | 6 servings
Silky Italian cooked cream set with a little gelatin, flavored with vanilla and served with a fresh berry sauce. Make-ahead and elegant. Serves 6.
Strawberry Shortcake1 hr 10 min total | 8 servings
Tender homemade cream biscuits split and filled with juicy sugared strawberries and softly whipped cream. A summer classic; serves 8.

Common questions

What is a good Valentine's dinner to make at home?: A seared filet mignon with a red wine pan sauce, roasted asparagus and a baked potato, followed by chocolate lava cakes. It tastes like a steakhouse dinner, takes under an hour, and the dessert batter can be made the day before.
Can I make chocolate lava cakes ahead?: Yes. Make the batter up to a day ahead, fill the ramekins or cups and refrigerate them, then bake just before serving. Cold batter may need a minute or two longer in the oven.
What day is Valentine's Day in 2027?: Sunday, February 14, 2027, which makes a relaxed dinner at home easy to plan.
How do I cook steak for two without overcooking it?: Use an instant-read thermometer: pull a filet at about 125 degrees F for medium-rare and let it rest five minutes; the temperature rises a few degrees as it rests. Our steak doneness chart has every stage.