Valentine’s Day may be the day of romantic dinners, cozying up together alone, and long kisses, but your kids love the day of love as much as you do. They anticipate the candy, reading cute little Valentine’s cards, and, well, the candy. Make them feel special this year by planning a family Valentine’s Day at home.
Instead of just letting them eat candy with abandon, rally your kids to celebrate the true meaning of Valentine’s Day. It’s about love. Spend time with them doing Valentine-themed crafts, making Valentine’s cards for everyone in the family, and getting them in the kitchen to help you cook a fun and festive meal.
Wondering what’s for dinner? We’ve created a scrumptious family-friendly menu of Valentine’s Day dinner recipes that will have your whole family feeling the love.
Potato chip chicken
Potato chips are a universally loved and addictive snack that transform chicken tenders into an irresistible family dinner favorite. Make plenty because no one will stop at just one. This recipe is so easy, you can even recruit the kids to help you pulverize the potato chips and Corn Flakes into crunchy bits that coat the chicken. Once you toss the chicken with the crushed potato chip mixture, slide it in the oven, and 30 minutes later, your whole family will be licking their chops and fingers.
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Easy steak and peppers
If you’re raising a family of carnivores, feed your hungry meat-eaters a Valentine’s Day dinner featuring this easy steak and peppers dish. No need to fire up your grill, this fuss-free recipe requires nothing more than a sharp knife, a hot skillet and a few minutes sautéing the meat and vegetables. Boasting juicy strips of sirloin steak, onions, peppers and a simple seasoning with tamari sauce, this colorful, healthy meal will instantly grab your family’s attention and then be eagerly gobbled up.
Creamy baked mac and cheese
It’s Valentine’s Day, so give your kids what they really want to eat for dinner. This creamy baked mac and cheese will have them stampeding to their plates. If your usual mac and cheese comes out of a box, your family will take one bite of this homemade rendition and think they must have died and gone to heaven. You make this ooey, gooey side dish with three cheeses that melt into a sublime cheese sauce that coats the macaroni. Generously scatter on more cheese and bake until the top is bubbling hot and golden brown. Be warned: Your kids will never want mac and cheese from a box again.
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Cheesy scalloped potatoes
Though these cheesy scalloped potatoes are a rich and wonderful side dish for dinner any night of the year, they are an over-the-top delicious dish to serve your family on Valentine’s Day. What makes these scalloped potatoes so special is the generous amount of Gouda and cheddar cheeses, the buttery herb and nutmeg infused cream, and the tender slices of russet potatoes that melt in your mouth with cheesy, flavorful goodness. Your kids will definitely feel the love when you set this belly-warming meal on the table.
Loaded cookie bars
Wondering what to do with all of the Valentine’s Day candy your kids brought home from school? Repurpose it into these loaded cookie bars. Your little candy-lovers will turn into cookie monsters when they see their classroom party sweets baked into a tasty brand-new treat. To make these candy-loaded cookie bars, chop up candy bars, cookies, M&M’s, peanut butter cups and other candies, then mix them into a homemade cookie dough. Spread the dough into a dish, pile on even more candy, and bake. It’s that simple! These cookie bars are the perfect combination of chewy, crunchy, chocolatey and sweet.
Heart-shaped brownie cut-out cookies
Unleash your family’s artistic side on Valentine’s Day by baking and decorating these heart-shaped brownie cut-out cookies. Your kids will love using cookie cutters to transform the scrumptiously dark and chocolatey dough into ready-to-bake hearts and then turning the cookies into edible works of art with red, white and pink royal icing. Decorating cookies can become a beloved family tradition on Valentine’s Day, giving you all a chance to celebrate the day of love with fun, art and dessert.
