When I used to be a child it meant my brother and I’d come down within the morning and presumably be shocked with containers of dialog hearts and coronary heart formed pancakes. In highschool it hoped my boyfriend would present as much as college with an enormous stuffed animal and a balloon so the entire college might see how a lot he adored me (lol). Beyond that, I ended caring a lot about it. Some years we’ve completed date nights and others we haven’t. Some years I’ve made cute little reward baskets for the children and others I haven’t. Whatever your emotions on the day, I believe it will possibly at all times be counted on as just a little reminder to ship just a little recognition to these we love. It may be romantic love for positive, but additionally buddies (hi there Galentine’s day!), pets, or household.
I really feel just like the advertising for Valentine’s has modified over the a long time to transcend {couples} and lovers into utilizing the day to have a good time in the best way that almost all fits your present section of life, and for me, it’s all about my household. In that gentle, in the present day I’m sharing a round-up of household Valentine’s dinner concepts to have a good time the event and make it really feel particular with your loved ones. It does fall on a Friday this yr, so perhaps there will probably be just a little extra time than typical to jazz issues up!
Family Valentine’s Dinner Ideas
Heart Shaped Pizzas
Make your individual dough (we use my foolproof bread machine pizza dough recipe) or seize some out of your native grocery (many promote dough balls within the bakery part) and revel in this combo of enjoyable exercise and family-favorite meal. Little children can merely have dough to play with a much bigger children and adults can observe rolling out the dough, topping it with their favorites, and watching the cheese get melty and bubbly because it bakes to perfection.
We do pizza evening weekly, so I’ve a pair ideas for this one:
- Crank your oven up actually excessive about at hour earlier than you propose to bake the pizzas. We do 450 levels and use a pizza stone to get most crispiness.
- Place rolled out dough on parchment paper to make sure simpler switch out and in of the oven. We prefer to bake the dough for a couple of minutes to agency it up, then pull it out, gown it up, and return it to the oven to complete baking.
- Shred your individual cheese utilizing this viral counter prime grater. There’s a cause it’s so widespread proper now: it permits you to simply shred your individual cheese, is secure for teenagers (no cuts), washes simply by hand or the dishwasher, and ensures you’ve recent cheese with out the caking brokers they use to coat pre-shredded.
- If you’re actually going for some additional delight, use these sturdy mini vegetable cutters to make toppings in coronary heart shapes!
- If you need your crust to be shiny, think about using an egg wash. Just scramble a uncooked egg in a bowl and use a brush to color it alongside the crust earlier than baking. Sprinkle it with Parmesan cheese to actually degree up your pizza sport.
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Valentines-Heart-Pizza-1-683x1024.jpg?resize=662%2C993&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Valentines-Heart-Pizza-2-1024x683.jpg?resize=662%2C442&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Valentines-Heart-Pizza-2-1024x683.jpg?resize=662%2C442&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Valentines-Heart-Pizza-3-683x1024.jpg?resize=662%2C993&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Valentines-Heart-Pizza-3-683x1024.jpg?resize=662%2C993&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Valentines-Heart-Pizza-4-1024x683.jpg?resize=662%2C442&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Valentines-Heart-Pizza-4-1024x683.jpg?resize=662%2C442&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Valentines-Heart-Pizza-8-683x1024.jpg?resize=662%2C993&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Valentines-Heart-Pizza-8-683x1024.jpg?resize=662%2C993&ssl=1)
Fondue
Whether cheese fondue for a tasty appetizer or getting the complete fondu set to cook dinner your individual meats and veggies tableside, fondue is such an amazing interactive expertise and a enjoyable household dinner. Whether you’re doing chocolate, cheese, broth, or oil, this fondue set is an inexpensive throughout possibility.
Homemade Sushi (or sushi bowls)
Sushi for a household at a restaurant provides up rapidly, however it may be made at residence for a fraction of the value! Whether you utilize a sushi making equipment or go the route of constructing sushi bowls, everybody can customise their roll or bowl to their very own liking, guaranteeing accolades throughout.
Steak and Baked Potatoes with Green Beans
You can’t go mistaken with a basic. Transform your kitchen right into a steakhouse vibe by lighting candles, pouring grape juice in fancy glasses, and serving a basic of steak (we adore it forged iron model), baked potatoes, and inexperienced beans. May I like to recommend these simple inexperienced beans which might be the simplest factor ever, but my household’s absolute favourite?
Spaghetti
Do you need one thing with no fuss that you understand everybody will like? Spaghetti! My mother’s sauce is my favourite, however you can even stick some frozen meatballs within the sluggish cooker with sauce. (If you want extra crockpot choices, try these simple household favourite crockpot recipes).
Grilled Octopus
Well, that’s random, proper? Yup. And that’s the great thing about it! Some of our favourite household recollections have been after we picked up one thing utterly random to attempt collectively. We’ve completed grilled octopus, mussels, artichokes, and many others. It’s enjoyable to attempt one thing new and snort by means of the expertise.
Calzone Hearts
These first made an look on my weblog 11 years in the past once I was frequently doing morning TV present appearances to share wholesome consuming concepts for teenagers. That looks like a lifetime in the past and I in all probability must replace this How to Make Calzone Hearts publish with new footage, however till then, please get pleasure from an image of my pregnant stomach whereas I used to be hanging out with Uncle Joey- lol!
The in need of that is easy- use pizza dough to create a hand-sized coronary heart reduce outs. Top with sauce and cheese. Top with one other coronary heart reduce out and use a fork to press and seal the perimeters collectively. Bake, and revel in!
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/veggie-packed-heart-healthy-calzones.jpg?resize=662%2C439&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/veggie-packed-heart-healthy-calzones.jpg?resize=662%2C439&ssl=1)
Pink and Red Food
This one isn’t as a lot up my ally, however in the event you love a very good colour theme, then Valentine’s Day is a straightforward one to lean into. Beet hummus, salmon, strawberry ice cream, crimson marinara, salami, salsa, watermelon, a pink alfredo, bruschetta – there are some enjoyable choices that might lend themselves to a memorable household expertise!
Your Family’s Favorite
Don’t go loopy on a brand new Valentine’s dinner if what your loved ones will get pleasure from and admire most isa basic household favourite. Need some concepts? My household’s favourite dinners may be discovered right here. Make a comforting favourite and sprinkle coronary heart confetti across the desk, and play some household dialog video games. No want for something fancy; simply the time collectively is what issues most.
How To Celebrate Valentine’s Day With Family
*If you’ve time- Make it a Multi-Course Meal
This doesn’t have to be fancy meals in any respect, however doing a bread basket to begin after which a easy caprese salad (cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, basil, balsamic), then the principle occasion will really feel like such a enjoyable swap as much as enterprise as typical. Really wish to shake issues up? Make it a progressive dinner! Perhaps it begins with appetizers on the porch, adopted by the entree within the eating space, and dessert in the lounge. Little deviations from the norm make a huge impact.
*If you’ve time- Decorate
The largest bang in your buck is at all times going to be a themed tablecloth, streamers, and my children’ favorite- the doorway curtain.
*Whether you’ve additional time or not- Use Fancy Glassware!
My children love a flowery glass and ingesting from one kicks any event up a notch. Use the wine glasses or water glasses you have already got in your cupboards, or try this tremendous cute and unbreakable possibility.
*Choose Some Entertainment.
Whether it’s taking part in Italian music whereas making pizzas, taking up one another in Catan, or cozying up for a film (Beauty & The Beast, The Parent Trap, Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown, and The Princess Bride are some enjoyable choices), choose one thing to do throughout or after dinner to increase the nice vibes.
*Celebrate What You Love About Each Other.
Cut out paper hearts and have every particular person write one factor they love about every member of the family on it and have the hearts ready at that particular person’s dinner seat. Or, whereas having fun with dinner, go across the desk and have everybody share one factor they love about every particular person. This may be foolish and enjoyable, and but it would nonetheless have the specified impact of heat and love we every really feel after we hear good issues about us being stated aloud.
From this listing, choose which dinner concepts and leisure work greatest for your household Valentine throughout this stage of life. The day will definitely look completely different for everybody, however a small effort to do one thing a bit completely different could make a final impression! <3
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Valentine-dinner-ideas-family-683x1024.png?resize=662%2C993&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Valentine-dinner-ideas-family-683x1024.png?resize=662%2C993&ssl=1)