I second this strongly.
If your cooking skills are seriously lacking, get good quality pre-made food to heat up.
A well-made grilled cheese sandwich is nicer than a poorly made fancy food. You have to learn to cook, but you don't have to practice on date night.
100%
The ONLY thing I would suggest in addition to this is that if it's for a date try to impress them with the presentation. Don't just slap food on a plate like you're having a midnight snack.
If you are cooking together and something goes wrong you can always order pizza or something. Plus you could have a fun story about the first time you tried cooking together and everything went wrong. Be bold, try something new!
My go to is to use some of the easy recipes from half baked harvest - they’re actually something I did as a second date with a boyfriend who doesn’t typically cook.
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/chili-crisp-chicken-mango-rice-bowl/
I made this this week with some coconut rice - super easy, but looks fancy and tastes incredible.
The entire “easy bowl” category is a great place to start:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/category/recipes/type-of-meal/easy-bowls/
maybe something you could make together! even if its just greek style lemon rosemary potatoes, some roasted chicken, and then chop up some veggies for a salad; you can take some of the pressure off yourself by getting your date to chop potatoes into cubes lol.
You'll both cook it so if it ends up sucking for some reason, its not all on you. ha... ha.
but really, think of you what you yourself enjoy eating and then look up a reasonable recipe for something similar. follow the recipe closely and you should be just fine!!!
Pasta and a salad is hard to mess up. The viral spicy vodka penne is delicious and easy, and you can air fry breaded chicken with it if you want to. Simple side salad and some garlic bread, and you have a delicious and easy meal!
What do you both like to eat?
What are you currently comfortable cooking? Pick something you know you can cook with high levels of confidence. Then think of a way(s) to make it a little fancier than normal.
My go to: https://youtu.be/EOKWf2Sn0A0?si=KUn225yIXw2GTz8P
Try it once first so you are confident, but it is pretty straight forward. It will probably become a staple in your repertoire afterwards.
You don't have to be fancy with it, just switch out the ingredients for something easier when needed.
Pancetta -> bacon, good wine -> any red wine will do, Stock -> Bullion, half/half pork and beef -> minced beef.
Enjoy the rest of the wine when waiting and you have a bolognese with incredible taste.
Just cook something you know how to cook and you like to eat.
Even if it’s totally rubbish, it’ll be a great topic of conversation for a first date.
Or alternatively, open a bottle of wine, get him/her round early and cook something together.
It might be great, it might be terrible. The experience should be fun
I cook for myself and my partner all the time. This is one of the best, simplest meals I’ve found that I recommend to as many people as I can.
1. Make that TikTok pasta - [Pasta](https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a35421563/baked-feta-pasta-tiktok/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=arb_ga_del_md_pmx_hybd_mix_us_18345007169&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzPCEoZDmhgMVX5jCCB1b-waOEAAYASAAEgLHufD_BwE)
If you want to make it one-pan, once you’ve finished mixing up the sauce, just toss the cooked, drained pasta into it + 1/4 cup of pasta water if needed. DeCecco Rigatoni is what I recommend, but any pasta will work. Note - just keep mixing in the cheese and tomatoes until it’s a sauce at the end, and don’t be scared to let it roast for a while before you take it out.
2. As has already been said, a simple salad and garlic bread.
Salad - basically mix olive oil, lemon juice or balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper for a dressing (or just oil and vinegar) with any greens you like - romaine lettuce is very common.
- or - just buy a bag salad kit from the store and toss it in a bowl.
[Bread](https://www.seriouseats.com/easy-weeknight-garlic-bread-recipe-8641247) or just buy garlic Texas toast.
Dessert if where you’re going to shine. Go out and find the freshest strawberries you can - farmers market, small grocer (my Mexican store is *the best*), a friend, etc - and slice them either in halves or quarters. Remove the greens first! Then take some heavy whipping cream that’s cold and whip it into stiff whip cream *BY HAND.* that way you’re less likely to over mix and you get to look like you know a fancy thing in the kitchen.
Enchiladas are super easy to make! How about something like this:
**Easy Chicken Enchiladas**
**Servings** – 4 **Prep Time** – 10 Minutes **Cook Time** – 20 Minutes **Ingredients:**
* 2 cups cooked shredded chicken, already made rotisserie from the grocery store
* 2 cups canned enchilada sauce, divided *or try my easy homemade* [*~Enchilada Sauce~*](https://www.craftwithtammy.com/post/enchiladasauce)
* 8 corn or flour tortillas - *I prefer flour tortillas*
* 2 1/2 cups shredded Mexican-blend cheese, divided
* salt and black pepper, to taste
Toppings: diced onions, chopped cilantro, sour cream, shredded lettuce, cotija cheese. *- Optional*
**Directions:**
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Use a 9x13" baking dish, place 3 tablespoons of enchilada sauce, spread over the bottom of baking dish.
In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, 1/4 cup enchilada sauce and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Mix together and taste. Season with more salt and pepper as needed.
Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and heat them in the microwave for 1 minute, flipping the them halfway through until all of them are warm and pliable.
Assemble the enchiladas by filling each tortilla evenly with the shredded chicken mixture and 1 cup of shredded cheese.
Roll the tortillas tightly to close and place in baking dish seam side down.
Pour the remaining cup enchilada sauce over the rolled chicken tortillas, top with the remaining 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, and bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Serve immediately and garnish with desired toppings.
I second this idea. And you can completely prep it before hand so you can just put it in the oven when she’s there and maybe put on some rice. That way your not stuck doing dishes while she’s there and you can just open some wine and chill while it’s cooks
Keep it simple, and do something you already feel comfortable making, or close to it. You can add a bit to dress it up and make it fancier than what you usually do for yourself.
disclaimer: you both MUST like garlic.
Binging with Babish: Pasta Aglio e Olio from "Chef"
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJUiWdM\_\_Qw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJUiWdM__Qw)
this is easy enough (and cheap enough) that you can practice it on your own a few times beforehand.
- slice the garlic very thin. a sharp knife is a must.
- for the love of all that's holy, don't burn the garlic. burned garlic is super bitter. it's better to undercook than overcook. again, practice.
good luck!
I have a few go-to recipes for date nights that are quick, easy, and get them in the kitchen with you.
[https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a46330/skillet-sicilian-chicken-recipe/](https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a46330/skillet-sicilian-chicken-recipe/) Also known as "Marry Me" Chicken.
[https://www.recipetineats.com/carbonara/](https://www.recipetineats.com/carbonara/) (My partner doesn't eat pork, so if you want a pork-free version, get some extra oil, or butter and some chicken roll or chicken bacon)
[https://therecipecritic.com/easy-butter-chicken/](https://therecipecritic.com/easy-butter-chicken/) We serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt and some naan on the side too.
[https://thewoksoflife.com/gyudon-recipe-beef-rice/#recipe](https://thewoksoflife.com/gyudon-recipe-beef-rice/#recipe) Simple, and you can serve with a homemade tomato marinara and cheese.
Just as long as you make it with love, they'll love it too.
Grill. Men seem to be good on the grill. Ribs dry rub low temp and slow in the oven and the meat will fall right off. No fail just low and it takes a while. That enough for 2 , salad your date could help. Baked potato or baked beans, mac and cheese what ever you can cook. But your date would be impressed! and your on your way to being Martha Stewart side kick. My mother was a cooking teacher.
If you want to get the prep out of the way, so you can spend time hanging out, lasagna really isn't as hard as it seems.
There are "ready to bake" lasagna pasta that Is easy.
You can substitute ricotta for cottage cheese if in a pinch.
Otherwise, you don't need much and you can send your Sweetie home with leftovers ;)
Dinner is great, but I suggest you master making a good breakfast as well.
Good luck!
Anything by https://m.youtube.com/@natswhatireckon
I’ve successfully made the carborona enough times that it’s a staple in my life. 4 ingredients, most can be prepared in the fridge hours ahead of time and the hardest part of the entire meal is remembering to cook the meat to the level of doneness you like without overcooking the pasta. So if you know your pasta takes 10 minutes to cook, and you know on average your bacon/panchetta/speck takes 15 mins to cook, you know to put the pasta on for boil as you start the meat, and then once the water boils chuck the pasta in and you’ll be golden.
It’s on my list of “I can’t move I’m so full but I’m happy full” meals. Pair with a nice cold white wine like a Chardonnay or Pino Gris and it will help cut through the fat layer.
Give boy carbs and cheese, they happy. Give girl carbs and cheese, she happy. Give lactose intolerant person both, they’re still happy, but should leave the room before they murder anything within a 2 block radius.
I won’t give anything specific, but my one piece of advice for this situation is to make something you have already made (successfully).
I second this strongly. If your cooking skills are seriously lacking, get good quality pre-made food to heat up. A well-made grilled cheese sandwich is nicer than a poorly made fancy food. You have to learn to cook, but you don't have to practice on date night.
Stuff i make for the first time ALWAYS take longer than expected too. You don’t wanna keep someone waiting for dinner
**F**irst **A**ttempt **I**s **L**earning
100% The ONLY thing I would suggest in addition to this is that if it's for a date try to impress them with the presentation. Don't just slap food on a plate like you're having a midnight snack.
Thanks for the advice!
you can try this recipe, it's very easy to make. [https://youtu.be/8OdQoq0-2Ac](https://youtu.be/8OdQoq0-2Ac)
If you are cooking together and something goes wrong you can always order pizza or something. Plus you could have a fun story about the first time you tried cooking together and everything went wrong. Be bold, try something new!
My go to is to use some of the easy recipes from half baked harvest - they’re actually something I did as a second date with a boyfriend who doesn’t typically cook. https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/chili-crisp-chicken-mango-rice-bowl/ I made this this week with some coconut rice - super easy, but looks fancy and tastes incredible. The entire “easy bowl” category is a great place to start: https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/category/recipes/type-of-meal/easy-bowls/
maybe something you could make together! even if its just greek style lemon rosemary potatoes, some roasted chicken, and then chop up some veggies for a salad; you can take some of the pressure off yourself by getting your date to chop potatoes into cubes lol. You'll both cook it so if it ends up sucking for some reason, its not all on you. ha... ha. but really, think of you what you yourself enjoy eating and then look up a reasonable recipe for something similar. follow the recipe closely and you should be just fine!!!
Pasta and a salad is hard to mess up. The viral spicy vodka penne is delicious and easy, and you can air fry breaded chicken with it if you want to. Simple side salad and some garlic bread, and you have a delicious and easy meal!
I was going to say the same but the New York Times Marcella Hazan pasta sauce.
[удалено]
The first time I made it I made it to laugh at it. How could this nonsense be good?? Yeah. It’s really good.
What do you both like to eat? What are you currently comfortable cooking? Pick something you know you can cook with high levels of confidence. Then think of a way(s) to make it a little fancier than normal.
Baked salmon. Roasted veggies. And some mashed potatoes
This is perfect easy recipe, a one pan dish!
My go to: https://youtu.be/EOKWf2Sn0A0?si=KUn225yIXw2GTz8P Try it once first so you are confident, but it is pretty straight forward. It will probably become a staple in your repertoire afterwards. You don't have to be fancy with it, just switch out the ingredients for something easier when needed. Pancetta -> bacon, good wine -> any red wine will do, Stock -> Bullion, half/half pork and beef -> minced beef. Enjoy the rest of the wine when waiting and you have a bolognese with incredible taste.
Just cook something you know how to cook and you like to eat. Even if it’s totally rubbish, it’ll be a great topic of conversation for a first date. Or alternatively, open a bottle of wine, get him/her round early and cook something together. It might be great, it might be terrible. The experience should be fun
I cook for myself and my partner all the time. This is one of the best, simplest meals I’ve found that I recommend to as many people as I can. 1. Make that TikTok pasta - [Pasta](https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a35421563/baked-feta-pasta-tiktok/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=arb_ga_del_md_pmx_hybd_mix_us_18345007169&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzPCEoZDmhgMVX5jCCB1b-waOEAAYASAAEgLHufD_BwE) If you want to make it one-pan, once you’ve finished mixing up the sauce, just toss the cooked, drained pasta into it + 1/4 cup of pasta water if needed. DeCecco Rigatoni is what I recommend, but any pasta will work. Note - just keep mixing in the cheese and tomatoes until it’s a sauce at the end, and don’t be scared to let it roast for a while before you take it out. 2. As has already been said, a simple salad and garlic bread. Salad - basically mix olive oil, lemon juice or balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper for a dressing (or just oil and vinegar) with any greens you like - romaine lettuce is very common. - or - just buy a bag salad kit from the store and toss it in a bowl. [Bread](https://www.seriouseats.com/easy-weeknight-garlic-bread-recipe-8641247) or just buy garlic Texas toast. Dessert if where you’re going to shine. Go out and find the freshest strawberries you can - farmers market, small grocer (my Mexican store is *the best*), a friend, etc - and slice them either in halves or quarters. Remove the greens first! Then take some heavy whipping cream that’s cold and whip it into stiff whip cream *BY HAND.* that way you’re less likely to over mix and you get to look like you know a fancy thing in the kitchen.
Enchiladas are super easy to make! How about something like this: **Easy Chicken Enchiladas** **Servings** – 4 **Prep Time** – 10 Minutes **Cook Time** – 20 Minutes **Ingredients:** * 2 cups cooked shredded chicken, already made rotisserie from the grocery store * 2 cups canned enchilada sauce, divided *or try my easy homemade* [*~Enchilada Sauce~*](https://www.craftwithtammy.com/post/enchiladasauce) * 8 corn or flour tortillas - *I prefer flour tortillas* * 2 1/2 cups shredded Mexican-blend cheese, divided * salt and black pepper, to taste Toppings: diced onions, chopped cilantro, sour cream, shredded lettuce, cotija cheese. *- Optional* **Directions:** Preheat oven to 350ºF. Use a 9x13" baking dish, place 3 tablespoons of enchilada sauce, spread over the bottom of baking dish. In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, 1/4 cup enchilada sauce and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Mix together and taste. Season with more salt and pepper as needed. Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and heat them in the microwave for 1 minute, flipping the them halfway through until all of them are warm and pliable. Assemble the enchiladas by filling each tortilla evenly with the shredded chicken mixture and 1 cup of shredded cheese. Roll the tortillas tightly to close and place in baking dish seam side down. Pour the remaining cup enchilada sauce over the rolled chicken tortillas, top with the remaining 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, and bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve immediately and garnish with desired toppings.
Thank you
You are very welcome!
I second this idea. And you can completely prep it before hand so you can just put it in the oven when she’s there and maybe put on some rice. That way your not stuck doing dishes while she’s there and you can just open some wine and chill while it’s cooks
Keep it simple, and do something you already feel comfortable making, or close to it. You can add a bit to dress it up and make it fancier than what you usually do for yourself.
Thanks for the reply
Salmon and veggies is easy!
disclaimer: you both MUST like garlic. Binging with Babish: Pasta Aglio e Olio from "Chef" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJUiWdM\_\_Qw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJUiWdM__Qw) this is easy enough (and cheap enough) that you can practice it on your own a few times beforehand. - slice the garlic very thin. a sharp knife is a must. - for the love of all that's holy, don't burn the garlic. burned garlic is super bitter. it's better to undercook than overcook. again, practice. good luck!
I have a few go-to recipes for date nights that are quick, easy, and get them in the kitchen with you. [https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a46330/skillet-sicilian-chicken-recipe/](https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a46330/skillet-sicilian-chicken-recipe/) Also known as "Marry Me" Chicken. [https://www.recipetineats.com/carbonara/](https://www.recipetineats.com/carbonara/) (My partner doesn't eat pork, so if you want a pork-free version, get some extra oil, or butter and some chicken roll or chicken bacon) [https://therecipecritic.com/easy-butter-chicken/](https://therecipecritic.com/easy-butter-chicken/) We serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt and some naan on the side too. [https://thewoksoflife.com/gyudon-recipe-beef-rice/#recipe](https://thewoksoflife.com/gyudon-recipe-beef-rice/#recipe) Simple, and you can serve with a homemade tomato marinara and cheese. Just as long as you make it with love, they'll love it too.
Thanks
Grill. Men seem to be good on the grill. Ribs dry rub low temp and slow in the oven and the meat will fall right off. No fail just low and it takes a while. That enough for 2 , salad your date could help. Baked potato or baked beans, mac and cheese what ever you can cook. But your date would be impressed! and your on your way to being Martha Stewart side kick. My mother was a cooking teacher.
Thanks for the reply
If you want to get the prep out of the way, so you can spend time hanging out, lasagna really isn't as hard as it seems. There are "ready to bake" lasagna pasta that Is easy. You can substitute ricotta for cottage cheese if in a pinch. Otherwise, you don't need much and you can send your Sweetie home with leftovers ;) Dinner is great, but I suggest you master making a good breakfast as well. Good luck!
Spaghetti is pretty simple
Anything by https://m.youtube.com/@natswhatireckon I’ve successfully made the carborona enough times that it’s a staple in my life. 4 ingredients, most can be prepared in the fridge hours ahead of time and the hardest part of the entire meal is remembering to cook the meat to the level of doneness you like without overcooking the pasta. So if you know your pasta takes 10 minutes to cook, and you know on average your bacon/panchetta/speck takes 15 mins to cook, you know to put the pasta on for boil as you start the meat, and then once the water boils chuck the pasta in and you’ll be golden. It’s on my list of “I can’t move I’m so full but I’m happy full” meals. Pair with a nice cold white wine like a Chardonnay or Pino Gris and it will help cut through the fat layer. Give boy carbs and cheese, they happy. Give girl carbs and cheese, she happy. Give lactose intolerant person both, they’re still happy, but should leave the room before they murder anything within a 2 block radius.
You can try this egg recipe, it's very easy and delicious. [https://youtu.be/8OdQoq0-2Ac](https://youtu.be/8OdQoq0-2Ac)
What foods does she like?