Do you have an upcoming date night where you’ll be staying in and you want to make a great meal? The problem is that a great meal often means a whole lot of planning, time, and work which means less time spent actually conversing with one and other and enjoying the date. Not to worry, as we’ve got you covered with this lazy cook’s guide to cooking a delicious meal for date night. Just because you don’t want to be trapped in the kitchen for hours, doesn’t mean the two of you can’t have a great meal.
Stick to Recipes That are Tried and True
The last thing you want to deal with is surprises or problems with a recipe as you’re trying to prepare it. This leads to stress and even more time spent in the kitchen. So, what’s the best solution? It’s a good idea to stick to recipes that are tried and true, i.e., the meals you’ve cooked many times before and are comfortable with. You can then simply focus on making them taste great.
A date night doesn’t have to mean you are serving some fancy five course meal; it’s all about serving something tasty that you both enjoy.
Choose a Cuisine “Theme” and Stick to Simple Recipes
Another great tip is to choose a cuisine theme, which makes selecting recipes and drinks a whole lot easier and faster. Within that cuisine you can try the beginner-friendly recipes that don’t require a lot of ingredients, preparation, skills, or experience. The fewer the steps in the recipe, the faster it will be to prepare. This leaves you with more time for socializing with your date.
A great example could be a Mexican cuisine night. This means you can stick to something simple like tacos, where all you need to do is brown and season the meat, and then chop up the toppings. You can essentially create a taco bar, which is visually appealing but requires little effort on your part. Pair some frozen margaritas with your tacos and you’ve got a fun, tasty, and yet simple date night meal.
Use a Meal Delivery Service
If you’re looking for a real time-saver without having to sacrifice on the quality of the meal, then a meal delivery service like Home Chef can be a great option. When considering the Home Chef cost you need to factor in how much time you are saving from going to the grocery store, then chopping and preparing all the ingredients needed to make the recipe.
With these home delivery services the meals come ready-to-cook as all the preparation and measuring is done for you. All you have to do is follow the instructions in terms of combining the elements, and cook it. It’s quick and simple, yet the meal will come out looking extremely impressive. It’s a great way to wow your date.
Plan Based on the Ingredients You Have On-Hand
Maybe the real issue is that you don’t have time to go to the grocery store and pick up all the ingredients for a big meal. Instead, why not take a look at what you’ve got in the cupboards, fridge, and freezer and use the ingredients you have on-hand. Some of the best meals are those where you combine a variety of flavors and use up the ingredients you already have.
Cook in Advance of Date Night
Next, you can consider cooking in advance of date night. There is absolutely no reason to wait until your date has arrived to start cooking the meal. You could make it earlier in the day or the day before, and then just finish the cooking process, or simply warm it up. Whatever works best for the actual meal and how you’ve planned out the evening.
Pick One-Pot Dishes
If the meal preparation and cleaning up afterward is what you can’t stand about cooking, you can choose a one-pot dish to make the entire process much easier. Slow cookers are the perfect example, as you simply put all the ingredients in at once, turn on your slow cooker, and come back 4-8 hours later and the meal is done. There is only one dish to worry about and there is no standing over a hot stove or oven.
Make It a Couples Thing
If the idea of preparing a meal is just too stressful to even think about, why not make it a couple’s thing? Rather than one person doing all the cooking, have your date come over a little earlier and the two of you can prepare and then cook a couples meal together. This gives you a chance to chat with one another the entire time, and cooking can act as an icebreaker for those of you who are still getting to know one another. At the very least it allows you to spend more time together.
Each of these tips will help you to take the stress and effort out of cooking a meal for date night.
Leave a Reply