As a rule, we avoid restaurants on Valentine’s Day. It’s always crazy busy and, even with reservations, you can find yourself squished in a waiting area for longer than you want. Plus, the weather here isn’t normally great and nothing makes you want to dress up more than slush, puddles, snow or rain that will ruin your hair in a moment and freezing temperatures. Nothing about it exudes romance.
If we do a Valentine’s Date Night, we make a nice dinner for two at home and we mean nice. It’s important to treat yourself and take the time to connect as a couple, and not just on Valentine’s Day. We love our special date nights at home because we get dressed up, have cocktails with appetizers, enjoy a special dinner and, of course, a yummy dessert.
There’s no one to bug us. No bad weather to deal with. Just us and a good meal.
I thought many of you might think the same thing and might be looking for recipe ideas, so I got together with some of my blogging friends to host this Dinner for Two Hop! You will ideas for every part of the evening, from cocktails and my Herbed Cheese Straws (an easy appetizer made with Puff Pastry) to main dishes and LOTS of yummy desserts! So many good recipes that I know I’m excited to try out myself.
- 1 sheet puff pastry defrosted
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- garlic salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- light dusting of italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
-
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
-
Place thawed puff pastry sheet on a sheet of parchment paper and brush on olive oil.
-
Sprinkle with garlic salt, pepper, and a little bit of Italian Seasoning.
-
Sprinkle cheese over sheet.
-
Place another sheet of parchment paper on top and press down the ingredients firmly into the dough with your fingers.
-
Cut each sheet into 1/2"-1" strips.
-
Twist each strip and set it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Some cheese might fall off. Just pick it up and sprinkle onto the straws.
-
Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and breadsticks start to turn golden.
I love cocktail hour; it might even be my favorite. With that said though, I want something easy to make if I’m putting a lot of effort into the rest of the meal. These Herbed Cheese Straws are perfect for that because they are so easy to make. Plus, they are really light and won’t fill you up before the rest of the meal. It’s an all around win-win.
Tip: You need the puff pastry sheet thawed! If the sheet is still a little frozen, the straws will not twist easily for you.
Now – to the other recipes ideas! Make sure to head over and give my friends some love and, if you see something you like, make sure to share! {Sharing is caring, after all!}
Britni says
YUM! Herbed cheese straws are perfect for any occasion!
Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life says
Those look seriously yummy! My family would love them! And I love how easy they are too!
Jamie @ Love Bakes Good Cakes says
Mmmm …. cheese straws! These are such a great idea for appetizers!
Yvonne [Tried and Tasty] says
These look incredible! I’m totally a stay at home on Valentine’s kind of girl, I love romantic dinner for two ideas 🙂 So happy to have been a part of the collection with you!
Heather Brown says
These look like a great dinner party appetizer! Yum!
Emily @ Love, Pasta and a Tool Belt says
We don’t go out on Valentine’s either. I’d much rather wait and go out the next weekend. I love these ideas of dinner for two and I might be trying this recipe out this weekend, it looks delicious!
Stephanie Keeping says
My kids would love these. They love cheese!