26 Affordable Recipes for Your Next Date In

Let’s be honest: Dating is expensive! Going out to restaurants is often a splurge, and even staying in to cook can be a challenge. The good news is, there are plenty of ways to save money while preparing dishes that feel special. You don’t need to shell out for expensive wine, filet mignon or truffle oil; with a little bit of care, humble ingredients like chicken thighs, canned tomatoes and potatoes can go a long way. We've rounded up recipes that rely on basic ingredients you likely already have on hand – like flour, sugar, milk, eggs, butter and lemons – to make elegant and fun meals.

This 6-Ingredient Orecchiette is a great example of using a few key ingredients to maximize flavor. Anchovy fillets amp up the umami, while broccoli rabe is boiled with the pasta to take the edge off its bitterness.

It’s date night — literally! Sweet, chopped dates and tangy caramelized lemon slices finish this dish beautifully. Using chicken thighs instead of breast saves a bit of money and amps up flavor, while pantry ingredients such as canned chickpeas, tomato paste, ground spices and couscous add flavor and heartiness.

Homemade gnocchi is great to make on a budget. All you need for the dough is potatoes, flour, an egg and a pinch of salt. The process is a labor of love, but that makes it especially fun to cook with your date! Toss the finished gnocchi in whatever sauce you want. It’s equally delicious with browned butter and sage, your favorite jarred sauce or grated cheese. This recipe is portioned for four, but if you can’t finish the whole batch, you can pop the leftover cut gnocchi into the freezer for another day.

Chicken thighs give more bang for your buck than breast in this rich curry. Canned whole tomatoes help thicken the creamy, tangy sauce.

This two-serving, vegetarian gratin recipe is as accessible as it is delicious. If Ina Garten uses bottled marinara sauce, then so should you!

This recipe combines the lemony freshness of shrimp scampi with the cheesy comfort of shrimp and grits. Thanks to instant grits, the whole dish comes together in 15 minutes.

This dish was just a fleeting TikTok trend to some, but we’re still making it! There are reasons why this recipe went viral: It’s bursting with flavor, low on ingredients and almost totally hands-off. Serve this as a main dish if you’re short on time but still want something that feels luxurious.

This beloved and showstopping Turkish flatbread is surprisingly easy to make at home. Our recipe tops the pide with cheese, sucuk and eggs, but feel free to mix it up. Spinach, onion, ground beef or lamb, peppers or mushrooms would all be delicious.

These stunning potatoes are deceptively simple to make. Really, they’re just one notch above a plain baked potato. Ree Drummond has a handy trick for slicing them without cutting all the way through. This recipe makes enough for a family, but you can scale it down to make two at a time.

For instant elegance, turn to rainbow carrots. They’re no different from any roasted vegetable with olive oil and salt, but their colors instantly make them seem fancy. Keeping carrots whole saves you prep time and makes them look even more beautiful.

If you need a fresh side, you can’t go wrong with this salad. The trick to making raw kale tender is massaging it with lemon juice — we promise you’ll love it. Mango adds sweetness, pepitas add crunch and a simple homemade dressing brings it all together.

Homemade summer rolls are a bit of a project, which means they're perfect for you and your date to make together. These rolls are gorgeous and easy to customize with your favorite fillings.

Roasted asparagus is a classic side dish for a reason, and with Ina Garten’s simple recipe, it’s hard to mess them up. These beautiful veggies cook in just 25 minutes and are seasoned simply with olive oil, salt and pepper.

These adorable desserts are tailored for two. The only extravagant ingredient on the list is vanilla bean paste in the filling, but you could easily swap it out for vanilla extract.

There’s nothing simpler or more romantic than chocolate-covered strawberries. This recipe guarantees they’ll be super fresh, and the ingredients cost a fraction of the shop-bought treats. These ones are drizzled with white chocolate for an extra special touch, but you can skip if white chocolate isn’t your speed.

This adorable dessert is served in Japan during spring, but you can enjoy this recipe any time of year. The contrast of chewy mochi, sweet red bean and juicy strawberries is delicious. This recipe makes six pieces, perfect for you and your date to sip with hot tea.

Why pay for lava cakes at a restaurant when you can make them at home? This recipe sticks to basic ingredients like chocolate, sugar and flour, and you’ll be amazed when they come together in under half an hour. Halve the recipe for two servings — or go ahead and make all four. We won’t judge.

The combination of lemon, olive oil and thyme gives these adorable cakes a sophisticated savoriness. If you don’t have a mini Bundt pan, a regular muffin pan will do the trick. Or, you can use a regular sized Bundt pan and serve slices.

This Chinese treat is usually served from street carts during the winter at markets and festivals. Simple, shiny and gorgeous, we think they make for a fun, whimsical end to a meal. Tanghulu is usually made with simple syrup, but this recipe mixes in corn syrup to ensure a smooth coating and honey for flavor.

We love the color and rustic feel of these tiny galettes, and better yet, they come together in under an hour. Store-bought pie crusts do the heavy lifting.

Did someone say movie night? Food Network Kitchen has three easy, quick ideas for dressing up that bag of microwave popcorn. Choose your favorite or try them all!

This two-ingredient recipe could seriously not be simpler or more elegant. Alex Guarnaschelli is right when she calls it luxurious; the crunchy caramel contrasting with the bitter grapefruit is perfection. Keep this in your back pocket for your next brunch together.

Aiming to impress? We’ve got inspiration for you. This spectacular brunch dish takes some doing, but its ingredient list is straightforward. This recipe makes enough for a double date, but you can halve the recipe for two.

These light-as-air, perfectly circular pancakes are joy on a plate. This recipe uses basic pantry ingredients, but the result is magic. If you don’t have ring molds, don’t worry; you can easily make some out of aluminum foil.

If you're looking for a quick, comforting, sweet-and-salty snack, turn to this toast. In Hong Kong, condensed milk toast with peanut butter is served all day at cafés — it always hits the spot. Whip up a sandwich for you and your partner next time you can't decide what to eat.