Across the United States, people will be sending their loved one’s flowers, chocolates, and other gifts this year on Valentine’s Day to show how much they love and care for them. In addition to the somewhat “over-the-top” gifts that may be given this year, many couples will go out to for dinner. But not you. This year, you’re doing things a little differently. Rather than shell a bunch of money to go eat out during one of the busiest nights of the year for restaurants, you’re going to set the mood with a romantic dinner for two grilled right from your outdoor Orlando grill. Now, we don’t claim to be experts, but we have a pretty good idea that a relaxed night around your outdoor kitchen and hopefully outdoor fire pit with delicious grilled food, will earn you some brownie points.
In order to make sure this Valentine’s Day goes smoothly, it’s important to have an idea of what’s going to be on the menu and to buy and maybe prepare (depending on the recipe) your food a few days before the “big event”. Below you’ll find romantic dishes for you to grill for every budget on your outdoor grill in Orlando.
Valentine’s Dinner for Two: On a Budget
Despite popular belief, you don’t have to spend half of your savings to create a night to remember this Valentine’s Day. If cash is a little tight this year, may we suggest the following menu:
- Heart-Shaped Hamburgers – These hamburgers require little effort and not a lot of money. Even though this burger is heart-shaped follow these guidelines to make sure it’s grilled to perfection.
- Grilled Steak Fries – Use your outdoor grill in Orlando to grill up some yummy steak fries to pair with your burger. Try this recipe, which takes about 45 minutes from start to finish.
- Fruit Skewers with Chocolate – A fresh take on chocolate-covered strawberries. This dessert from Delish doubles as an activity and a sweet treat. Choose your favorite fruits or stick with the classic strawberry and grill for about 10 minutes until the fruit is and has a slight char. Drizzle with chocolate or honey.
Valentine’s Dinner for the Family
If you can’t find a babysitter for the big day, involve your kids in your Valentine’s Day celebration using your Orlando outdoor kitchen. The following recipes are sure to be a hit with the kids and don’t include hot dogs:
- Grilled Pizza or Flatbread – What kid doesn’t love pizza? Especially a pizza that they get to put their own ingredients on and that mom or dad throws on the outdoor grill in Orlando, so that they can watch it cook. Grilled pizza is a win-win for everyone since you can put your own ingredients on yours, so you don’t have to eat whatever weird concoction the kids decided to make.
- Skewers – Skewers are a great dish to throw on the grill. Easy to assemble and marinate, skewers can also be created to please anyone’s flavor palate. Plus, what kid doesn’t like poking a stick through veggies. If you plan on having your kids help skewer the raw meat, make sure they wash their hands thoroughly before touching anything else.
- S’mores – Just like fire-roasted s’mores this gooey dessert is fun to make and even more fun to eat. Make sure you have foil on hand to keep these desserts together on the grill.
- Banana Splits – Grilled banana splits feature all the flavors we love in a new way: grilled Banana with melted chocolate, other yummy toppings of your choice and topped with ice cream. We have a feeling this dessert will become a staple each time you use your outdoor kitchen in Orlando.
The First Valentine’s Dinner
If this is the first Valentine’s Day you’re celebrating with a certain someone, you’ll want to create a meal to impress. The following menu will make your date want to celebrate every V-day on the grill:
- Bubble Bouquet Cocktail– Start the evening off right with some Valentine’s Day-themed cocktails. Go for something classic with a twist like this Bubble Bouquet cocktail that uses Absolute original, rosewater, simple syrup, and is topped with champagne and garnished with rose petals.
- Oysters – Oysters have been admired for their aphrodisiac abilities since the dawn of time (almost), so it just wouldn’t be a Valentine’s Day dinner to impress without them. Try your hand at these barbecued oysters, Drunk Sailors before the main course.
- Herb Crusted Filet Mignon – Delicious and tender, filet mignon is the star of the show here, so make sure to garnish this with fresh herbs when you serve it. Grilled vegetables or potatoes are a perfect side to this delectable cut of meat. Other options for the main course include Lobster tail on the grill or even rack of lamb.
- Smoked Creme Brulee – Any type of dessert that lets you use a blow torch is good in our book. Try this creamy lush smoked creme brulee as dessert to round out your meal. End the night cuddling by your Orlando outdoor kitchen firepit or fireplace.
Setting the Mood
Creating a romantic Valentine’s dinner isn’t just about grilling up delicious food on your Orlando grill, it’s also about creating the right ambiance for a romantic evening. Here are some tips that can help to set the mood this Valentine’s Day:
- Flowers – If you’re able to buy some flowers (roses can be found just about everywhere during this time of year), in either white, pink or red, and set them up around where you’ll be spending most of the evening. Even just one rose placed at the dinner table will help set the mood.
- Candles – A candlelit dinner is the epitome of romance. If you have lights outside, we suggest turning these off when you go to enjoy your meal. But keep them on while you cook! There’s nothing romantic about singed eyebrows or meat that’s not cooked properly because you couldn’t see.
- Music – Music is a very personal choice, so take some time in finding or creating a playlist that you think you both will enjoy. You can find romantic themed CDs here or create your own romantic playlist using a music app like Spotify or Pandora.
We hope these tips will help you create an unforgettable Valentine’s dinner using your Orlando outdoor kitchen. And if you don’t have a Paradise outdoor kitchen yet, stop by our outdoor grill and kitchen Orlando showroom, a piece of Paradise makes a perfect Valentine’s Day gift for that special someone.
