Whether You’re In A Long-Term Relationship Or More Of A Serial Dater, Tell Us Your “Date Night” Recipe That Always Does The Job

As someone who cooks new recipes on a weekly basis, I'm very enthusiastic about uncovering the best dishes that the internet has to offer — all so I can share the A+ ones with all of you. (See below for a glimpse into my brain.)

My recipe tracker spreadsheet with 19 different recipes all rated. Several are instant hits, and one in particular, butternut squash lasagna, is marked as never again.
Ross Yoder / Google

Through trying 100+ new recipes each and every year, I've assembled quite the Rolodex of tried-and-true dishes over the years. But that said, I figured I'd try something new today and ask you, our BuzzFeed readers, to submit the recipes you're most passionate about. The category is: date night meals.

Selena Gomez on her cooking show making a gesture for "call me" in her kitchen
Selena Gomez on her cooking show making a gesture for "call me" in her kitchen

HBO Max / Via giphy.com

Now listen, when I say "date night" meals, I'm not solely looking for fancier recipes fit for dining by candlelight. Maybe your go-to date night meal is just the easy-yet-impressive recipe you whip up time and time again to impress your first or second dates. You're absolutely wild about this red wine spaghetti, and you nail it every time. For what it's worth, it's also never failed to get you a second or third date, either.

Red wine spaghetti on a white plate, sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

After all, they do say red wine is an aphrodisiac.

Ross Yoder

Perhaps you're well past the honeymoon phase of your relationship and your date night meals have turned into whatever quick dishes you and your partner can enjoy alone after the kids are asleep. You make this skillet chicken with buttery orzo on a weekly basis these days because it tastes restaurant-worthy with minimal effort. No babysitter (or deep cleaning) required.

Crispy chicken thighs in a skillet on top of orzo with fennel fronds for garnish.
Ross Yoder

Or, maybe you and your significant other have one particular dish that feels surprisingly important to your relationship. For me, it's the slab-bacon tacos with scallion crema that were the first meal I ever cooked for my now-fiancé, and we still make them together to celebrate most anniversaries.

Bacon tacos on a plate on top of corn tortillas with lime, pineapple salsa.

(In hindsight, these were an incredibly chaotic and very involved choice for Date #3, but I also think they sealed the deal.)

Ross Yoder

Whatever your favorite is, I want to know why it works especially well for date night...and any specific memories attached to it, too. Use the comments below or this anonymous form to share, and remember to include the name of the recipe plus a link, or instructions if it's a recipe of your own.

We'll feature the best ones in an upcoming post...and who knows! I might even try out several for myself.