A good Valentine’s dinner leaves you time to enjoy it. Choose one main dish, a side you can prepare ahead, and a simple dessert. The menus below range from lobster rolls to homemade ravioli, with shopping and recipe links for each.
Jump to a menu:
- Easy Valentine's Day Dinner
- Medium Skill Valentine's Day Dinner
- Fancy/Skilled Valentine's Day Dinner
- Romantic Dessert Ideas
- Valentine's Drinks to Serve
Start with a small appetizer
Set out something to snack on while the main dish cooks. Applewood Smoked Bacon Wrapped Scallops can be a warm starter; follow their package instructions. If choosing mouthwatering lobster cocktail claws, check the current listing for availability and preparation details. Damariscotta oysters are another option, but cooking oysters thoroughly is the safer choice. Raw shellfish is particularly risky for pregnant people and anyone with a weakened immune system.
An easy dinner: lobster rolls or grilled cheese
For a warm sandwich, make Lobster Grilled Cheese with salted butter and cooked fresh lobster meat . Assemble the filling ahead, refrigerate it, then toast the sandwiches shortly before serving. Pair them with our creamy lobster bisque and a green salad.
Prefer a chilled filling? Try the Avocado Lobster Roll with Lime Mayo. Check the package when selecting frozen lobster claw meat and thaw it in the refrigerator if frozen. Lobster roll buns and mayonnaise complete the shopping list. Serve the sandwiches with classic clam chowder, or simplify ordering with one of our lobster roll kits. Check the kit’s portions against the number of guests.
A comfortable middle ground: baked fish or pasta
Use our Baked Haddock recipe with Icelandic haddock fillets, 8–10 oz. each. Make the side dish before the fish goes into the oven. If you want a seafood topping, choose crab meat and follow a recipe that specifies whether the meat is already cooked.
Mussels in White Wine and Garlic is a one-pot alternative using Maine mussels . Have the bread and bowls ready before cooking, and discard mussels that do not open during cooking.
For pasta night, Lobster Fettuccine with Lemon Crème Sauce uses cooked fresh lobster meat . Make the sauce while the pasta cooks, then add the cooked lobster near the end so it warms without a long simmer. A risotto is another option: fold in cooked fresh lobster meat near the finish, or serve it with separately cooked sea scallops . If you prefer a prepared main, consider our Maine lobster mac and cheese and follow its heating directions.
A more involved dinner: ravioli or surf and turf
Lobster and Boursin Cheese Ravioli is a good project when you have time to prepare the filling and assemble the pasta before dinner. Read the full recipe first and allow extra time if you have not made filled pasta before.
For surf and turf, pair 4-ounce filets of beef with 4–5 oz. lobster tails. Follow our lobster-tail cooking instructions and use a thermometer rather than a fixed time alone. Steak and lobster need different cooking times; prepare the side first and coordinate the two proteins near serving time.
The Surf and Turf Tail Dinner offers a larger lobster-tail option. Its standard dinner includes two 8–10 oz. tails, two 4 oz. filets, two 16 oz. chowders, two whoopie pies, and butter. The extra-tail option adds lobster; the other components remain portioned for two.
Dessert you can prepare ahead
Look for a blueberry pie from Maine among the current desserts, or share soft chocolate whoopie pies. Set dessert aside before you start cooking so it needs little attention later.
Drinks and a simple dinner timeline
Lobster Bloody Mary drinks suit a seafood-themed evening. A citrus seltzer or another alcohol-free drink works just as well; choose what your guest enjoys.
- Before ordering: check allergies, package portions, and available delivery dates. Leave time for refrigerator thawing where needed.
- The day before: prepare dessert, dressings, and any recipe components that can safely be refrigerated.
- Before dinner: set the table, prepare sides, and measure ingredients.
- At serving time: cook the seafood and keep cooked items separate from raw seafood and utensils.
Build your menu from tantalizing appetizers and sides and one main dish you feel comfortable cooking. A manageable menu is more enjoyable than several dishes competing for the same burner.
Source: FDA seafood handling and cooking guidance. Reviewed September 22, 2026.
