A romantic dinner out on Valentine’s Day isn’t always as great as it sounded. Reservations tend to be difficult to obtain – especially for those most coveted restaurants – and the ambiance we seek will often be rushed, noisy, and anything but intimate. A great alternative is planning a dinner at home, and we can make it special and romantic without spending hours cooking and cleaning in advance — and these Trader Joe’s frozen foods are here to save the evening,
Time is a valuable commodity, and if you’re too busy to prepare that special meal (or just don’t want to!), a great option is to pick up some tasty and surprisingly healthy food options at Trader Joe’s. They are incredibly easy to prepare, they have a diverse selection of options, and they’ll look like you shopped and planned this meal for hours…except you didn’t! Which, of course, gives you more time to work on setting the mood.
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1. Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Ravioli
This is a night of all these bright and sweet, and that touch of color and sweetness can be extended to the dinner plate. One of the best Valentine’s frozen food options from Trader Joe’s is their Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Ravioli.
If you’re looking for a romantic Italian meal without braving the trip to a crowded and busy Italian restaurant, this ravioli is a great option. Filled with butternut squash, sweet potato, and ricotta cheese, it’s sure to satisfy your taste buds and would pair beautifully with a simple salad (Trader Joe’s has lots of those in ready-to-serve bags!) and a lovely bottle of red wine.
2. Frozen Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe
Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe is sure to impress, but making it from scratch is guaranteed to take a long time and can be a frustrating process. That’s no way to set the mood on Valentine’s Day! But this is a perfect (and acceptable!) alternative.
It is a classic Italian recipe; it features spaghetti coated in a creamy sauce with black pepper on top for a tangy taste. For those Cacio e Pepe purists, there’s even a rich sauce made from pecorino romano cheese and cream. Just add some cooked veggies to make it more flavorful.
Trader Joe’s also sells this Cacio e Pepe by the jar, if you want to save some extra sauce for other dishes later.
3. Frozen Gluten-Free Gnocchi
Yes, this is another flavorful Italian frozen food option. But it’s one with so many possibilities. If you are looking for a quick vegan dinner that’s fancier than it should be, pesto is nearly always a good idea.
“Make a pesto with organic basil, pistachios, lemon juice, lemon zest, black pepper, salt, and olive oil and set it to the side,” says Chef Jason Wyrick, founder of The Vegan Taste.
This romantic date-night pesto is perfect for dinner if you sear up a package of Trader Joe’s frozen gluten-free gnocchi until it browns.
“Remove it from the pan and immediately toss it with the pesto,” says Wyrick. “Add a little roasted zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, and chickpeas and you have an easy, impress-your-date dish. Send it over the top by pureeing frozen blueberries, agave, and the slightest drizzle of balsamic glaze into a sweet and sour blueberry sorbet for dessert.”
4. Stacked Eggplant Parmesan
Continuing the vegetarian theme, this stacked eggplant parm is a favorite year-round but it’s also an excellent choice for a romantic dinner. It has several layers of tender eggplant, gooey cheese, and tomato sauce. It also is very hearty, with a taste and texture similar to lasagna. You can pair it with a side of garlic bread, pasta, a salad, and, of course, wine!
5. Soy Creamy Cherry Chocolate Chip Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert
For dessert, ice cream will never fail and at Trader Joe’s, their plant-based soy creamy cherry chocolate chip non-dairy frozen dessert is as rich and creamy as the dairy options. This will make your Valentine’s Day special, but not feeling weighed down as the night progresses because it’s not overly sweet and the basic is organic soy milk sweetened with organic cane sugar. The texture is creamy and loaded with cherries and non-dairy chocolate chips.
Read next: 8 Costco Foods Nutritionists Love for Valentine’s Day
The post 5 Trader Joe’s Frozen Foods Perfect for Valentine’s Day at Home appeared first on Clean Plates.
