Eight Simple Oven Recipes to Impress Your Other Half

If you’re anything like my partner and I, you probably love going out to a fancy dinner on date night. As for the lofty price tags on these menus…not so much. But what if I told you you could impress your other half just as easily with these simple oven recipes from home as you could with a sophisticated restaurant? I challenge you to test out one of these eight recipes on your next date night – and soon, you’ll see for yourself the wonders that a simple, home-cooked meal can work on an already-strong relationship!

Chicken Parmesan  Meatballs with Creamy Polenta

What could be more romantic or inviting than sharing a meatball with your partner? Silly as it may sound, the thought of love always calls to mind the iconic scene in the Disney film Lady and the Tramp, where the two amorous dogs take turns nudging the last meatball toward each other in a touching display of affection. While you may not want to stick your nose in these meatballs, you and your partner will want to savor their taste all night long.  

Easy Baked Gnocchi  with Tomatoes and Mozzarella

In my experience, the best way to impress your man (or woman) is with creamy comfort food that reminds them of their childhood. If your other half grew up in an Italian household like I did, they probably already have a love for gnocchi, a type of small, round potato dumplings often served like pasta. Naturally, baking it with sweet tomatoes and stretchy mozzarella can only make this nostalgic classic even better!

Sheet Pan Lemon  Parmesan Garlic Chicken & Veggies

Can you believe that this sophisticated date night dinner can be made in a single pan? That’s right: coat your chicken, pop it on a pan with some veggies and roast for a delicious date night meal that’s sure to satisfy. If you’re pressed for time, you might even consider using a halogen oven to speed up your baking time. Check out some of the best halogen ovens on CookBakeEat if you haven’t got one.

Medjool Date Apple  Bacon Pizza with Fontina Cheese and Arugula

Next time you’re tempted to have a lazy date night and order a delivery pizza, I dare you to buy the ingredients for this medjool date apple bacon pizza instead. Pizza making is a bonding activity that you and your partner will love – not to mention, the sophisticated depth of flavor in this particular pizza makes it a particularly stunning suggestion for date night.

Cornish Hens with  Cherry Sauce

This simple meal is perfect for the cook who is anything but adventurous, yet still wants to impress his or her other half! All you need to do to create this restaurant-worthy meal is roast the cornish hens (as you would a rotisserie chicken) and simmer the cherries over the stove for a delicious dinner your partner won’t believe is homemade. The recipe is so foolproof, even the worst cook could conquer it.

Garlicky Baked Shrimp

When you and your partner are both busy with work and other commitments, it can be difficult to make time for date night. Luckily, this recipe takes just 20 minutes of your time, so you can whip it together before your other half even gets home from work. Albeit speedy, the flavors in this meal are delicious and impressive, and I promise your partner will appreciate the effort to slow down and catch up after spending so much of your days apart.

Honey Mustard Salmon  in Foil

“Mustard” is a word that might stir up fear in some of the pickier eaters on this side of the globe, but trust me when I say that this recipe uses mustard in a creative and delicious way. This honey mustard sauce-covered salmon is the perfect recipe for impressing the seafood lover in your life who’s always looking to try new things and experiment with bold flavors. Especially if you’re someone who tends to walk on the cautious side of life, your adventurous partner will surely appreciate the effort to join him or her outside your comfort zone.

Triple Chocolate  Skillet Brownie

What date night would ever be complete without dessert? The brownie is a classic childhood dessert, but baking and serving it in a cast-iron skillet elevates it to a first-class treat at the end of a long day. Your favorite chocaholic will love savoring the sweet, melty chocolate and cold, creamy vanilla ice cream with you as you both ride off into the sunset.

These eight recipes may sound simple, but they’re more than enough to win over your other half on date night. Keep it up and you might just find yourself craving more and more date nights in the kitchen instead of the local restaurant.

4 Reasons Cooking With Your Partner Is The Best Thing You Ever Do For Your Relationship

While the health dividends brought on by choosing to cook at home are both plentiful and apparent, the relationship benefits are less often discussed. That’s right, relationship benefits!

For not only does cooking produce dozens of mentally and physically therapeutic side-effects (culinary therapy is currently being used to treat everything from depression and anxiety to eating disorders, ADHD and addiction), doing it with your partner has its own set of wonderful perks. Such as the following:

1. It’s good for your sex life.

In a 2016 study, researchers found that one in five Americans “say someone who is a good cook turns them on the most – the exact same amount (19 percent) as those who are most turned on by a nice body.” I encourage you to pause and really let that statistic sink in. A huge number of people are as turned on by cooking acumen as they are by hot bodies.

Indeed, a 2014 article by the Washington Post bore the headline, “Couples Who Share Housework Have The Most And Best Sex Lives.” That’s because tensions over unfair housework division are directly correlated to the likelihood of divorce—which is initiated twice as often by women than by men.

2. It increases your emotional bond.

Couples who do stuff together, stay together. A 2010 study by Stel & Vonk joins an ever-growing body of research that shows doing an activity with your partner creates a context in which the two of you can coordinate your actions.

This sort of nonverbal mimicry “helps people feel emotionally attuned with one another, and those who experience or engage in it tend to report greater feelings of having ‘bonded’ with their partner,” according to Psychology Today.

3. It strengthens communication.

But emotional bonds are strengthened in less subtle ways, too. Cooking together means spending quality time together—time spent discussing the events of the day, the future, ambitions and dreams. Time spent truly communicating. Without communication, the relationship is doomed.

According to Dr. Terri Orbuch, who headed up the Early Years of Marriage Project, most couples who have fallen into the routines of life only think they are communicating, when in fact what they’re really talking about is what she calls “maintaining the household,” or discussing chores, to-do lists, finances, etc. On the other hand, couples who do fun and challenging activities together have more time truly getting to know one another.

Lounging on the couch, staring at Instagram while a Netflix movie plays in the background does not count.

4. It boosts your physical health and mental wellbeing.

The phrase “you are what you eat” resides in the common vernacular for good reason: it’s true! The better you treat your body, the healthier foods you eat, the happier you’ll be. A recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health discovered that for every serving of fruits and veggies consumed, participants felt happier and more satisfied with their lives. Treat your body good, look good, feel good, and your relationships will undoubtedly thrive.

If you’re looking to strengthen your relationship with your partner (or with yourself!), the kitchen is an accessible, affordable, and fun place to start. Put on a catchy playlist, pop a bottle of cabernet, and whip up that shrimp scampi dish you’ve been wanting to try for months.

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