There’s no “right way” to spend time with your partner as long as your time together is personal. Without waiters, friends, or the general public around to distract you, the real bonding can begin. New couples might be intimidated by true one-on-one time, but long-time partners know how meaningful these moments can be. We often feel that there needs to be a big production on date night, but sticking to a familiar setting can be just as fun and twice as romantic.
If you and your partner are used to reaching for the remote right away, give them a night-in to remember by mixing things up with these three ideas for a date night at home.
- Take a total night off. If you’ve spent all day at the office, cooking can feel like one more chore, especially when you want to focus on your significant other. Instead of piecing together another “quick and easy” dinner, treat them (and yourself) to a candle lit gourmet meal prepared right there in your kitchen by Chef Lynn Michelle. Design a date night menu that you know your partner will love, then sit back and relax as Chef Lynn takes care of the grocery shopping, cooking, and clean-up. It’s like being at an upscale restaurant, except you can still sit on the couch in your sweatpants or get all dolled up – whatever is the most FUN for you!
- Try something new. Seasoned chefs and kitchen newcomers alike can enjoy making a meal together. Cooking is an opportunity for you and your partner to tackle a joint project, and gives you time to talk about something that isn’t related to work, kids, or stress. If cooking together is something that you do regularly, make your date night extra special with a custom playlist of your favorite love songs and an at-home cooking class. Chef Lynn Michelle can show you how to prepare a Pinterest-worthy meal for a #goals moment.
- Relive the memories. Many of our most vivid memories involve food. Maybe you and your partner met at a backyard BBQ, or can’t forget the smell of fresh pasta from your honeymoon in Montenegro. Maybe your partner misses the desert their family used to make every year over the holidays. Bring back the good ol’ days with Chef Lynn’s BBQ chicken and collard greens, pasta carbonara, or grilled bananas foster. No one said you can’t use old memories as an excuse to make new ones.
Whether you have an hour, several, or the whole night to spare, make your home part of your most romantic memories by sharing a homemade meal on the patio, by candlelight, or on the floor. Staying home may be more convenient or less expensive, but the sentiment will not be lost on your partner. Can your plans out on the town and allow Chef Lynn Michelle to serve you her most date-worthy dishes, like Chicken Marsala. Bon appetit!
Chicken Marsala
Ingredients
- 12 Chicken Tenders organic
- 2 cups All-Purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup sweet marsala wine
- 1/4 cup onions, finely minced
- 1 cup mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 stalks celery finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons tomato sauce
- 1 Tablespoon parsley
- 2 cups chicken broth
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Place half of the butter in a large oven safe sauté pan; melt the butter on medium heat.
- While the butter is melting; place the chicken tenders into the flour mixture.
- Coat the chicken tenders in flour; carefully shake off excess flour and place chicken tender onto the melted butter in the saute pan
- Cook until golden brown on both sides (the chicken will not be fully cooked at this time); remove from pan and set aside on a clean plate.
- In the same pan, using the chicken tender drippings, add the other half of the butter and olive oil to heat up in the pan.
- When the butter and olive oil is melted; add onions, mushrooms, and celery. Sauté together until onions are translucent.
- When the mushroom mixture is almost done; add the minced garlic. Stir till fragrant.
- Add the Marsala Wine; Stir. This will burn off some of the alcohol.
- Add tomato sauce, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir.
- Add chicken broth. Stir.
- Season to taste.
- Add the chicken tenders carefully back to the pan and slightly cover with sauce.
- Place the Chicken Marsala into an oven at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.
Notes