Whether you want to skip the frenzy of dining out on Valentine’s Day or you just don’t feel like going broke over a Hallmark holiday, cooking dinner at home for a more intimate date night is the way to go. Still, we’ve all seen the price of groceries lately, so even eating at home isn’t all that cost-effective.
That’s where Aldi comes in — our shining-star, affordable grocery store, where you can put together an easy, delicious date-night dinner for $15 or less. Here’s how to do it.
Create the Illusion of a Fancy Dinner
Aldi is teeming with fancy-facing items that are actually cheap. Source them for Valentine’s Day. Artichoke-stuffed chicken is essentially chicken breast stuffed with spinach artichoke dip (yum), and Aldi sells a heat-and-serve option that’s ready in just three minutes and costs just over $6.
Pair that with a $4.50 package of lobster ravioli to give the illusion of a fancy dinner (and bring festive flair with the red color on the pasta), and finish with one of the most reliable desserts Aldi has to offer: the $4 chocolate chunk pizza cookie. If you want to sneak a bit past your $15 threshold, we highly recommend putting some vanilla ice cream on top of the cookie.
Stick to What You Know
Valentine’s Day is not the time to go rogue and prepare something unfamiliar for your partner. Mostly because if it winds up being a flop, takeout isn’t likely to be timely on the evening of February 14. There are so many familiar favorites at Aldi, and we recommend leaning into them. Enter: a good old-fashioned pasta dinner.
Aldi’s spinach and cheese manicotti is only $5, and though it doesn’t come with the sauce, we’re willing to bet you’ve got some in the pantry. Fret not, though, because if you don’t, there are tons of cheap options at Aldi. Any good pasta dinner should include garlic bread, and Aldi’s $3 garlic knots emulate Olive Garden’s breadsticks. Toss in a $3 Caesar salad kit for good measure, and cap things with our personal favorite dessert from the bakery at Aldi: the $4.50 triple chocolate creme cake (if you don’t know, you need to know).
Try a Seafood Night
Something about seafood screams “romantic date night,” but seafood restaurants are notoriously expensive. Thankfully, Aldi has a decent selection of seafood. A package of Ahi tuna steaks costs less than $8, and it pairs perfectly with truffle and porcini mushroom macaroni and cheese (which sounds fancy but costs just over $2). Obviously, if you’re doing seafood, you’ll need a box of Red Lobster Cheddar Bay biscuit mix, which costs $2.75 at my local Aldi store. Some caramel chocolate lava cakes for dessert fit the vibe of this meal perfectly, and a two-pack of them costs just over $2.
Sear Some Steaks, Obviously
Steak is the perfect protein for Valentine’s Day, but it’s also one of the most expensive meats you can buy right now. Aldi comes in clutch with its bacon-wrapped top sirloin, which costs $9 for two steaks. $3 steamed asparagus spears and microwavable jasmine rice (which costs about $1) are inherently easy sides, and for less than $2, you can finish strong with New York-style cheesecake slices.
More From Cheapism
- The Simple Trick You Need to Know for Getting Half-Off Meat at Aldi — Shoppers are getting savvy, and Redditors are sharing their hacks to score half-off meat at Aldi.
- The 10 Affordable Aldi Cheeses That Shoppers Keep Buying on Repeat — Aldi has an impressive selection of imported cheeses from Gouda to white cheddar, and Redditors love sharing their favorites.
- Last-Minute Valentine’s Day Gifts From the Grocery Store That Aren’t $50 Roses — If you still need to score an inexpensive, last-minute V-Day present, here are some grocery store ideas you can still pick up in time.
