Our Favorite February Weeknight Dinner Recipes
We’re gearing up for the biggest sports event of the year, love is in the air, and it’s frickin’ COLD outside...yep, must be February! While we are so excited to celebrate some of our favorite holidays, we’re also still doubling down on all the winter classics, like soups, stews, and all things comforting in between. Join us as we try our hand at making romantic dinners, turn game day apps into full meals (February is the best time for nachos for dinner), and try and distract ourselves as much as possible as winter rages outside. We’ve got 40 recipes to help inspire you to make dinner this February—one for every day of the month, and then some.
We’ve included a good mix of entirely new recipes, like our lasagnchiladas, our French dip stuffed biscuits, and our white bean & smoked sausage skillet, as well as some old classics, like our chicken cacciatore, our Mongolian beef ramen, and our Buffalo chicken grilled cheese. Rainy or snowy days and chilly nights got you feeling a little down? Our French onion pot roast, our Italian meatloaf, and our cream of mushroom pastina are the comfort foods you need. It’s not all about heavy meals either—we started this year off strong with easy meal prep-able recipes featuring lighter proteins and tons of veggies, and we loved them so much we’re keeping them around through February (and the rest of the year?) too. Check out our spaghetti squash carbonara, our cilantro-lime chicken, and our sweet potato couscous bowls for inspo, and we bet you’ll want to do the same.
We’re also taking inspiration from everything going on in February, like Black History Month, Groundhog Day, Valentine’s, President’s Day, the Super Bowl, national tater tot day 😉… For a short month (28 days this year), February is PACKED. Looking to surprise your sweetheart with a home-cooked meal for V-Day? Try our marry me tofu, our monster meatballs, or our lemon-brown butter salmon. Need game-worthy dinner ideas? Check out our chili-stuffed cornbread, our scallion pancake quesadillas, or our giant party sub. They taste like winning, no matter how they game turns out.
Want even more February holiday ideas? Check out our best easy dinners for two and our favorite Super Bowl dips and snacks too.
Marry Me Chicken
Chicken breasts are seared until golden brown before being baked in a simple cream sauce for a dish that's packed with flavor in every bite. Whether you make this for a special someone on Valentine's Day or simply as an extra-special weeknight dinner, be prepared—this chicken just might inspire a confession of love at first bite.
Get the Marry Me Chicken recipe.
Chili-Stuffed Cornbread
Cheesy chili-stuffed cornbread is what happens when cornbread gets tired of being a sidekick and decides to break into a leading role. This golden, crumbly cornbread has a surprise middle stuffed with beefy chili and cheddar cheese. It’s hearty, a little messy, and unapologetically extra.
Get the Chili-Stuffed Cornbread recipe.
Monster Meatballs
Meatballs will forever be one of our favorite foods, but even we'll admit that forming a million of them can be tedious. Enter: monster meatballs. This recipe only makes 4 giant ones, perfect for sharing with your sweetie over a plate of spaghetti.
Get the Monster Meatballs recipe.
French Dip Stuffed Biscuits
Who knew simple, store-bought ingredients like canned biscuits, deli sliced roast beef, and a packet of au jus gravy mix could be transformed into something so delicious? Well, we did, which is why we’re strongly suggesting you fit this into your easy-weeknight meal rotation when you need something hearty and comforting with a fun twist.
Get the French Dip Stuffed Biscuits recipe.
Scallion Pancake Quesadilla
Scallion pancakes are the flaky, crispy part of a good dim sum spread that can make you fall in love and lose track of time. But when you stuff those same pancakes with gooey cheese and savory sautéed mushrooms to make scallion pancake quesadillas? Be prepared for your newest dinner (or late-night snack) obsession.
Get the Scallion Pancake Quesadilla recipe.
White Bean & Smoked Sausage Skillet
This white bean and sausage skillet is guaranteed to have you scraping your bowl clean and coming back for seconds. Seared smoked sausage, chopped kale, and tender cannellini beans gets smothered in a creamy sauce, then topped with crispy-crunchy homemade mini croutons to make this hearty skillet dinner.
Get the White Bean & Smoked Sausage Skillet recipe.
Nachos Supreme
This best recipe is loaded with melty cheese, ground beef, two types of beans, and pickled jalapeños, but use this as a jumping-off point to add all your favorites. Switch it up with your favorite cheese and toppings to make this game day snack completely your own.
Get the Nachos Supreme recipe.
Cheesy Bacon Ranch Chicken
We’ll say it: Bacon and ranch is an absolute match made in heaven. If you’re as obsessed with this flavor combination as we are, then this chicken dinner should be your new weeknight staple. An extra bonus? This recipe is keto and gluten-free!
Get the Cheesy Bacon Ranch Chicken recipe.
Sweet Potato Couscous Sunshine Bowls
Here it is: a bowl that’s comforting in its own right, easy on the gut, and full of good energy. Inspired by a Moroccan sweet potato salad, this sweet potato sunshine bowl is living up to its cheery name with the addition of citrus-flavored couscous.
Get the Sweet Potato Couscous Sunshine Bowls recipe.
Chicken Cacciatore
Rooted in Italian tradition, chicken cacciatore—meaning “hunter-style”—was originally a rustic dish made with whatever was on hand. Our modern take keeps that comforting vibe but makes it foolproof for any home cook. This version brings perfectly tender chicken and a rich tomato sauce to your table, every time.
Get the Chicken Cacciatore recipe.
French Onion Pot Roast
Cold-weather comfort food is all we want on a lazy, long winter weekend, and this French onion pot roast is the perfect cross between slow-roasted chuck and classic cheesy French onion soup. Taking inspo from our onion soup rib roast, the beef is seasoned with onion soup mix to add depth and an extra umami boost.
Get the French Onion Pot Roast recipe.
Creamy Lemon Garlic Shrimp
This creamy lemon garlic shrimp is the ideal balance of richness and brightness, making it an irresistible and fast dinner option. And if you love our OG lemon garlic shrimp, then this version is guaranteed to earn a place in your weeknight rotation.
Get the Creamy Lemon Garlic Shrimp recipe.
Steak Au Poivre
Steak au poivre, or pepper steak, is a classic French-style preparation. The meat is coated in crushed peppercorns that, when seared, create a beautiful and crisp crust. The steak is finished with a cream-based pan sauce that balances out the pepper perfectly. It's typically made with filet mignon, but you can always use a NY strip instead.
Get the Steak Au Poivre recipe.
Sweet & Sour Tofu
Sweet & sour sauce is a staple across Chinese-American restaurant menus—and for good reason. The combination of savory, tangy, and sweet flavors pairs well with virtually every protein, and especially tofu—because it’s mild in flavor, the sweet and sour sauce truly shines (even the tofu haters in your household will ask for seconds).
Get the Sweet & Sour Tofu recipe.
Italian Meatloaf
As Italian-American food enthusiasts, we had strong feelings about developing Italian meatloaf. There are many variations of what this Italian-American version consists of, but ours shares history with the meatball: it's tender, cheesy, garlic-forward, and rich with tomato umami.
Get the Italian Meatloaf recipe.
Sloppy Joe Casserole
This sloppy Joe-inspired casserole is where. It’s. AT. Cozy? Check! Meaty? Check! Buttery carbs and cheese? Check and check! This hearty casserole has plenty of peppers and onions, lots of sauce, and so much flavor too.
Get the Sloppy Joe Casserole recipe.
Cilantro-Lime Chicken
While cilantro-lime rice is one thing, these chicken thighs marinated in lime juice and fresh chopped cilantro are on a whole other level. This dish is easy enough for a weeknight, but tasty enough for a date night, and oh-so versatile.
Get the Cilantro-Lime Chicken recipe.
Spaghetti Squash Carbonara
We love carbonara in just about any form, but this spaghetti squash carbonara is something special. Roasted spaghetti squash is tossed in a creamy rich sauce with crispy pancetta bits for a new spin on the classic Italian staple. Yes, it’s low-carb and gluten-free—and it’s also just plain delicious.
Get the Spaghetti Squash Carbonara recipe.
Classic Paella
This Spanish dish is a guaranteed crowd-pleasing centerpiece for special occasions and parties, but honestly, this dish is enough reason to celebrate all on its own. With its beautiful and impactful presentation, we wouldn’t be surprised if a few tears are shed when you serve it.
Get the Classic Paella recipe.
Giant Party Sub
Looking for the most creative and GENIUS way to feed your party guests? Let me introduce this giant party sub. I use a simple hack of baking bread in a bundt pan to turn a classic sandwich into a party centerpiece that will steal the show at any game day or party this February.
Get the Giant Party Sub recipe.
Blooming Quesadilla Ring
Buffalo chicken is one of our fave flavor combos ever, and this creamy, spicy technique is one of our favorite ways to serve it. It's the best, most impressive way to make quesadillas for a crowd this Super Bowl Sunday.
Get the Blooming Quesadilla Ring recipe.
Steak Diane
A little bit of Cognac makes this steak extra special. In our recipe, no torch is required, but the final flambé still adds flair!
Get the Steak Diane recipe.
Lasagnchiladas
Instead of creating an argument in the family group chat about what to have for dinner, just mash two favorites together like we did for this lasagna-enchilada hybrid we’ve dubbed lasagnchildas! It's exactly what it sounds like, i.e. INCREDIBLE.
Get the Lasagnchiladas recipe.
Taco Mac & Cheese
In this Tex-Mex-inspired hack, we added taco seasoning, milk, and butter to the boxed cheese packet, piled on even more cheese to the pasta, then sprinkled in fresh pico de gallo. The result is an extra flavorful mac that feels (and tastes!) like you put in way more effort than you actually did.
Get the Taco Mac & Cheese recipe.
Deep Dish Pizza
Pizza has evolved so much, and we’ve made it our duty to enjoy it in its many forms. This one has a crispy crust on the bottom, still fluffy on the outer edges, and a pool of cheese weighted down by sausage and deeply savory, slightly sweet crushed tomato sauce.
Get the Deep Dish Pizza recipe.
Cream Of Mushroom Pastina
If you're tempted to reach for a can of cream of mushroom soup for this recipe, just don't. With plenty of garlic, sweet shallot, and Pecorino Romano, you’ll be putting the can back on the shelf for good to once you try this easy, one-pot meal.
Get the Cream Of Mushroom Pastina recipe.
Tater Tot Chicken Pot Pie
Wondering what could possibly make a classic chicken pot pie even more delicious? Enter: tater tots! Picture a creamy and comforting casserole made with onions, peas, and tender chicken, all topped with a crown of crispy potato tots. No fussing with pie crusts here—just a crunchy, seasoned potato in every bite.
Get the Tater Tot Chicken Pot Pie recipe.
Creamed Spinach–Stuffed Salmon
We're big fans of packing our salmon full of flavor (we're looking at you, creamy Cajun-stuffed salmon). Next up, bright and rich creamed spinach as the filling for our salmon in this 30 minute dinner that's easy enough for weeknights, but fancy enough to impress any dinner guests you're looking to wow.
Get the Creamed Spinach–Stuffed Salmon recipe.
BBQ Chicken French Bread Pizza
We love our copycat CPK BBQ chicken pizza, but we don't always have the energy to shape raw pizza dough. Enter: the BBQ chicken French bread pizza. It combines the uniquely sweet and savory flavor of the CPK classic with the ease of a Stouffer’s-style French bread pizza. Win!
Get the BBQ Chicken French Bread Pizza recipe.
French Onion Chicken
Getting home after a long work day, the last thing we want to do is start cooking a lengthy, prep-heavy recipe. sThis French onion chicken is the perfect solution. While a traditional French onion soup is a classic for a reason, this riff is heartier, quicker, and requires less cleaning without compromising on any of the rich, cheesy flavors.
Get the French Onion Chicken recipe.
Brie Spaghetti
Nutty, buttery brie is one of our favorite cheeses because it’s approachable yet fancy, and it goes with a wide variety of other flavors. We used it here to make a simple yet impressive pasta dish that's perfect for Valentine's.
Get the Brie Spaghetti recipe.
Butter Beans Alla Vodka
Penne might be the classic accompaniment for vodka sauce, but in my bean-obsessed kitchen, butter beans are the carb of choice. Soft and creamy, these underrated canned staples are ready to step into the spotlight—tossed in a skillet of rich tomato sauce spiked with vodka and showered with extra Parm.
Get the Butter Beans Alla Vodka recipe.
Lobster Risotto
Here, a simple combination of fresh aromatics, white wine, and seafood stock transforms humble Italian rice grains into the dreamy, cheesy, luscious rice porridge that we’ve all come to love. Adding fresh, faintly sweet lobster meat is all that’s needed to take your risotto over the top.
Get the Lobster Risotto recipe.
French Onion Mac & Cheese
TikTok may be obsessed with French onion pasta, but we added a special Delish twist: French onion mac & cheese. The comfort food classic gets a grown-up upgrade from Gruyère and caramelized onions in this recipe, lending that rich French onion flavor you know and love to extra-cheesy mac & cheese.
Get the French Onion Mac & Cheese recipe.
Marry Me Tofu
Because tofu is so versatile, why not give this plant-based protein a romantic spin, à la our marry me chicken? Pairing our signature creamy, garlicky sauce with crispy tofu was every bit as good as we knew it would be.
Get the Marry Me Tofu recipe.
Lemon-Brown Butter Salmon
There are a few things that will forever have our hearts, and those things are nutty browned butter, crispy salmon skin, and a well-executed 15-minute dinner. Luckily for us, this recipe has all three.
Get the Lemon-Brown Butter Salmon recipe.
Cacio E Pepe
Cacio e pepe literally translates to “cheese and pepper." These two ingredients are usually thought of as small components to a dish, but in this pasta recipe, they take center stage. The fruity bite of freshly ground pepper adds complexity, and is earthy, sweet, and spicy all at once.
Get the Cacio E Pepe recipe.
Crab Cakes
These crab cakes are everything you could ever want in the seafood classic: They're golden, crispy, and chock-full of crab flavor. Ready in 30 minutes and served with homemade tartar sauce, they are the perfect easy dinner or low-effort appetizer.
Get the Crab Cakes recipe.
High-Protein Marry Me Chicken
If the way to a person’s heart is really through their stomach, then our marry me Chicken is a must-cook for pretty much everyone. But what if you want just a little added protein in your romantic meal? Bone broth and cottage cheese to the rescue.
Get the High-Protein Marry Me Chicken recipe.
Mongolian Beef Ramen
Ramen is a classic cheap and easy dinner when you just don’t have the energy, but that doesn't mean you only have to enjoy it as just noodles and packet. Here, flank steak is accompanied by veggies for an easy dinner that tastes a little extra special.
Get the Mongolian Beef Ramen recipe.
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