Step 1

Plan your menu ahead of time. You can prepare some of these recipes in advance, and store them in an airtight container for a few days at room temperature or longer in the refrigerator. Some can even be made much further in advance and frozen, according to recipe directions.

Step 2

Prep your ingredients. If you aren't able to make something completely in advance, then prepare as much as you can ahead of time, whether that is chopping ingredients, making a sauce, or assembling the dish and storing in the refrigerator until it's ready for the oven. Anything that you can prepare in advance will make things go much more smoothly on date night.

Step 3

Set the table. Take out the fancy plates, mugs, flatware, placemats, and napkins to make date night dinner even more special. If you have time, set the table early so that you don't have to worry about it later.