Creative Anniversary Dinner Ideas to Impress Your Partner

Good food is key to the hearts of many. While cooking isn’t everyone’s strong suit, a great-tasting meal doesn’t have to be difficult, costly, or time-consuming. Whether you’re cooking for a vegan or omnivore, prefer something quick or leisurely, or want to flaunt your cooking prowess, here are some anniversary meal ideas to impress your partner.

Vegetarian and vegan anniversary dinner ideas

While almost any recipe can be modified with plant-based meat substitutes to fit your needs, modified meat-based recipes tend to rely on fat for flavor. Here are some of our favorite vegan and vegetarian dinner ideas for two centered around a plant-based diet.

1. Vegan lasagna

Create a rich, flavorful lasagna using crumbled tofu. Serve with a side salad, breadsticks, and your favorite red wine. 

2. Vegan curry

coconut cream-based curry is perfect for those who aren’t sure how much heat they can handle. You can use as much heat as you’d like, nearly any vegetable, and for extra protein, add chickpeas or tofu.

3. Mushroom risotto 

Hearty and flavorful, mushroom risotto can be made to be vegan or vegetarian. Pair it with a chilled cucumber dill salad and a rich dessert for an anniversary dinner that makes you look like the next Iron Chef. 

4. Stuffed bell peppers

Choose your favorite color of bell pepper and customize to your liking! Green bell peppers are typically used in this recipe, but reds are sweeter and less likely to lead to post-dinner burps.

5. Sweet and sour cauliflower

Packed with fiber and antioxidants, cauliflower has an impressive nutritional profile. Serve it with crispy orange tofu and fresh-baked coconut macaroons for a decadent, healthy meal your partner is sure to adore. 

6. Vegan Pad Thai with tofu

Easy to whip up in under an hour, homemade Pad Thai tastes like nostalgia for a home you haven’t been to yet. Customize to you and your partner’s liking with seasonal veggies and a nice peanut sauce.

7. Caprese pasta salad

Pair fresh mozzarella and juicy grape tomatoes with your favorite pasta for this refreshing, yet filling salad. Add more veggies to your meal by serving it on a bed of greens, matchstick carrots, and cucumbers. 

Quick and easy anniversary meal ideas

A memorable and delicious anniversary dinner doesn’t have to take all day. If you’re limited on time, or would rather be anywhere but the kitchen, here are 7 quick and uncomplicated recipes so you can spend less time cooking and more time romancing your significant other.

1. Easy Italian dinner

Make some of your favorite fresh pasta with a jarred marinara sauce and serve with bruschetta and a bakery-made Tiramisu for dessert.

2. Asian chicken lettuce wraps

Use rotisserie chicken and a bottle of Asian-style dipping sauce as filling for these simple and scrumptious wraps.

3. Fun with fondue

Classic cheese fondue is the perfect interactive entree. Dip bread, vegetables, and meats in your favorite type of cheese and, when it’s time for dessert, switch to a sweeter fondue. Melt your partner’s favorite type of chocolate to pair with bits of angel food cake, strawberries, banana slices, and pretzels. 

4. Sheet pan Greek chicken

This restaurant-worthy dinner of chicken, olives, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and onions mixed with Greek herbs and spices balances perfectly with a wedge salad and baklava for dessert. 

5. Meatloaf

While not what you would normally gravitate toward for a fancy dinner, upgrade the quality of ingredients for a savory and soft-textured meal that will forever change the way you look at meatloaf. Serve with roasted potatoes and sauteed frozen vegetables and enjoy this unexpected twist on a classic dinner.

6. Appetizer buffet 

If your partner is Happy Hour Royalty, surprise them with all their favorite mini morsels. For a comfort food feeling, bake a variety of appetizers like frozen mozzarella sticks, fries, chicken wings, and potato skins to create a dinner of your favorite finger foods and dipping sauces. For something a little lighter, put together a meal-sized charcuterie board of smoked salmon, cheeses, crackers, and berries (no cooking necessary!).

7. Crockpot roast

Perfect for the lazy chef, toss potatoes, carrots, and onions into your slow cooker before you leave for work. Lay your veggies on the bottom of the pot with the roast on top so they can soak up all the flavor. Season the roast and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours and leave it in the pot until you’re ready to serve. 

Bougie anniversary dinner ideas

If you’re looking to make something a little more of a challenge, here are 6 Master Chef-worthy recipes to impress your partner.

1. Crab legs

King crab legs are versatile and unexpectedly easy to cook. Serve this classic seafood dish with roasted carrots, coleslaw, and garlic-herb biscuits for a decadent meal.

2. Tapas dinner

Transform your dining room into the finest Spanish restaurant by serving a variety of tapas. Try spicy roasted eggplant, chorizo, seasoned shrimp, marinated olives, blistered peppers, or freshly baked bread and olive oil. 

3. Tuscan chicken

This dish looks impressive but is secretly really easy to make with chicken breasts and a creamy sauce. Serve with sauteed greens and crusty bread. 

4. Flank steak rolls

This carnivore’s delight is best served with roasted broccoli and scalloped potatoes with caramelized onions.

5. Barbeque ribs

Making barbeque pork ribs is deceptively simple. All you need is a good cut from the butcher and your favorite barbeque sauce.

6. Shrimp scampi

This is another meal that is secretly easy but looks like it took hours. Add in some scallions, broccoli flowerets, or roasted red peppers to add a bit of vibrance.

Grab it now on Instacart:

Micucci Grocery Marinara Sauce, Classic Recipe (24 oz)

Roasting Chicken (per lb)

TGI Fridays Mozzarella Sticks Buffalo (10 oz)

20/24 King Crab Legs (per lb)

Boneless Chicken Breast (each)

Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce, Hickory & Brown Sugar (18 oz)

Make your anniversary dinner special

Whether or not you’re flexing your culinary skills, the planning process can be time-consuming and, at times, overwhelming. Don’t let your busy schedule get the best of you. As an Instacart customer, you can plan ahead. Just add everything you need to your cart, including anniversary essentials like fresh flowers and chocolate, and choose same day delivery or pick up at check out. Less time shopping means more time with those you love.

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