This Valentine's Day, you don't need to pay sky-high prices and fight the crowds to enjoy an upscale steakhouse-caliber meal. From Grilled Spice-Rubbed Tenderloin Filets to Potatoes Au Gratin to Molten Chocolate Cakes, these decadent recipes will rival those served at your favorite steakhouse -- and you'll enjoy them so much more by candlelight at home.
Perfect for a special date night dinner, these beef tenderloin filets are rubbed with spices, then grilled and paired with a zesty Argentinian Chimichurri sauce. GET THE RECIPE
The Caesar salad you love at your favorite steakhouse is easy to make at home. The key is getting the dressing right. This rich and creamy version is the one my whole family loves. It's not too garlicky and not too fishy -- it's just right. GET THE RECIPE
This popular steakhouse side involves layering thinly sliced potatoes with heavy cream (a lot of it!) and grated cheese, and then baking until the cream reduces and blankets the potatoes in a rich, creamy sauce. I'd say the dish is worthy of a special occasion -- it is -- but the truth is that eating it is a special occasion in and of itself. GET THE RECIPE
Adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks, Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson, this is an elegant and remarkably easy dish. Most of the ingredients are right out of the pantry, and you can have it on the table in 20 minutes. Serve with steamed broccoli and Jasmine Rice and your romantic dinner is done. GET THE RECIPE
The tender flat iron steak is one of my favorite beef cuts for home cooking. It's similar to flank or skirt steak, only much more tender -- in fact, after the tenderloin, it's the second most tender cut. Here, I've broiled it and topped it with a rich Asian-style brown sauce. With buttered rice and a steamed vegetable, it's an easy and elegant dinner that you can have on the table in no time. GET THE RECIPE
This warm, creamy spinach and artichoke dip is the perfect way to start to your Valentine's Day dinner. Instead of the typical sour cream and mayonnaise, it's thickened with a Mornay sauce, which is a Béchamel sauce enriched with grated cheese. GET THE RECIPE
Crab cakes are steakhouse staple, yet they're often pricey and loaded with filler. These Maryland-style crab cakes are made with lump crab meat and just enough filler to bind the cakes together. Serve them with green beans and cornbread and you'll be transported to a laid-back crab shack on the Eastern Shore. GET THE RECIPE
Who said Valentine's Day dinner had to be fancy? These burgers are tender, juicy and full of flavor -- just like the ones served at your favorite steakhouse. GET THE RECIPE
Roasted Brussels sprouts are good -- but with smoky bacon, toasted pecans and maple syrup, they're even better. In fact, it's hard to resist eating the entire pan right out of the oven. GET THE RECIPE
You'll find these chocolate lava cakes with oozing molten centers on every steakhouse dessert menu. The original recipe was created by master chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten fortuitously, when he pulled a chocolate cake out of the oven before it was done and discovered the center to be wonderfully warm and pudding-like. Surprisingly, they're easy enough for even the novice baker to make at home. GET THE RECIPE
This dreamy dessert was inspired by the "Obsessive Ricotta Cheesecake" in Gina DePalma's Dolce Italiano, Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen. Made with cream cheese, ricotta cheese and a ground almond crust, it's a hybrid between an American-style cheesecake and an Italian-style cheesecake. It's easy too: you don't have to worry about the top cracking because it all gets covered with fruit anyway. GET THE RECIPE