The Best (and Worst) Types of Food to Cook for a Date

Cuffing season 2024 has begun—you’ve got a solid amount of time to woo someone into being your cold weather cuddler, holiday party date, or maybe-forever partner. Food can help. Once you’ve had a few restaurant or bar dates, you might decide they’re worthy of setting foot in your home for a meal. That’s a big move, and I’d like to help you not screw it up. Here’s my best advice on cooking for dates this cuffing season.

What not to cook for your date

I don’t usually like to lead with the negative, but knowing our boundaries will help us focus on the playing ground. 

Avoid soup. Listen, I love soup, so if I were going to break a rule, it would be this one. However, soup is really difficult to eat gracefully. There’s hunching over the bowl, dribbling, slurping, and if there are noodles involved, splashing. Those all could lead to stains on clothing and your date has probably worn their best outfit. It’s not cute food. Save it for after the cuffing.

Loads of seeds. Randomly specific? Not if you’ve ever had an everything bagel on a date before. Then it’s a traumatic memory. Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, tiny grains—that’s you, quinoa—they like to get stuck right in the middle of your two front teeth. If a recipe asks for a spoonful of sesame seeds, maybe opt for a dash of sesame oil instead. It could be a rom-com moment in the making, but maybe not the one you want.

Keep it light on the fiber. Kale, broccoli, cauliflower are nutritious and filling foods. However, these cruciferous veg (and others) are to blame for bloating and gas. I don’t have to explain why farts have no place at a date.

Allergens, spice, and dietary restrictions. Again, more of a reminder. Just ask, and if they have restrictions, then do yourself a favor and write them down so you don’t have to second guess it when you’re cooking.

About garlic. This would be the second guideline I would potentially break, but by popular request from my friends, garlic is a no-no. As a compromise, I’d suggest a dash of garlic powder for flavor instead of the fresh stuff.

Date night cooking tips

Now that we have some of the greatest offenders out of the way, let’s think about what types of cooking and food are going to fuel conversation, and not drag down the vibe. 

Appliance cooking. Take full advantage of your slow cooker, Instant Pot, or air fryer to lessen your workload. This allows you to serve piping hot food, without having to have your freshly made-up face or perfectly set hair over a steaming pot. Likewise, these appliances will keep any stove top splashes or oily splatters from wrecking your outfit. Possibly the biggest advantage to using an appliance is that they’re designed to be set-it-and-forget-it, or at the very most, low maintenance. You can do a quick check, shake, or stir and walk away. This leaves you very open to pouring wine and continuing your riveting conversation. 

On light fare. Another request that I agree with to a point is serving salad as dinner, and avoiding generally heavy meals. If I went to someone’s home and they served me salad for dinner I would be reconsidering everything and mapping the nearest Taco Bell. I, however, am not a normal eater, and I completely understand the logic behind light food for a dinner date. This is your call, and maybe read the room. If your date eats light normally then I think an interesting salad and some optional elements on the side is going to be great. If you’ve noticed your date has a more robust eating style or enjoys rich foods then I don’t think a pasta dish or reasonable serving of steak is going to put them into a food coma by 8 p.m. 

Make it special. I’m not saying you have to buy a porterhouse, but your date should feel like this meal is a bit of an occasion. Even if you can’t splurge on ingredients, you can provide attention to detail and presentation. Serve a whole roasted chicken, add some garnishes, or just use pretty dishware. Don’t forget to set the table with a butter keeper and flaky salt. 

Like all advice, these are guidelines and there are exceptions.

Great date night meals

Here are some solid choices for your next date night.

Spaghetti al limone. Fresh flavors, easy to access ingredients, and a little bit of richness make this pasta dish an easy way to impress someone. Once the pasta has boiled this recipe comes together in a flash so there’s no need to prepare much ahead of time. 

Credit: Tatjana Baibakova / Shutterstock.com

The most robust salad. You already know about my eating habits, so I recommend flipping around the ratios for your date night salad. Instead of mostly leafy greens with a smattering of chicken and cheese floating around, bulk up the chicken, add some quartered baby potatoes, and don’t be shy with the olives. 

Credit: Claire Lower

Air fryer lobster. Treat your date to a proper meal of lobster tails. You don’t have to worry about fussing over a huge pot of boiling water or hearing the sea creature “scream” either. Just split the tail, add butter and air fry those tails for less than 10 minutes. Light opulence, achieved.

Credit: Ezume Images / Shutterstock.com

Buttermilk dry-brined chicken. Buttermilk makes for a great marinade. In this recipe you can use powdered buttermilk to build a concentrated marinade from the chicken’s juices resulting in tender meat and beautifully browned skin. 

Credit: Brent Hofacker / Shutterstock.com

Foolproof Instant Pot risotto. Take full advantage of the hands-off nature of your Instant Pot. After the initial sautéing, the rice and liquids go in, and the lid shuts. For the next 50 minutes or so it’s just you and your date.