How to Have an Easy Date Night at Home

Let’s talk date nights. During stay at home orders, I think it’s safe to say that we all got a little creative when it came to things to do at home. Cooking was one of the most popular new hobbies for many folks. As someone who already loves to cook and experiment in the kitchen, this was right up my alley.

I’ll be sharing a ton of my favorite easy date night recipes here on the blog, but I wanted to start with this Herb Chicken, Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Green Bean situation because it is so good – not to mention gorgeous! I paired it with our favorite red wine, a Rioja.

Herb Chicken

Ingredients:

chicken breasts (2)

kosher salt

pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp dried basil

squeeze of fresh lemon

Directions:

1. Add chicken breasts and ingredients to a ziplock bag and marinate for at least 30 minutes
2. Air fry chicken on 380 degrees for 12 minutes, or for the amount of time your air fryer suggests

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

5-6 large Yukon Gold potatoes

5 cloves of garlic, minced

1 stick of butter

1/4 cup heavy cream or half & half

Directions:

1. Boil water for potatoes
2. Boil potatoes for about 15 minutes or until fork tender
3. Drain water but keep about 1 cup of it to the side to retain some of the starchy water
4. Add potatoes back to the same hot pot and add in the stick of butter and garlic
5. Mash manually (not with an electric mixer!) until there are still some chunks. Be careful not to over mix or they will be gummy.
6. Once the potatoes reach the desired consistency, add in your heavy cream and the starchy water a little at a time until it is just mixed in.

Green Beans

Ingredients:

1 bag of pre-washed green beans

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tablespoon olive oil

kosher salt

pepper

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a ziplock bag or bowl to mix
2. Air fry green beans for about 7-8 minutes on 370 degrees.

Enjoy with your favorite wine or beverage, turn on that latest episode of your Netflix binge, and enjoy!

While you’re here, check out the best Air Fryer Shrimp!