Valentine's Day Beef Dinner

With little kids, it can be so hard to find a sitter and coordinate a date night on Valentine’s Day. A few years ago, we started a new tradition of planning a fancy dinner with the whole crew. We all get dressed up, light some candles and use real cloth napkins. 

Steak is obviously the at the center of the plate. We shared some great recipes on Twin Cities Live that you can try at home! 

All three recipes include beef at the center: 

1) Appetizer: Beef Crostini with Parmesan Crisps and Balsamic Drizzle

This is EASY! Basically 5 ingredients. I made it for the ladies in the office (*the best taste-tester critics), and it was a huge hit. The recipe suggests Strip Steak, but Tenderloin would work too. Both are super lean and super delicious! 

How good? So good.

2) Salad: Beef Tenderloin, Cranberry and Pear Salad

Talk about looking good. This is a beautiful salad - almost too pretty to eat! I only have one kiddo that likes salad, but my boys love everything on the salad. A win for everyone I guess?! ...They will be served a deconstructed version (just beef, cranberries, nuts and pears). Adding beef and fruit to a salad takes it out of this world! 

3) Main Course: Beef Tenderloin Steaks with Blue Cheese Topping

Tenderloin is the most tender cut! Some joke that you can cut it with a butter knife and honestly, you usually can. The key to tenderloin is to not over cook it.

You may see some sticker shock at the grocery store for the per pound price of tenderloin, but remember that each tenderloin is usually about 6 ounces - and that is all flavorful beef, no external fat or bone. I ended up with 4 – 6 oz. tenderloins for about $30, and that is such a fraction of the price you would pay at any restaurant. 

I cooked it just a few minutes on either side on the stovetop and popped it in the oven for a few more minutes until it reached 140-145. This is a medium rare temp. PERFECT! 

With our crew, adults get the blue cheese topping and it is sooooo good. The kids are so happy with just beef (no ketchup needed nor allowed)!

These recipes are all considered heart-healthy by the American Heart Association which means: 

• All lean beef cuts have less than 10 grams of total fat per 3.5 ounce serving.
• All lean beef cuts have 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat 3.5 ounce serving.
• All lean beef cuts have less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol 3.5 ounce serving.

Don’t forget to pair these beef meals with a lovely bottle of red wine and some sparkling grape juice for the kids. To top the night off, make dessert easy by dipping some fresh strawberries in melted chocolate. This is a perfect way to get the kids in the kitchen and make a family Valentine's treat. 

Find more beef recipes on our website! 

Happy Valentine’s Day from the Minnesota Beef Council! 

In case you missed it, check out the full Twin Cities Live segment below -