Shake up your normal dinner routine with something extra special.
You're probably cooking at home much more than usual, so why not shake up your dinner routine every now and then with something a bit out of the ordinary? These recipes — ranging from brunch favorites to decadent dinners — are a little bit fancy, and they're absolutely worth the effort.
The Live in Kitchen / Via theliveinkitchen.com
Nothing says "I love you" like a warm stack of pancakes filled with melted chocolate, sliced bananas, and savory walnuts.
Whole Fully / Via wholefully.com
Don't be intimidated by the idea of making hollandaise sauce from scratch. All you need are egg yolks, butter, lemon juice, dill, and cayenne pepper.
Recipe: Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict
4. Prosciutto and Swiss Dutch Baby
Seasons and Suppers / Via seasonsandsuppers.ca
The Dutch baby — a sort of pancake-crêpe-popover-hybrid — tastes delicious filled with any of your favorite sweet or savory ingredients. This version calls for prosciutto and tangy Swiss cheese, but you can get creative.
Recipe: Prosciutto and Swiss Dutch Baby
Little Spice Jar / Via littlespicejar.com
Think of these baked eggs in tomato sauce as the Italian take on shakshuka. The dish gets a kick from garlic, Italian herbs, and red pepper flakes.
Recipe: Eggs in Purgatory
Sandra Valvassori / Via sandravalvassori.com
Chicken breasts are dredged in flour, pan-fried, and then cooked in a sauce made with olive oil, butter, shallots, garlic, broth, and Masala wine.
Recipe: Chicken Marsala
Damn Delicious / Via damndelicious.net
Pecan-crusted fish sounds pretty fancy, huh? Well turns out, you can whip this recipe up with just a few basic ingredients. Toss pecans, panko, and parsley into a blender or food processor, dredge the salmon in the pecan mixture, and bake it in the oven.
Sunday Supper Movement / Via sundaysuppermovement.com
10 minutes of prep and five ingredients is all that's required to make this easy and lightened-up take on eggplant Parmesan.
Recipe: Stuffed Roasted Eggplant
The Chunky Chef / Via thechunkychef.com
Transform bone-in pork chops into an elegant meal with the help of a sweet and tangy glaze made with maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, beef broth, Dijon, and garlic.
Recipe: Maple Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops
10. Flounder Piccata
Skinny Taste / Via skinnytaste.com
This dish is typically made with chicken, but you can use any thin white fish like flounder, sole, or skate wing for this pescatarian version, which is breaded, pan-fried, and drizzled in lemony caper sauce.
Recipe: Flounder Piccata
Julia's Album / Via juliasalbum.com
You can use any type of lamb chops you like best for this recipe, but if you're looking for a more affordable option, go for loin chops over rack of lamb.
12. Crispy Baked Scallops
Dinner Then Dessert / Via dinnerthendessert.com
If you're intimidated by the idea of cooking seafood, this scallops recipe will change your mind. They're topped with a mixture of paprika, cayenne, panko, Parmesan, parsley, olive oil, and butter, then baked until golden brown on top yet tender enough to cut with a fork.
Recipe: Crispy Baked Scallops
Striped Spatula / Via stripedspatula.com, Stripled Spatula / Via stripedspatula.com
Linguine and clams are prepared in bianco, with a decadent sauce made of white wine, fresh garlic, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes.
Recipe: Linguine With Clams
Carlsbad Cravings / Via carlsbadcravings.com
Forget about all that stovetop stirring. This indulgent risotto starts on the stove then it's baked in the oven so you can sit back and relax.
Recipe: Baked Mushroom Risotto
Simply Scratch / Via simplyscratch.com
How do you mac creamy, rich mac 'n' cheese even more indulgent? Just add lobster.
Recipe: Lobster Mac 'n' Cheese
Pinch of Yum / Via pinchofyum.com
You deserve to pamper yourself, and this fettuccine alfredo packed with savory mushrooms is an excellent way to do just that.
Recipe: Mushroom Fettuccine
17. Slow Roasted Salmon With Citrus and Fennel
Coley Cooks / Via coleycooks.com
Slow roasting fish at a low temperature is an easy way to ensure it cooks until tender, flakey perfection.
Lindsay Eats LA / Via lindseyeatsla.com
While seared tuna may look like a dish better left to the pro chefs, the truth is you can make it very easily at home. Just heat up a skillet until sizzling and sear the fish for a minute or two on each side.
The Modern Proper / Via themodernproper.com
This ridiculously easy shredded chicken calls for just three ingredients: boneless and skinless chicken thighs, marinara sauce, and chicken broth. Serve it over creamy polenta or mashed potatoes for a rustic yet sophisticated meal.
20. Shrimp Orzo In Creamy Wine Sauce
What's In The Pan / Via whatsinthepan.com
A true one-pot meal, this shrimp and orzo is prepared in a mouthwatering sauce made with lemon, white wine, butter, garlic, and cream. Crumble some creamy feta cheese on top to take things to the next level.
Recipe: Shrimp Orzo In Creamy Wine Sauce
Lexi's Clean Kitchen / Via lexiscleankitchen.com
Cauliflower steaks, which are breaded and pan-fried, take the place of chicken in this creative take on classic Italian Parmesan.
Recipe: Cauliflower Parmesan
Coley Cooks / Via coleycooks.com
Rack of lamb is a bit of a splurge, but for a special occasion there's nothing more luxurious. This recipe calls for lamb, which is coated in a mixture of panko, Dijon, fresh herbs, and olive oil. Then it's baked in the oven until the breading is golden and crispy.
Recipe: Dijon Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb
23. Cast Iron Ribeye Steak
Simply Home Cooked / Via simplyhomecooked.com
Whip this up and you're basically Gordon Ramsay. There's not much to it except for a sizzling cast iron skillet and some quality ingredients.
Recipe: Cast Iron Ribeye Steak
The Recipe Critic / Via therecipecritic.com
These pan-seared sea scallops are special enough for an occasion yet simple enough for any old weeknight meal.
Recipe: Scallops With Lemon Caper Sauce
25. Mushroom and White Bean Cassoulet with Mustard Polenta
Rebel Recipes / Via rebelrecipes.com
Typically, cassoulet is a meat-filled, hearty meal, but this vegetarian version calls for umami-packed mushrooms and creamy white beans cooked with lots of veggies in vegetable broth, balsamic vinegar, and plenty of herbs.
Recipe: Mushroom and White Bean Cassoulet with Mustard Polenta
Fox and Briar / Via foxandbriar.com
If carbs are the key to your heart, this creamy gnocchi will have you head over heels.
Jo Cooks / Via jocooks.com
This Argentinian stuffed steak (also known as matambre) is made with flank steak, which is stuffed with hard boiled eggs, peppers, and chimichurri. Then, it's rolled up, grilled, and finally baked in the oven.
Recipe: Argentinian Stuffed Flank Steak
Little Broken / Via littlebroken.com
You can make this bright and juicy baked fish with any flaky white fish like halibut, fluke, or striped bass.
Recipe: Cod With Tomato and Herb Butter
Food With Feeling / Via foodwithfeeling.com
Everything tastes better wrapped in prosciutto, but stuff it with creamy goat cheese and you've got something truly spectacular.
30. Slow Cooker Red Wine Braised Short Rib Pasta
Half Baked Harvest / Via halfbakedharvest.com
This slow cooked meat takes a bit of time, but there's only a very small amount of active work. Just toss the ingredients into your Crock Pot and wait for tender, fall-off-the-bone short ribs.
Wanderlust and Wellness / Via wanderlustandwellness.org
Stuffed with pancetta, wild rice, apple, and herbs, this savory squash makes for a delicious appetizer or main dish.
Recipe: Stuffed Acorn Squash
32. Crab Spaghetti With Lemon Gremolata
Foodie Crush / Via foodiecrush.com
Just try to resist this buttery spaghetti and lump crab beneath a layer of lemony, garlic breadcrumbs. Yeah...it's as delicious as it sounds.
33. Chinese Steamed Fish With Ginger Shallot Sauce
Recipe Tin Eats / Via recipetineats.com
Cooking a whole fish might seem very intimidating, but in reality it's as easy as making a whole chicken. This Chinese-inspired recipe is steamed and served with a ginger-shallot topping that makes the whole dish so fragrant and flavorful.
From a Chef's Kitchen / Via fromachefskitchen.com
A slow braise turns this tough cut of meat into a dish that quite literally falls off the bone.
Recipe: Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs
35. Chimichurri Steak Salad
Kitchen Sanctuary / Via kitchensanctuary.com
You can get creative and serve this flank steak and chimichurri dressing with whatever veggies you like best.
Recipe: Chimichurri Steak Salad
36. Moroccan Chicken Tagine Skillet
Table for Two Blog / Via tablefortwoblog.com
Preserved lemon, castelvetrano and kalamata olives, and cinnamon makes this Moroccan-inspired chicken an irresistible balance of sweet and savory.
Recipe: Moroccan Chicken Tagine Skillet
37. Five-Ingredient Easy Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes
Gimme Delicious / Via gimmedelicious.com
Remember: It's always a good idea to eat more chocolate.
38. Red Velvet Cake Truffles
Julie's Eats and Treats / Via julieseatsandtreats.com
This deceptively easy dessert recipe calls for nothing more than red velvet cake mix, vegetable oil, cream cheese, and your favorite melting chocolate.
Recipe: Red Velvet Cake Truffles
Fit Mitten Kitchen / Via fitmittenkitchen.com
Made with Greek yogurt instead of cream cheese, these lightened-up mini cheesecakes still taste like quite the treat.
40. Gooey Red Velvet Cookies
Recipe Girl / Via recipegirl.com
The secret to these crispy-on-the-outside-gooey-on-the-inside cookies is cream cheese. It keeps the cookies super moist and buttery while they bake.
Recipe: Gooey Red Velvet Cookies