Cranberry chicken served on a bed of rice, with mixed greens with red onion, dried cranberries, diced apple, crumbled blue cheese with a Raspberry vinegarette. My go to meal for dinner guests. They leave impressed and well fed.
Red velvet sheet cake could be a festive touch.

We love beer butt chicken ! You can do scalloped potatoes/baked potatoes with the trimmings; salad; bread; dessert and beings its Valentines chocolate is always pleasing. Appetizers -- I like to do lettuce wraps. Just take romaine lettuce apart and I use chicken salad recipe(chicken, apples or celery or waterchestnuts for crunch, dried cranberries - I marinate this mixture in honey mustard salad dressing from the morning or night before then just have to put into each lettuce wrap and arrange on a platter. Fresh and tasty. Enjoy your dinner with friends we have dear friends too and my month is March !

Simple Menu
Herb Mash Potatoes
Steamed Broccoli
Filet Mignon
Strawberry Shortcake

All are simple to make or can purchase already prepared or seasoned.

salad: bag butter lettuce, slice thin one fresh pear about 1/2 per plate lay nicely over greens. crumble herbed feta cheese about two teaspoons per plate over pear/salad. add three or four pecan halfs crumbled over this. serve with rice wine vinegrette. if you cant find it in the market check allrecipes.com for one very simple very delicious.

dinner: beer up the butt is NOT romantic.think about it really come on.. even two roasted chickens in the oven with fresh carrots and potatos cooking in wedges pieces in the same dish.. you get a golden chicken juicy pretty and can carve. also same being one cornish game hen roasted golden beautifully one per plate tada pretty and easy. last one could cook beef. the way to a MANS heart. hey hearts valentines .. hum.. steak broiled smothered in a buttered mushroom wine sauce. mashed potatos easy to eat gracefully. always steamed asparagras lightly not all mushed out quickly sauteed in butter with minced fresh rosemary small sprig worth, tossed with shredded parmesean served warm. delicious and well asparagras sexy lol..

dessert: vanilla icecream, hersheys chocolate sauce fresh berries and a shot of kalua poured over. super good and should please everyone.

I used to have themed dinner parties all the time.

you could also go soup cup first (can make that the day before)
paula deans fool proof standing rib roast (you can NOT mess it up)
glazed carrots
wild rice
garlic bread (you have been together for years hell eat garlic just make sure everyone does)

dessert: jello package flan with sliced strawberries.
fresh berries assorted few chocolates and a bowl of sourcream (one cup sour cream one teaspoon vanilla three tbsp brown sugar mixed til disloved) for dipping the berries.

last: fondue for dinner and dessert. fun everyone enjoys it, easy to make and well its a group activity. totally enjoyed.

dinner:baguette bread, cooked sliced kilbase sausage (the guys alwys inhale this), apple slices, broccoli, mushrooms
cheese fondue one package swiss cheese fondue mix (usually in your deli section at the market) one cup shredded chedder cheese, one package shredded parmasean or pepper jack. you end up with about 4 cups cheese. 1/4 cup beer, three cloves garlic. beer in pot add crushed garlic bring to boil til reduce liquid a bit, then add cheese one at a time. cayenne pepper in end small dash bigger dash depending on company wish. it mellows with all the cheese but gives it a bite. desert; chocolate with heavy cream small amounts til it melts. add one shot kalua, or grandmarnier, or amaretto if you like maybe even irish cream. serve pound cake bites, candy bar bites, berries, bananas. yum. easy fun.

For desert, a heart shaped baked meringue with berries, whipped cream and a chocolate drizzle. Raspberries are best, but expensive. Strawberries work.