$45 Trader Joe’s Valentine’s Dinner (with a bottle of wine!)
If you’re planning on a special dinner at home this Valentine’s Day on a budget (going out can be so expensive!) you’re going to love this $45 Trader Joe’s Valentine’s Day dinner, which includes 4 delicious courses and a bottle of wine! Our simple Braised Balsamic Beef Tips form the centerpiece of this simple, affordable date night dinner alongside mashed potatoes, your favorite salad, fondu to start, and melt-in-the-middle chocolate lava cakes to finish!
Why You’ll Love This Valentine’s Day Menu
- Where else will you be able to get a low-effort, high-reward Valentine’s Day meal (with wine!) for $22.50 per person other than at your kitchen table? This budget Trader Joe’s Valentine’s dinner helps cut down on effort and cleanup, while still looking and tasting fabulous!
- You can customize this menu to suit your tastes. If you don’t like any of Trader Joe’s salad kits, you can serve simple green beans on the side. If fondu or chocolate lava cakes are not really your thing you can choose another TJ’s appetizer or dessert, or go the extra mile by making some Stuffed Ziti Fritta, or Homemade Banana Pudding.
What To Add To Your Grocery List
- Appetizer: Trader Jacques’ La Fondue ($7.99), French baguette ($1.99) – you can also add some cocktail gherkins to the spread if you already have them in your fridge/ pantry!
- Main: Trader Joe’s Balsamic Rosemary Beef Steak Tips (for the below recipe), Mashed potatoes ($4.49) – you can also make your own mashed potatoes with this recipe.
- Dessert: Chocolate Lava Cakes ($3.99) – add a few fresh berries if there are some on sale!
- Side: Your favorite Trader Joe’s salad kit
- Wine: Maison Barbalout Syrah or Cabernet ($5.99)
More Budget Valentine’s Ideas You’ll Love
- Best Air Fryer Flank Steak Recipe
- Reverse Seared Chuck Eye Steak Recipe
- Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Instant Pot Flank Steak Recipe
- Strawberry Cookies with Cake Mix
- Easy Gluten Free Scalloped Potatoes
Simple Braised Balsamic Beef Tips
These rich, easy Balsamic Braised Beef Tips are the perfect budget dinner for a special occasion! A 1-lb package of Trader Joe’s Balsamic Rosemary Beef Steak Tips simply braised in a red wine sauce ready to be paired with mashed potatoes and your favorite salad kit.
- 1 lb package Trader Joe’s Balsamic Rosemary Beef Steak Tips
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (or butter)
- ½ small onion (diced or sliced)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- glug red wine
- ½ cup beef broth (scant)
- 1 sprig rosemary
- ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (optional)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch (1 ½ tablespoon cold water)
- Black pepper (to taste)
- Mashed potatoes (for serving)
- Heat oil or butter in a skillet or small Dutch oven over medium-high. Add beef in a single layer and brown quickly on all sides (about 2–3 minutes total). Remove and set aside.
Add onion to the same pan and cook until soft and lightly golden, about 4–5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds, until aromatic.
Add a glug of red wine to the pan to deglaze. Not too much, just a hearty splash. Then add a splash of beef broth and scrape bottom of pan to loosen browned bits. Return the beef to the pan, and add the rest of the broth, rosemary, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and lower the heat. Cook for 30–40 minutes, stirring once or twice, until beef is very tender.
If you would like a thicker sauce, stir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer uncovered 1–2 minutes until glossy.
- Grind in black pepper if desired. Spoon generously over mashed potatoes.
Get ahead: You can braise these short ribs up to 2 days ahead (without the cornstarch slurry) and re-heat them gently on the stovetop just before serving. You can also skim any excess fat off the top of the sauce once it has solidified.
