Texas Staff Writer Brittany Cristiano holding a macaron. Right: Plates of food.
This Opinion article is part of a Narcity Media series. The views expressed are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
Each Valentine's Day, my boyfriend and I will either plan a fun date or grab a bite to eat somewhere a little more unique than the average restaurant. However, this year our plans are a little different as the holiday falls on a Tuesday night when my partner has to be at work.
Instead of fretting over plans, I decided to make it a little easier for us and headed to our trusty H-E-B to get all the essentials for a nice meal at home. The Texas-based grocery chain has so many different prepared meal options that include several entrees and sides that are already seasoned.
For most of these dishes, all it takes is a simple oven preheat to the specified cooking temperature, pop it in to cook, and voila! You have an entire prepared meal as if you just worked hours away in the kitchen!
So, I gave myself the challenge to create a whole meal for two, including an entree, at least one side, and a dessert, for as cheap as I could, and here's what I came up with.
Heart-Shaped Boneless Ribeye
Raw steak. Right: Steak cooking in a skillet.
Brittany Cristiano | Narcity
Price: $24.50
The store had some Valentine-themed products, so I — of course — had to knab one of these heart-shaped ribeyes from the H-E-B meat section.
Making this dish was a little more involved than I expected, as you have to know how to cook a steak or at least Google how to cook one with the tools you have.
I was happy with the final product because the heart steak literally just split in two perfectly down the middle. Intentional or not, it made plating much easier.
Garlic Parmesan Green Beans
Seasoned green beans.
Brittany Cristiano | Narcity
Price: $4.12
These green beans were so quick and easy to make because they already come seasoned with yummy parmesan bits and some herbs.
They cooked in the oven for about 18 minutes and came out with just the right crunchy, juicy consistency.
We were left with more than our fair share of green beans for two people.
Lemon Feta Rosemary Potatoes
Seasoned potatoes.
Brittany Cristiano | Narcity
Price: $6.18
How many sides you get is optional, but I had spent only $30 when I decided to add these potatoes to our meal.
They were just as easy as the green beans to cook and just as flavorful. The lemon feta flavor was so unique.
The starch rounded out the dish and made the meal complete, so I'm glad these side options were cheap enough to allow me to have two of them.
Almond Macarons
Almond macarons.
Brittany Cristiano | Narcity
Price: $9.87
There are many different dessert options made fresh at H-E-B's bakeries on a daily basis.
I'm obsessed with these Almond macarons, so that's what I opted for to finish our meal out. However, there are cheaper options like $4.10 mini cupcakes or $7 chocolate-dipped strawberries, if you prefer.
Total
Two plates of food.
Brittany Cristiano | Narcity
In total, I spent $44.67, not including tax, on this full meal for my boyfriend and me.
I was so impressed that I was able to spend so little for the two of us to have such full plates. I mean, this could have easily cost us over $100 at any other steakhouse in the state — and we even had leftovers!
If you, too, are finding yourself too busy to cook this Valentine's, and you want to save some extra bucks, I think buying an entire meal from H-E-B is the way to go!