Well, the holiday season is upon us and as much as I love it, you know I’m always looking for a way to simplify a little bit. Sometimes Mike and I don’t have time to fit a date night out into our schedules, but we can always make time for a date night in. One that we really love? Just sitting around with some delicious food, our favorite beverage, and a full queue of binge-worthy shows. For today’s post as we get ready to delve full on into the busy holiday season I want to share with you some steps to enjoy a relaxing night in with your sweetheart. This post has been compensated by Collective Bias, INC. and The Coca-Cola Company, all opinions are completely my own.

steps for a date night in

start with a clean slate

I don’t know about you but I can’t relax in a messy space. Before I can snuggle up with my hubby and a delicious Coca-Cola™ I need to make sure that my house is picked up. That means not only picking up anything in our family room and giving the floor a quick vacuum, but also cleaning up the kitchen. That’s why making something simple for snacking on is so essential. After all, minimal prep work means minimal mess! One of my tricks when I need to get cleaning done in a hurry is to set a timer, even just 10-15 minutes working together as a team is usually enough to get you date night destination (aka. your tv room) spic and span.

snuggle up and enjoy

Once the kids are in bed it’s time to enjoy some quality time with your sweetheart! With the colder weather here Mike and I love to light a fire and grab a cozy blanket before we reach for the remote. In fact, sometimes outdoor movies are fun too! All cozied up with a bonfire and watching our favorite fall film.

don’t forget the quality snacks

No binge-watching, date night in would be complete without the refreshments, right? A quick stop at my local Safeway and I’m easily able to find everything I need for a date night in. Some Mission Blue Corn Organic Tortilla Chips make a great base for a delicious and savory side with the Coca-Cola Mini cans.

Coca-Cola will always be the number one choice in our household, and we think it pairs well with all things savory. These barbecue chicken nachos are simple to put together and hit the spot. Fun little side note, when I was pregnant with my second baby I craved all things covered in barbecue sauce, and I still love it today!

A little bonus to this recipe, when you use my kitchen hacks to cook and shred the barbecue chicken the clean up is minimal and you’ll have plenty for leftovers, win-win!

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barbecue chicken nachos

These barbecue chicken nachos are simple to prepare and the perfect addition for a fun night in. The recipe can be easily adapted for any number from 2 to 20… or more.

Course: Appetizer

Servings: 4 people

Author: Justine @ Little Dove

Ingredients

• 9 oz Mission Blue Corn Organic Tortilla Chips
• 2 cups shredded cheese of choice
• 2 cups shredded barbecue chicken Prepare your barbecue chicken in the crockpot and shred with a stand mixer.
• 1/4 cup caramelized onions
• barbecue sauce for drizzling and cooking the chicken
• brown sugar for cooking chicken

Instructions

1. Cook boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a slow cooker (roughly 6 hours). Layer in the cooker in this order: chicken, barbecue sauce, tablespoon of brown sugar, chicken, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, etc., until you’ve used up all the chicken you’re preparing. Amounts can be easily be adjusted based on how much you’re preparing.
   
2. Once chicken is cooked then place in a stand mixer with a dough hook attached. Shred chicken in the stand mixer on a low speed until it is shredded to your liking.
   
3. Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil and cover with a layer of chips, layer of chicken, layer of cheese, and finish off with caramelized onions. Heat under broiler until heated all the way through and cheese is melted. Finish off with a drizzle of barbecue sauce if desired.

 What are your essentials for a date night in?

You might also like these date night-inspired blog posts:

winter date night ideas

what to do when date night is hard

budget-friendly date night ideas

planning a vacation-themed date night

Find more date night ideas over on Pinterest!