• by Karl Greenberg , February 7, 2015

Food production and packaging giant ConAgra is launching a Valentine’s Day program based on its research finding that 52% of Millennials think cooking at home is more romantic than going out on V-Day. The company said over the past three years, a quarter of Millennials have been cooking at home for the holiday. But 84% say they lack recipe ideas for a romantic evening at home.

The effort, that wraps in ConAgra brands like Hunt’s tomatoes, Alexia Foods and Reddi-wip, involves a partnership with Internet cooking show host Laura Vitale of “Laura in the Kitchen” and grocery delivery service Instacart.

Vitale will offer Valentine’s Day recipes and instruction for two Valentine’s Day recipes, and also post how-to cooking videos to her YouTube channel. Then, on that platform, consumers can click to add ingredients for the recipe to a virtual basket, and Instacart will deliver them to their houses in as little as an hour.

“According to our survey, Millennials enjoy the experience of spending Valentine's Day in, but they need some help pulling the meal together,” said Brett Groom, ConAgra Foods SVP, in a statement.

The survey says 56% of Millennials will find their Valentine”s Day recipe by either searching on the web or watching an online cooking show. And they are looking for recipes whose ingredients will coast between $50 and $100. And they want to prepare an Italian dish, because they regard Italian as the cuisine of romance. 

Hunt’s tomatoes gets the spotlight in Vitale's recipe for Pasta with Pancetta and Cherry Peppers. The second recipe, Lemon Roasted Chicken Thighs with Roasted Potatoes spotlights the company’s Alexia Foods.

The program with Instacart runs through Feb. 21, per Conagra, with Instacart “Personal Shoppers” choosing and delivering all recipe ingredients. 

"Instacart has many Millennial customers, and we know from experience that many prefer to cook at home, even on special occasions — not only to save money but also because it can be the healthier choice,” said Nilam Ganenthiran, head of business development and strategy at Instacart. 

A social element asks couples to post a picture of their Valentine's Day meal at home using #VDayIn, and whether they opt to make Pasta with Pancetta and Cherry Peppers and Lemon Roasted Chicken Thighs with Roasted Potatoes, per ConAgra, which is also posting recipes featuring its brands at Forkful.com.