Yes!! It’s officially here, our picnic season, I love food and picnics. So was thinking how about I write on my go-to picnic food ideas. Everything is blooming and colorful. And, what’s better than having a day to just get together in the yard or a nearby garden. This reminds me of fun times with siblings and family, eating croissants and berries. But, then just the thought of putting a picnic together makes it seem like a daunting task. Though it’s not, and that’s why I am sharing my top easy to make picnic food ideas for your next picnic
Planning a picnic should be a fun process. And, deciding what to have at the picnic should not be an overwhleming decision. Instead picnic should be a day to relax, lay back, eat and drink quality and most of all enjoy the nature. So, let me worry about the food options, while you decide on the drink and location. So, here are my top 7 easy to make picnic food ideas
This post is all about 7 easy to make picnic food ideas that you should try at your next picnic. Options some fun and healthy for the whole family to enjoy.
Table of Contents
Here are 7 easy to make picnic food ideas you should try
Sandwiches
Sandwiches are easy to make and so filling, one of the top meals for pinic.
Red Pepper, Cheese Sandwich
This sandiwch has to be my most favorite on the go. Easy to make, stays fresh for hours and delcious.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup roasted red peppers
- 1 medium tomato
- 4 slices of fresh Mozzarella Cheese
- Lettuce
- One (5) inch Italian roll
- Salt and Pepper (to taste)
- Cold cut meat (optional)
Instructions
- Cut the roll in half, and add slices of cheese, top it with tomatoes, (meat optional), red peppers, and finally some lettuce.
- Tightly wrap the sandwich in a sandwich bag or wax paper.
Avacado toast
I believe I would call avocado toast a healthy indulge yet so instagrammish. It’s packed with fiber and unsaturated fats, in short good for you. I don’t want to take you down the speech so, here is the recipe
Ingredients
- 1 small avocado
- 2 slice whole-grain bread (or use whatever kind you like)
- handful of spinach leaves
- Salt and Pepper as desired
- Red pepper flakes for topping
Instructions
- Slice avocado into slices, and smash them slightly with your fork
- Top whole-grain bread with slices of avocado and spinach leaves. Drizzle with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes
Picnic tip: Try to keep the whole avocados and slice them at the picnic location instead of ahead to have a fresh sandwich. Because avocados turn brown quickly. Though, if you really just don’t want to deal with preparing anything at the picnic. But, still want to have some avocado sandwiches – slice avocado, squeeze some lemon on it. This should help avocado from turning brown
Also, if you are going on a picnic date, here is a compressed perfect picnic set for 2 that I am big fan and no picnic is complete without it.
Salad
Egg Salad
This is a top hit with any and every picnic. And, this recipe is easy and delcious
Ingredients
- 6 Boiled eggs
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- Salt and pepper to taste
- For Base:
- Tomatoes
- Lettuce
- Cucumbers
Instructions:
- Take a salad to-go container, add lettuce to the base. Layer your lettuce with tomatoes and cucumbers
- Peel and chop eggs, add them to your lettuce base
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper as desired
Picnic Tip: By now if you have changed your mind about the egg salad, here is a good and easy recipe to impress your picnic appetite with this egg salad recipe. It makes 2 egg salad sandwiches.
Ingredients
- 3 hard boiled eggs
- 4 Slices of brown bread
- 1 & 1/2 TBSP Mayonnaise
- 1/2 TSP Dijon mustard
- 1 TBSP Fresh Chives
- 1/8 TSP Paprika
- Salt, Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel and chop your hard-boiled eggs in a medium-sized bowl
- Add all your ingredients to chopped eggs (dijon mustard, mayonnaise, chive, paprika, salt, and pepper)
- Stir well, add more mayonnaise only if you are not happy with the consistency or if it looks too dry
- Spread the egg salad on 1 slice and top with the 2nd slice. Do, the same with the remaining slices. Cut them in half. You can double or triple this recipe to make as many sandwiches as you want to satisfy your picnic party
Wrap the sandwiches for freshness
Related Article: Top 11 snacks for your next road trip
Potato Salad
Is any picnic ever complete without a hearty picnic potato salad. Potato salad is one of thr best picnic food ideas
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Yukon potateos
- 2 small egss peels and grated
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup celery
- 2 TBSP cup fresh chives
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 small sweet onion
- 1 TBSP Mustard
- Salt and Pepper as desired
Instructiosn
- Boil potatoes for 30 minutes or until tender, peel potatoes and dice into 1-inch cubes, add these to a medium-size bowl
- Add eggs to the potatoes
- Gently and one by one add all other ingredients to the bowl
- Pack in a container (keep cool until ready to serve)
Fruit Salad
I am a big fan of fruit salad and no picnic is complete without fruits or at the least some cooling watermelon
Ingrdeients
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Pineapple
- Green grapes
- Red grapes
- Mandarin oranges
- bananas
- Honey
- Lime
Instuction
- Chop all fruits to the same size except for blueberries and grapes (depending on the size of grapes)
- In a small bowl, mix honey and lime
- Pour this dressing over the fruits
- Mix gently to evenly spread the dressing, and serve
Picnic tip: do not mix the dressing ahead of time, instead carry the fruits and dressing separately and toss when ready to serve for frshness
Wraps
This is another easy meal for picnic that can be prepared ahead or even put together at the picnic.
Ingredients
- 2 small plum tomotes
- 1/4 cup roasted red peppers
- Meat of your choice (turkey, chicken, fish) sliced in strips
- lettuce
- mayonnaise
- chipotle sauce
- avocado
- 4 medium torttila wraps
Instrcutions
- Lay your tortilla wrap, add lettuce as your base
- Layer with the meat of your choice
- Add diced tomatoes and avocado
- using a squeeze bottle, add some chipotle and mayonnaise for taste
- wrap and enjoy
Cheese Boards
This is a must, regardless if you choose to make any other food.
Ingredients:
- Nuts (pecans, cashews, roasted almonds)
- Cheese and crackers
- small croissants
- cold cut meat slices
- Grapes (mix of green and red)
- pretzel sticks
- Dark milk chocolate
- Cheeseboard (you can use your nice looking cutting board too)
Instructions
- Take your cheese board and lay all your amazing favorite ingredients (or use the exact same ones from above) enjoy with yur favorite drink
And, your best picnic ideas would be do just this cheeseboard for a small picnic with a loved one, A picnic date anyone
Pasteries
One easy food, I like to pack for a picnic is fresh croissants from the bakery. These taste delicious and make every picnic look a bit more fun. You can add any filling to your croissant. Below are some filling you can try for your picnic or eat as is
- Chocolate / Nutella and add some fresh berries for added taste
- Pastry cream
- Egg salad filling
- Or even your cold cuts and cheese
Chicken Puffs
- 250 g Chicken breast (skinless)
- Oil Spray
- 1 small egg
- 1/4 onion chopped
- 250g green peas (for added color and taste)
- 250g carrots (for added color and taste)
- 1 tsp garlic
- 300 ml cream
- 3 sheets puff pastry
- Salt and pepper to taste
Makes 6 servings of Chicken puff pastry
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C
- Boil the chicken breast for 10 minutes, let it cool. Then dice and pan-fry until golden brown and set aside
- Boil the green peas and carrots for 6 minutes.
- Grate the carrots or dice them into small cubes, smash the peas with a fork. chop garlic and onion
- Now, pan-fry all vegetables (onion, garlic, carrots, and peas)
- In the same, pan of vegetables, add the chicken, stir fry everything for a few minutes
- Add cream to the pan and simmer until cream reduces to a sauce
- Cut the pastry sheet in half, to make 2 triangles from one sheet
- Take a spoonful of your delicious chicken mixture and add it to your triangle pastry
- Fold over the triangle and seal any open edges with the beaten egg by lightly brushing it on the edges as a sealant
- Bake the pastry in the oven for approximately 20 minutes
- Serve and enjoy
Summary
This post is about top picnic food ideas that can be put together ahead or almost all at the picnic. Each of these foods is delicious and enjoyed by the whole family
Related Articles: 7 no bake healthy snacks for your road trip