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Picnic-Friendly Foods for Outdoor Dining
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items These easy and impressive picnic recipes, paired with a soft blanket and a patch of green grass, will liven up any outdoor event. Just like when hosting a tailgate, a host needs to consider portability and casual charm for picnic food ideas. Try thes...
As its name implies, this recipe is designed for outdoor gatherings. Perfectly portable and made with just eight ingredients, it's a more flavorful alternative to your usual sour cream-and-onion dip.
Picnic Dip Recipe
Delicious chilled or at room temperature, this salad is packed with antipasto ingredients, making every bite interesting. Plus, it travels well and can be made in advance.
Tortellini Salad Recipe
This Tennessee slaw was popularized in billiard halls. It's chock full of vegetables, has plenty of tang from mustard and vinegar, and is typically used to top burgers and sandwiches.
Pool Hall Coleslaw Recipe
Combine everyone's favorite bar cookies into one two-layer treat. Let them cool completely before slicing them (you can even chill them in the refrigerator) for the neatest squares.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies
This Middle Eastern cucumber-and-tomato salad makes a lively addition to a picnic spread. Za'atar seasoning, lemon juice, jalapeño, garlic, and herbs add heat and brightness to the summer vegetables.
Arabic Salad with Simple Dressing
This homey cake travels well and provides a just-sweet-enough treat for your picnic. Fresh or frozen berries will work well in this recipe.
Blueberry Boy Bait Recipe
Celebrate peak summer strawberries with a simple, summery cake that travels well. Vanilla and lemon create a heavenly aroma, and the berries bake down to a delicious jammy consistency.
Sunken Strawberry-Lemon Cake Recipe
If it's good enough for Augusta National, it's good enough for your backyard picnic. These crustless tea sandwiches can be assembled on site, or carefully stacked in a plastic container.
The Masters Egg Salad Sandwich Recipe
You won't find any chocolate in these bars, but you won't miss it at all. This fancied up banana bread in bar cookie form is filled with nuts and topped with a layer of browned butter frosting.
The BEST Banana Bread Brownies
It's all in the name! This simple, old-school egg salad recipe will fit perfectly on your picnic spread, whether you put it between two slices of bread or spread it on toasted baguette slices. Minced radishes help elevate this dish.
Picnic Egg Salad Recipe
Similar to a pound cake, but with a lighter texture, olive oil cake is sturdy enough to bring to a picnic and slices up easily too. Plus, the combination of blueberries and ginger is so summery.
Blueberry-Ginger Olive Oil Cake Recipe
Filled to the brim with pickles, this potato salad will be the star of your next picnic.
Three-Pickle Potato Salad Recipe
Pickled jalapeño chiles, grated onion, and yellow mustard give this cabbage slaw a bold flavor. It's traditionally used as a condiment but you can eat it on its own if you can handle the heat.
Hot Bacon - Cabbage Slaw Recipe
This vibrant slaw recipe will kick your picnic game way up. Total prep time is under 30 minutes, so add this recipe as your new go-to to accompany grilled meats, sandwiches, and finger foods. Before serving, whisk zest, lime and lemon juice, honey, a...
Spicy Pineapple Slaw Recipe
Easy to transport, this is the easiest Southern tomato pie you've ever made.
Cracker-Crust Tomato Pie Recipe
When peaches are in season, you must eat them every way you can. These hand pies are just right for your next picnic.
Peach Hand Pies Recipe
These spicy-salty watermelon wedges take just minutes to make and will be the most-talked-about item at your next picnic.
Pepper Sauce Watermelon Wedges Recipe
These healthy homemade granola bars will keep everyone full throughout the day, and there are three flavor options to satisfy every family member's preferences. No-bake granola bars include rice cereal, oats, almond butter, maple syrup, and cinnamon....
Easy No-Bake Granola Bars Recipe
Prepare these sandwiches a day before the picnic.
Classic Tomato Sandwiches
Flavored with ketchup, mustard, and hot sauce, this cabbage slaw is made for topping hot dogs, but it would be great on a burger too.
Carolina Red Slaw Recipe
What's better than a BLT? All-you-can-eat BLTs. Made with two crusty baguettes, thick-cut bacon, tomatoes, and all the usual trimmings, they are perfect for a large picnic.
All-You-Can-Eat BLTs Recipe
Cheesecake in a cookie form—could these be any more picnic-perfect?
Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
This easy sandwich recipe makes the most of that rotisserie chicken you have in the fridge. This chicken salad mixture pairs well with fresh sandwich rolls and toasted baguettes, or you can even enjoy it on lettuce leaves.
Chicken Caesar Salad Sandwiches
Throw a Tupperware container full of pimiento cheese and an assortment of crackers into your basket, and you're good to go. You could always make easy-to-tote sandwiches with this favorite spread, too.
Pimento Cheese Recipe
Bring skewers or toothpicks for a utensil-free serving. Combine your favorite fruits with a honey and orange juice mixture.
Perfect Summer Fruit Salad Recipe
To round out your picnic with a bite of something sweet, toss a few of these easy pecan pie bites into a Mason jar. Frozen mini-phyllo pastry shells are the perfect portable container for this glazed pecan filling.
Crunchy Pecan Pie Bites Recipe
Crunchy apple and nutty, creamy brie are a perfect match with sliced turkey for a sandwich that's anything but boring. Wrap each sandwich in parchment paper to help keep them fresh until you are ready to eat.
Turkey, Apple, and Brie Sandwich
Cheese straws are an all-time favorite Southern snack for parties, host gifts, and any occasion that might arise because they're so easy to toss in a tin and take with you. This savory and rich snack has the perfect amount of peppery kick.
Cheddar Cheese Straws Recipe
Remember cold, layered salads? We've never forgotten them! These vintage recipes are so easy to package and take on a picnic. Cornbread elevates this recipe, but it is adaptable based on your available ingredients.
Cornbread Salad Recipe
This old-school recipe is delicious, nostalgic, and easy to pack and take in zip-top plastic bags for a satisfying lunch at the park. Make cheese puffs in advance and freeze them so you can prepare this recipe whenever you'd like. Pair these cheesy b...
Cheese Puffs with Ham Salad Recipe
This easy bruschetta recipe makes the most of the fresh summer cherry tomatoes. Softened goat cheese spread over toasted baguette slices pairs perfectly with tomatoes, oil, and basil leaves.
Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomato Bruschetta
These crispy poppers will be long gone before the picnic is over. Creating this hearty finger food takes only 30 minutes of hands-on time.
Easy Corn Fritters Recipe
Give your favorite box mix brownies a flavor upgrade without any extra work. We added chopped sea salt caramels to the batter and drizzled jarred caramel sauce on top. (Feel free to omit the sauce if it's too messy to travel with.)
Salted caramel brownies recipe
This bite-size spin on a classic BLT will become a new favorite. Choose whatever tomatoes are ripest for this recipe, but a combination of red and yellow heirloom varieties makes an exciting color combination. Prepare this dish an hour in advance and...
Mini Tomato Sandwiches With Bacon Mayonnaise Recipe
Layers of cheese, cold cuts, and pickled vegetables stuff these slider sandwiches. Make this mini muffuletta sandwich a day before your picnic to save time. After preparing, store muffulettas in a plastic freezer bag and refrigerate them overnight.
My 4 Ingredient Easy Mini Muffuletta Recipe
Make this simple slaw recipe ahead of time so you only need to remember to pack it in your picnic basket when it's time to go. This tangy vinegar-based coleslaw combines finely shredded angel hair cabbage, carrot, bell pepper, sweet onions, and a swe...
Permanent Slaw Recipe
This childhood favorite is perfect for carrying along on a breezy afternoon picnic. Upgrade this old-fashioned favorite with a salty-sweet caramel filling. Allow enough time to refrigerate the pies before packing them so the filling is firm.
Oatmeal-Caramel Cream Pies Recipe
Go ahead and double this recipe because this Smoky Snack Mix will be every guest's favorite. White cheddar cheese crackers add a buttery richness to this irresistible mixture. Store leftovers—if any—in an airtight container for up to five days.
Smoky Snack Mix Recipe
Whip up this addicting snack in just a few minutes. Upgrade this classic treat by combining the cocoa powder with powdered sugar for an extra chocolate-flavored coating.
Puppy Chow Snack Mix Recipe
Use your slow cooker to help make the bright, tender salmon that is the star of this recipe. Season the cream cheese with chives, radishes, dill, lemon zest, and lemon juice before adding it to the everything bagel.
Smoke Salmon Bagel {With Cream Cheese}
This Southern favorite starts with a sleeve of saltines from the pantry. The best part about this recipe is that baking is optional. Use a Ziploc bag filled with garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, ranch dressing mix, red pepper flakes, and ol...
Fire Crackers Recipe
Bacon and ranch are a match made in side-dish heaven. Choose a pasta, like cavatappi or elbow pasta, to help the mixture cling to every curve. Fresh herbs, sliced cherry tomatoes, and shredded Parmesan cheese complete this flavor-filled dish.
Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad Recipe
This easy and fresh pita recipe makes your picnic lunch more fun than usual turkey sandwiches. Marinate the chicken overnight in olive oil, garlic, lemon, salt, and pepper. After grilling the chicken, top it with a drizzle of lemon juice and fill a p...
Greek Grilled Chicken Pita Recipe
This simple but tasty sandwich makes the most of store-bought pesto and rotisserie chicken. Assemble this dish in 10 minutes with only a handful of ingredients. In addition to the pesto and chicken, add sliced tomatoes and fontina cheese to crispy ci...
Chicken-Fontina Panini Recipe
If you can't get enough ranch dressing, this simple snack will be your new favorite. These oyster crackers are delicious as a snack, or you can add them to your favorite salad or soup.
Ranch Oyster Crackers Recipe
Make your picnic a snack lunch featuring these homemade cheese crackers. These crackers are extra crunchy because of the rice cereal. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.
Crispy Cheese Wafers Recipe
This Southern classic is always a welcome sight at a picnic. Assemble this recipe with sour cream, bacon, sweet pickle relish, and mayonnaise for this fan-favorite side dish. Achieve the perfect texture by cooling the potatoes entirely before adding ...
Southern Potato Salad Recipe
Your family will beg you to make this snack mix all the time. The sweet and salty flavors make this a snack everyone will enjoy. Store in an airtight container until the picnic.
Sweet 'n Salty Snack Mix Recipe
You can't stop returning for more once you try this three-ingredient snack. Wrap the brown sugar-glazed bacon around a breadstick for a unique portable treat.
Bacon Bites Recipe
Cucumber sandwiches are classic tea-time finger food. Picnics can enjoy the same casual elegance with this recipe on the menu. Customize sandwiches with homemade mayo, pimiento cheese, and minced chicken.
Cucumber Sandwiches
This make-ahead dish is reminiscent of our grandparents' cold, layered pasta salads. Make things simpler by doing the prep work in advance and storing the ingredients in an airtight container until you are ready to assemble.
Classic Macaroni Salad With Ham
Whether you make the classic version or try one of our twists—Golden Curry Turkey Salad, Pickle-and-Dill Turkey Salad, or Fruit-and-Nut Turkey Salad—a turkey sandwich will always be a favorite. Assemble this dish in 10 minutes.
Ultimate Turkey Salad
Fried chicken is a Southern picnic staple—tuck it into a bun with plenty of lettuce and pickles to make it easier to eat outdoors.
Fried Chicken and Pimento Cheese Sandwich
On a hot summer day, few things are better than quick pickles. In just over an hour, you have a portable snack that can be enjoyed in an endless amount of ways. We can't resist taking a few out of the jar.
Quick-Pickle Cucumbers And Onions Recipe
For those days when turning on the oven is the last thing we want to do, we turn to these easy cookies. As luck would have it, the four ingredients are pantry staples, which makes this recipe even easier to take on.
Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies (no bake)
Succulent shrimp salad is a Southern dish that's hard to turn down. If company's coming over and you have 20 minutes to spare, this recipe will impress your crowd.
Best Shrimp Salad Recipe
Picnics aren't for fussy desserts with tricky icing or melting fillings, instead we opt for simple: like these strawberry-studded cookies. Full of bright spring flavor, including a pop of citrus zest, these stand-out treats are sure to disappear.
Easy Strawberry Cookies Recipe
With a flavor nod to our favorite drive-in drink, these cherry-lime hand pies simply scream summer.
Cherry-Lime Hand Pies Recipe
Every picnic needs a cheesy, salty treat, and this cracker-packed snack mix is just the ticket.
Cheese Lover's Snack Mix Recipe
It's hard to get any more classic that peanut butter cookies. They travel well and stand up to the heat, making them the perfect picnic dessert.
Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe