55 Recipes For Packing The Perfect Picnic
Now all you'll need is a checkered blanket.
Spring is here, with summer close on its heels, and that means it's finally picnic season! BBQs and fancy al fresco meals are great, but there's really something special about rolling out a blanket and unpacking a pile of yummy, extra-shareable potluck foods. Simple sandwiches, potato and pasta salads, and dessert bars or cookies are the name of the game, because they keep kitchen duty and day-of mess to a minimum.. Most of these perfect picnic recipes can be prepared the day before or morning of with minimal work too, leaving you with more time to relax outside in the sunshine. Check out this list of 55 picnic ideas for inspiration!
Picnic food is all about convenience and portability. You’re going to want dishes that you can carry with you and share easily. The OG portable option? Sandwiches, of course. But don’t just go for a PB&J! Our club sandwich, our fried chicken Caesar sandwich, our chopped sandwich, and our ultimate veggie sandwich are versatile with what you and your crew are craving. Have a big crowd to feed? Make our sheet-pan Italian subs and save yourself from having to assemble each one individually. Want something a little more adventurous? Try our roasted vegetable baked falafel sandwiches or our sushi sandwiches too.
We think it’s not a picnic without side “salads”, and we’re not just talking leafy greens (though those are nice too!). Your possibilities are truly endless when it comes to pasta salads, chicken salads, and green salads. You could go classic with our straight-forward macaroni salad or potato salad, or mix it up with our strawberry balsamic pasta salad, our cowboy caviar couscous salad, our green goddess pasta salad (pictured above), our our antipasto potato salad.
Don’t forget sweets! We’ve included a few of our favorites here, like fruit salad (trust us, you’re going to LOVE its honey-citrus dressing), strawberry shortcake Rice Krispies treats, or our cherry pie slab bars, but truly the possibilities are endless. For more, check out our list of picnic desserts, with everything from lemon bars to corn cookies.
Does your picnic area have tables and BBQ grills? Lucky! Check out our favorite grilling recipes and even more summer salads too.
Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
Deviled eggs are our go-to appetizer for every warm-weather gathering, from Easter dinner to a Memorial Day picnic, but we don’t always want to deal with the fuss of making sure they all stay upright and perfect until it’s time to serve. This deviled egg pasta salad is the perfect solution!
Get the Deviled Egg Pasta Salad recipe.
Pinwheel Sandwiches
Pinwheel sandwiches are here with their totally retro swirls, ready to be tucked into lunchboxes, piled onto game day spreads, or packed for your next picnic. To make them, you'll layer flour tortillas with ranch-flavored mayonnaise, sliced cheese, deli meats, and lettuce. All that's left to do is roll them up tightly and slice. See, simple!
Get the Pinwheel Sandwiches recipe.
Antipasto Potato Salad
Potato salad is about as classic a summer side as it gets, and we love experimenting with different flavor combinations. If you’re looking to lighten up your usual potato salad, look no further—this version is bursting with all the flavors of your favorite antipasto.
Get the Antipasto Potato Salad recipe.
Watermelon Pizza
At first glance, the idea of combining watermelon with savory ingredients might seem unconventional. But as you take your first bite, you'll quickly discover the magic of this unusual combination. It's like our watermelon feta salad, but no utensils needed!
Get the Watermelon Pizza recipe.
Fried Chicken
To complete the journey to fried chicken nirvana, we went through 5 whole chickens, 3 gallons of peanut oil, and over 20 iterations of the recipe so that you won't have to. The final result is a simple formula for the only fried chicken recipe you'll ever need. Hot tip: cold fried chicken is one of the BEST picnic foods.
Get the Fried Chicken recipe.
Green Goddess Pasta Salad
Introducing a fresh new take on pasta salad that’s much more exciting than a lot of the more traditional options. It’s bright green with a zesty green goddess dressing and some extra veggies mixed in—it almost feels more like a green salad than anything else (but don't worry, there's still plenty of noodles!).
Get the Green Goddess Pasta Salad recipe.
Sushi Sandwiches (Onigirazu)
Inspired by the popular Japanese onigirazu, this variation’s got the same elements of your favorite lunch—spicy salmon, seasoned sushi rice, cucumber, quick-pickled cabbage, carrot, and avocado—all wrapped in nori and served with plenty of sriracha-soy mayo. These flavor-packed, portable pouches are perfect for a picnic, quick lunch, or afternoon snack.
Get the Sushi Sandwiches (Onigirazu) recipe.
Avocado Salsa
Creamy, just-ripe avocados are tossed with chopped tomatoes, jalapeño, red onion, sweet corn, and tons of chopped fresh cilantro to create this refreshing hybrid dip. Now you’ll never have to decide between salsa and guac ever again!
Get the Avocado Salsa recipe.
Cherry Pie Slab Bars
With flaky crust and juicy-tart filling that sets just right, the classic cherry pie is the ultimate dessert for any summertime soiree, potluck, or BBQ. Best yet, the large slab format is big enough to feed a crowd of hungry party-goers; slice into bars and let folks have at it straight from the 13" x 9" pan.
Get the Cherry Pie Slab Bars recipe.
Best Quiche
A Delish favorite in the canon of classic recipes, quiche is the versatile dish we turn to again and again for occasions big and small. Our tried-and-tested version perfects every piece of the pie: a soft, creamy filling studded with ham, chives, and Gruyère all inside a crunchy, buttery pie crust.
Get the Best Quiche recipe.
Deviled Eggs
A classic appetizer, deviled eggs bring the party to any event. Whether you're serving them at your BBQ, Easter dinner, or summer potluck, you can't go wrong with this satisfying app.
Get the Deviled Eggs recipe.
Fried Chicken Caesar Sandwich
Did we say fried chicken AND Caesar in the same sentence? Yes—you heard correctly. We’ve decided to combine two much-loved recipes to make this lip-smackingly delicious sandwich. Biting through the buttery, sweet brioche to meet the salty Caesar dressing dripping over crispy chicken is nothing more than a masterpiece of a mouthful.
Get the Fried Chicken Caesar Sandwich recipe.
Lemon Bars
If you prefer your desserts almost more tart than sweet, then these lemon bars are the perfect spring dessert for you. An ideal make-ahead dessert, these bars will be the star of all your spring & summer bake sales, picnics, and more. Pucker up, buttercup!
Get the Lemon Bars recipe.
Cucumber Salad
Cucumber salad is a spring and summer picnic staple, and for good reason: When tossed in a bright vinegar-based dressing, cukes can withstand warm temperatures and sit out at a sunny outdoor gathering for hours.
Get the Cucumber Salad recipe.
Cowboy Caviar Couscous Salad
Also known as Texas caviar, cowboy caviar combines fresh vegetables, beans, and corn to make a colorful meal that can be enjoyed with chips or as a standalone dish. But once you add some pearl couscous? It becomes the star of any picnic or potluck.
Get the Cowboy Caviar Couscous Salad recipe.
Chopped Sandwich
Imagine not having to unhinge your jaw like a snake to enjoy your favorite Italian deli hero. This chopped sandwich is here to turn that dream into a reality. Turns out, running a knife through your sandwich ingredients before piling them into a roll makes the whole ordeal of crushing a big hoagie a lot easier to manage.
Get the Chopped Sandwich recipe.
Caprese Sandwich
Is there anything more summer-perfect than Caprese salad? We think not, so we decided that a Caprese sandwich should be the official sandwich of summer (or any time you get your hands on some perfect tomatoes).
Get the Caprese Sandwich recipe.
Sheet-Pan Italian Subs
Hoping to bring sandwiches to feed your picnic crowd, but don't want to spend all morning assembling them? This sheet-pan hack is for you! Overlapping the bread slices means you can fit more onto the sheet pan, and don’t worry—the melty Provolone and pressing these down (sort of like a massive DIY panini press) makes sure they still hold together.
Get the Sheet-Pan Italian Subs recipe.
Muhammara Dip With Crudités
Muhammara comes together in 30 minutes using jarred roasted red peppers, bread crumbs, walnuts, a few special ingredients, and a food processor. Trust us—once you've tried it, it'll become a staple on your summer dip roster.
Get the Muhammara Dip With Crudités recipe.
Classic Macaroni Salad
Macaroni salad is a go-to, classic side everyone looks forward to at every summer get-together, and it’s easy to see why. To get perfect mac salad every time, ditch the store-bought and make this guaranteed showstopper recipe instead.
Get the Classic Macaroni Salad recipe.
