Picnic Recipe Ideas

Written by Dana Bennett

Who wants to spend hours preparing a recipe for a picnic? Not I—that’s for sure! I want to get out and relax as quickly as possible! Go figure—I would be in a rush to relax. That says a lot about today’s busy lifestyle, now doesn’t it?

Now before I get off on some long-winded comment about society and pace of life, I’m going to give you a couple of no-fail, quick, in a rush to relax picnic recipes:

Sandwich Roll-ups

Forget the soggy sandwiches; try a picnic roll-up. (this recipe can also be adapted for low-carbohydrate lifestyles)

Items to buy:

aluminum foil
toothpicks
large tortillas (use wheat for low-carb)
thinly sliced lunchmeat of your choice (go ahead—splurge at the deli)
thinly sliced cheeses
whole lettuce leaves
condiments of your choice

The trick to get good roll-ups for this picnic recipe is the order you put the ingredients on the tortilla:

Lay the tortilla flat on a piece of aluminum foil.
Put a very light layer of your condiments on the tortilla. (see this picnic recipe is healthy too!)
Lay the lettuce leaf down. (this is important at this stage—the meat and cheese will hold it down, otherwise your roll won’t roll correctly and fall apart)
Lunchmeat
Cheese

Then simply roll up your picnic roll and secure with a toothpick. For those of you that want to get really fancy with this picnic recipe, you can cut the roll and serve “finger roll-ups”.

Picnic Parfait

For those of you that just can’t picture a picnic without a dessert, here’s a wonderful quick and easy picnic recipe that is sure to please.

Items to buy:

Yogurt of your choice
fruit of your choice
granola cereal
clear plastic disposable containers

Simply layer your ingredients as you like and freeze your dessert. When you are ready to go on your picnic, grab the containers. By the time you get where you are going and are ready to eat this picnic recipe, you have a refreshing chilly treat.

Other Picnic Recipes

Try these great picnic recipe ideas on your next picnic outing. They will be sure to liven up the picnic experience!

Alan's Kitchen - Picnic, tailgating and backyard recipes.
Country Picnic Sandwich - Recipe from Orchard Hill Farm Bed & Breakfast, Paso Robles, California on the Internet Cookbook.
Easy Picnic Taco Salad - A salad recipe brought by ingredients which are brought separately to be assembled just before serving.
Food & Wine: Charlie's Wood-Grilled Tailgate Pizza - Gourmet recipe that makes two 15 inch pizzas.
Ham and Cheese Picnic Bread - Picnic bread, filled with ham, cheese, pimento and olives.
Hookerycookery: Picnics and Packed Lunch Recipes - Indexed collection of portable dishes.
Korean Spring Picnic - Korean-style picnic with recipes for asparagus, cucumber soup, Kimchi. Scroll down for picnic recipes.
Longhorn Tailgate Cookbook - Appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, brunches, main dishes, desserts.
Picnic Barbecued Chicken - For quartered chickens.
Picnic for Four - Menu includes ham and muenster cheese sandwiches, marinated two bean salad, potato salad, fresh peaches and grapes.
Picnic Pasta Salad - The small amount of mayonnaise allows it to keep much better than the traditional pasta salad.
Picnic Pie with Cheese and Ham - Meat pie served at room temperature.
Picnic Potato Salad - Uses lemon juice, sour cream and melted butter instead of mayonnaise.
Picnic Recipes - A variety of recipes for dips, salads, and main dishes.
Picnic recipes from Razzle Dazzle Recipes - Recipes for picnics, tailgate parties or backyard barbeques.
Picnic Recipes from That's My Home - Recipes include Caribbean Picnic Pie, Feast in a Loaf, and Margarita Dessert Dip with Cinnamon Chips.
Picnic Recipes, Tailgate Recipes, and Backyard Recipes - Menus and recipes.
Picnic Zucchini Bean Salad Recipe - Simple, chilled salad.
The Picnic-A Movable Feast - Several recipes for several styles of picnics, including hiking.
Picnics and Cookouts - Recipes and menus for picnics, including collections of low fat picnic food, low carb picnics, vegetarian picnics.
Plan a Picnic - Salad and grilling recipes for picnics.
Romantic Picnic Recipes For Two - Crisped Chips, Salsa, Cheese Dip with Fresh Fruits, Grilled Peppers and Apples, Beef and Spinach Pita Pockets.
Safe Picnics - How to prevent food borne illness by cleanliness, preparation, packing, storing and cooking temperatures. Tailgate menus and recipes.
Special Flavors: Picnic Recipes - Share your recipes which match your menu to the car that you drive to the picnic, or use some of the menus presented.
Summer Picnic Salad - From the USA Rice Federation.
Summer Time and Picnic Recipe Website Links - Links to a variety of recipes for food that can be brought to a picnic.
Tailgate - Recipes from Packers.com featuring beer as a primary ingredient.
Tailgate Chicken - Chicken, beer, garlic salt, pepper, and that's it.
Tailgate Crab Cakes - A rather complicated recipe to be prepared onsite.
Tailgate Party Recipe for Stromboli - Stromboli is a warm Italian sandwich that can be assembled ahead of time and wrapped in foil.
Tailgate Picnic - Mediterranean Torta, Smoked Sausages with Two Mustards, Mushroom and Artichoke Salad.
Tailgating, the Picnic Pavilion - Recipes for cooks who want to enjoy a great picnic, backyard party, and tailgating adventure.
Traveling With Food - Factsheet from Clemson University on food safety for vacation travel and car trips. How to avoid foods poisoning when traveling. Packing and storing foods safely. Foods that don't need refrigeration.

Related Categories

Picnicking