Perfect Portable Picnic Recipes To Put In Your Basket
As the weather is getting warmer, it’s fun to spend more time outdoors and take in that sunshine. Picnics area great way to enjoy that time outside and breath in that fresh air while spending time with family and friends and of course eat food, why not try some new picnic recipes?
READ MORE: Fire Up That Grill And Check Out These Vegetarian Grilling Recipes
With some preparation and planning in advance, you can organize a delicious and most enjoyable picnic. Get your picnic basket ready as we’ve put together a selection of tasty picnic recipes to help make your al fresco summer dining experience the best it can be!
5.) Salad Picnic Recipe: Crudites Salad with Farro and Pecans
bon appetit
A textured salad with a lovely crunch from bon appetit. The toasted pecans and almond butter add a beautiful nutty taste to the salad.
Serves 4
Ingredients
Vinaigrette
- 1/4cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Salad
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1 teaspoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 2 teaspoons almond butter or natural peanut butter
- 1/2 bunch Tuscan kale, ribs and stems removed, leaves torn (about 2 cups)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 1 small zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise on a mandoline
- 2 breakfast radishes, thinly sliced lengthwise on a mandoline
- 1 cup cauliflower florets, grated on the large holes of a box grater
- One cup red and/or yellow grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup trimmed watercress
- 3/4 cup cooked semi-pearledfarro
Directions
Vinaigrette
- Whisk oil, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl to combine
- Set aside
Salad
- Cook pecans and oil in a small skillet over a medium heat, stirring often, until nuts are darkened in color.
- Cook for 5-7 minutes.
- Let cool
- Coarsely shop so you have a variety of sizes, with some pieces almost pulverized.
- Set aside 2 tbsp. nuts for serving.
- Whisk almond butter 1 tbsp. vinaigrette in a medium bowl to combine.
- Add kale and massage dressing into leaves with your hands until evenly coated.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Toss fennel, zucchini, radishes, cauliflower, tomatoes, watercress, farro, and remaining pecans in a large bowl with remaining vinaigrette.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Add kale and toss to combine.
- Drizzle with oil and serve topped with reserved pecans.
4.) Sandwich Picnic Recipe: Frittata Sandwiches
A no-fuss super easy recipe for a delicious frittata sandwich that’s perfect for picnics, make, pack and go!
Serves 9
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 8 eggs
- 1/4 cup (60ml) whole milk
- 2 tbsp. chives, finely chopped
- Fine sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- English muffin, halved lengthwise
- Cheddar cheese sliced, to serve
- Mustard, to serve
- Roasted red pepper, sliced to serve
- fresh arugula to serve
Directions
- Preheat the over to 350F (180C).
- Brush a 9×9-inch (23×23-cm) baking dish with the olive oil.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and chives.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the egg mixture to the baking dish and bake until just set in the middle, 15-20 minutes.
- Cut into 9 squares.
- Layer one slice of cheese on top of one of the English muffin Halves.
- Top with a frittata square, roasted red pepper slices and arugula.
- Spread the remaining English Muffin half with mustard, and sandwich together.
- Enjoy!
3.) Dip Picnic Recipe: Sweet Pea and Avocado Dip with Baked Pita Chips
My Recipes
This rich green snack by My Recipes is tasty and sweet. Combined the dip with the baked pita chips, it’s a delightful summer picnic recipe!
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. ancho chili powder
- 1/4 tap. kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
- 3 (6-inch) whole-grain pitas
- Cooking spray
- 1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
- 3 tbsp. water
- 1 tbsp. lime juice
- One large ripe peeled avocado
- 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro leaves
Directions
Pita Chips
- Preheat oven to 350
- Combine cumin, chili powder, salt, and red pepper in a bowl.
- Split each pita in half to make 6 rounds.
- Cut each pita round into 6 wedges.
- Spread wedges insingle layer on 2 large baking sheets.
- Lightly coat pitas with cooking spray.
- Sprinkle evenly with half of the cumin mixture.
- Bake at 350 for 6 minutes or until crisp.
- Cool completely on pans.
Dip
- Combine peas, 3 tbsp. water, lime juice and remaining cumin mixture in the bowl of a food processor.
- Process until smooth.
- Add avocado, pulse until combines.
- Top with cilantro
2.) Dessert Picnic Recipe: Vanilla Cupcakes with Raspberry Butter Cream Frosting
Oh, of course there needs to be dessert for a perfect summer picnic! These vanilla cupcakes with raspberry buttercream frosting are delightful and delicious and most importantly easy to transport.
Makes 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 2 eggs
- two tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup whole milk
Frosting
- 1 stick of unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup raspberry preserves
- half tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 16oz box of powdered sugar
- fresh raspberries for garnishing
Directions
Cupcakes
- Preheat the over to 350 degrees.
- Line the cupcake time with liners and set aside
- in a mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the sugar and butter.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and cream together until you get a smooth mixture.
- Add the dry ingredients and with the speed on low mix together and slowly add the milk and mix everything to combine.
- Do not over mix!
- Make sure to give everything a good stir with a spatula from the bottom to incorporate any bit that wasn’t mixed.
- Scoop the batter into your lined cupcake tin, make sure it only filled 3/4 of the way up as they will rise.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Let cool for about 45 minutes before frosting.
Frosting
- Combine together the frosting ingredients except for the fresh raspberries and mix to combine.
- Add the frosting in a piping bag fitted with a large star tip
- Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.
- Top with a few fresh raspberries.
- Dive in!
1.) Drink Picnic Recipe: Watermelon and Strawberry Crush
Delicious Magazine
This refreshing watermelon and strawberry drink by Delicious Magazine is the perfect accompaniment to this selection of scrumptious picnic recipes.
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 1 large ripe watermelon, cut into chunks, seed removed
- 300g ripe strawberries, hulled and halved
- Juice of 2 limes
- 50g caster sugar
- Small handful of fresh lemon verbena leaves (or a few fresh lemon thyme springs)
- Lemonade to top up
Directions
- The day before the picnic put the fruit and lime juice in a liquidizer and whizz to a puree (you may need to do this in batches)
- Pour the puree into a large Jug and stir in the sugar and lemon verbena or thyme.
- Leave for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved.
- Pour into clean plastic bottles, leaving space for expansion.
- Freeze until solid.
- Use as ice packs for your picnic and it will melt down to a refreshing slushy consistency by the time you eat.
- Put the crush into glasses up to about halfway, then top with lemonade and serve.
READ MORE: The Best Vegetarian Salad Recipes for Spring
