Everybody loves picnics. It involves a decent climate, a fantastic landscape, incredible organization, and great food!

It’s usually an exciting experience, with family or friends sharing simple bites, elaborate sandwiches, and picnics on the patio or in a park. It’s an extraordinary method for investing quality energy and bonding with your friends and family.

Improve your picnic game with these simple, straightforward, and easy food ideas.

To make your picnics unique, here are a few easy ideas to acquire your next picnic escape. Speedy and straightforward to make solace food varieties that will give everybody pleasure.

1. Egg & Cress Club Sandwich

Fans of traditional flavors will love these egg and cress sandwiches. This is one of the easiest. This is one of the very time-efficient easy food ideas.

Firmly secure each stack with a skewer before transporting and serving.

1.1 Ingredients for Egg & Cress Club Sandwich

• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 3 slices of bread
• a little butter
• ⅓ carton of cress
• 2-3 pieces of tomato or a lettuce leaf and a selection of ham or feta cheese
• Crisps to serve

1.2 Method

Boil a pan of water and carefully lower the eggs. Cook for 6 minutes, then cool under running water until peeled. Clean the eggs, then leave them to cool completely.

Beat or chop eggs, then mix with 1½ tbsp mayonnaise and spices, if desired. Grease the bread.

Place one slice of toasted bread on the board. Add the butter, then spread on three-quarters of the egg and spread over the cress. Add another slice of bread and gently spread over the remaining sauce.

Add tomatoes, lettuce, ham, or cheese (any combination you like). Sprinkle the remaining egg on top of the spread, then add the last toast.

Cut the crusts if you like, then cut the sandwich into four parts, being careful not to scramble the egg.

Skewer each sandwich by selecting a sandwich. Serve with crisps.

2. Stuffed Rainbow Baguette

Paint the rainbow with this colorful stuffed baguette that kids can even help prepare. It’s packed with vibrant veggies, including beetroot, red pepper, carrot, green leaves, hummus, pesto, and slices of cheddar.

Wrap it in baking parchment and tie it with string to transport. It is one of the food ideas that kids get excited about.

2.1 Ingredients for Stuffed Rainbow Baguette

• 1 artisan-style baguette
• 4 tbsp hummus
• 8 slices of medium cheddar
• ¼ red pepper, thinly sliced
• ¼ cooked beetroot, shredded
• 2 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow or orange carrot, shredded or grated
• handful green leaves
• 1 tbsp vegetarian pesto mixed with 1 tbsp olive oil

2.2 Method

Cut the baguette in half so you can open it like a book. Sprinkle the hummus on the lower part of the baguette and add the feta cheese, breaking it into pieces if needed.

Sprinkle with pepper, beetroot, seedling, carrot, and baguette, then add the leaves pesto and close the baguette.

Sprinkle the baguette firmly on the baking sheet and tie it tightly with string. Take a loaf of bread to cut it when ready to eat it.

3. Crispy Chicken & Smashed Avocado Baps

Looking for a healthy sandwich option? Then try these lovely chicken baps packed with hot lettuce and whipped cream avocado. Chicken breasts are covered with a light, shiny coating of flour, almonds, and sesame seeds.

It is one of the healthiest picnic recipes.

3.1. Ingredients for Crispy Chicken & Smashed Avocado Baps

• 2 large skinless chicken breasts
• 100g plain flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• splash of milk
• 3 tbsp ground almonds
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 3 tbsp vegetable or rapeseed oil
• 2 small avocados, stoned, peeled, and halved
• ½ lime, juiced
• 4 baps or rolls, split
• 1 Little Gem lettuce, leaves separated

3.2 Method

Put the chicken on a board and cover it with a sheet of baking parchment. Bash with a rolling pin to an even thickness, then cut both breasts in half diagonally.

Put the flour on a plate. Season. Combine the egg and milk in a wide, shallow bowl. Dust the chicken in the flour, shake off the excess, and dunk it into the egg mix.

Add the almonds and sesame seeds to any remaining flour on the plate and coat the chicken in the mixture.

Heat half the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and fry the chicken for 4-5 mins until crisp and golden, adding the rest of the oil when you turn the pieces over.

Cut into the thickest part of one of the pieces to check it’s cooked through, then leave to cool for 5 mins.

Scoop the avocado flesh into a bowl with the lime juice and a pinch of salt, then mash. Spread over the baps, top with the lettuce, then the chicken. Cut in half.

4. Fig & Serrano Ham 

Want to branch out from the traditional picnic sarnie? Pack your basket with a fully loaded flatbread instead.

Thickly sliced fresh figs make a picture-perfect topping for this ciabatta-style loaf. The sweet fruity flavor complements earthy sage leaves, tangy onion, and salty, umami serrano ham.

4.1. Ingredients for Fig & Serrano Ham 

• 500g pack bread mix (we used ciabatta)
• 15 sage leaves, 5 finely shredded, the rest left whole
• 4 tbsp good-quality olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• plain flour for dusting
• 4-5 fresh figs, thickly sliced
• ½ onion, sliced as thinly as possible
• 100g serrano ham slices
• flaky sea salt for sprinkling

4.2. Method

Tip the bread into a large mixing bowl with the shredded sage and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper.

Put 2 tbsp of the oil and the garlic in a jug with the amount of water stated on the bread mix pack. Stir the liquid into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon, then bring the dough with your hands and knead for 5 mins on a floured surface until smooth.

Return to the mixing bowl, cover with oiled cling film, and leave to rise until doubled in size.

Punch the dough a few times to knock out the air, then divide it into 8 portions. Roll each to a flattish bap shape on a lightly floured surface and arrange in a roughly 20 x 30cm roasting tin.

Toss the whole sage leaves, figs, onion, and ham with 1 tbsp of the oil, then scatter these over the top. Use your fingers to press the toppings into the bread, and spread the bread to fill any gaps.

Cover loosely with oiled cling film and leave to rise for 20 minutes until it has puffed up.

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas. Drizzle over the remaining oil, sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper, and bake for 30 mins until risen, golden, and crisp on top.

Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Pack back the container to transport to a picnic. You may also try other variations of refreshing salad like chicken salad, potato salad, egg salad sandwiches, chickpea salad, or even the pasta salad recipe to spice your palette up.

5. Vegetarian Wraps

Add a DIY element to your alfresco feast with these veggie flatbreads filled with roasted vegetables, creamy coconut tzatziki, and a herby, spicy green sauce.

Pack the ingredients into separate containers and let everyone assemble their wraps at the picnic. It is the tastiest vegetarian recipe.

5.1 Ingredients for Vegetarian Wraps

• 2 red onions
• 3 tbsp cider vinegar
• 2 courgettes
• 1 large red pepper
• ½ cauliflower
• 400g can chickpeas
• 3 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 350g self-rising flour
• 500g natural yogurt
• small bunch coriander
• 100g pot coconut chunks
• small bunch mint
• 2 limes
• ½ cucumber
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 shallot
• 1 green chili
• salt, pepper, sugar, and olive oil

5.2 Method

Slice one red onion into thin half-moons to make the sweet pickled onions. Put 2 tbsp cider vinegar in a small pan with 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt. Heat until almost boiling, then pour over the onions and leave for 2 hrs., by which time they will be sweet and crunchy.

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas to make the roasted veg. Chop the courgettes, remaining red onion, red pepper, and cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. Tip into a baking tray with the chickpeas, plus 1 tbsp of the starchy water from the can.

Pour over a good glug of olive oil, add 2 tsp of the coriander seeds, the garam masala, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and mix everything with your hands.

Cook in the oven for 45 minutes, but give them a good shake after 30. For the flatbreads, mix the flour with 350g of the yogurt, the remaining 1 tsp coriander seeds, and all the coriander stalks, finely chopped.

It will come together quickly into a dough. Take a golf ball-sized chunk and roll it out on a floured board until it’s the thickness of a 20p coin, then dry-fry in a hot frying pan for about a minute on each side.

When done, brush each flatbread on one side with some olive oil. To make the tzatziki, blitz 1/4 of the pot of coconut chunks in a blender until it resembles breadcrumbs, then set aside.

Pour the remaining 150g of yogurt into a bowl. Finely chop half the mint leaves and add to the bowl along with the juice of 1 lime. Grate in the cucumber and a garlic clove, then add the coconut. Season and mix.

To make the spicy green sauce, put the rest of the coconut chunks in a blender with the rest of the coriander and mint leaves, a peeled clove of garlic, the peeled shallot, chili, the juice of a lime, 1 tbsp cider vinegar, and 1 tsp brown sugar. Blitz until smooth.

Take a flatbread, load it with a handful of vegetables, then a big spoonful of tzatziki and spicy green sauce, and then a sprinkle of sweet pickled onions. Wrap it up, and tuck it in.

6. Summer Sausage Rolls

A summery twist on classic sausage rolls, with a chicken and bacon filling flavored with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and basil. 

6.1 Ingredients for Summer Sausage Rolls

• 2 large skinless chicken breasts
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 3 rashers streaky bacon, thinly sliced
• 4 sundried tomatoes, chopped
• a handful of basil leaves, chopped
• 375g/13oz pack of ready-rolled puff pastry
• flour for dusting
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 25g sesame seeds

6.2 Method

Whizz the chicken and garlic in a processor until the chicken is minced. Tip in the bacon, sundried tomatoes, and basil. Pulse for 5 seconds to mix through. Season well.

Roll the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface and cut it in half lengthways. Spread half the chicken mixture along the middle of the pastry strips, then roll up the pastry, pinching the ends together to seal.

Using a sharp knife, cut into 2.5cm long pieces. Repeat with the remaining pastry strip. It can be frozen and uncooked for up to 1 month.

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Place the rolls on a large baking sheet. Brush with the egg, then sprinkle with seeds. Bake for 20 mins until golden.

7. Easy Scotch Eggs

Another picnic classic, we bring you the perfect recipe for Scotch eggs.

With a crispy breadcrumbs coating, moist herby sausage meat layer, and a slightly runny yolk center, our step-by-step instructions will help you nail this popular snack.

With not crusty bread but crispy breadcrumbs coating, a moist herby sausage meat layer, and a slightly runny yolk center, our step-by-step instructions will help you nail this popular snack.

7.1 Ingredients for Easy Scotch Eggs

• 5 large eggs
• 300g good-quality pork sausage, skinned
• 1 tsp black peppercorns, crushed
• 140g cooked ham, shredded
• 25g sage, apple & onion stuffing mix
• 1 tsp chopped sage
• 1 tsp chopped thyme
• 1 tsp chopped parsley
• 100g plain flour, seasoned, plus extra for dusting
• 100g dried breadcrumbs
• sunflower oil for frying
• piccalilli, to serve

7.2 Method

Bring a pan of salted water to a rapid boil, then lower four eggs into the pan and simmer for 7 mins 30 secs exactly.

Scoop out and place in a bowl of iced water, cracking the shells a little (this makes them easier to peel later). (Can be boiled the day before.) leave them to cool completely, then peel and set aside.

Put the sausage meat, pepper, ham, stuffing, and herbs in a small bowl, mix to combine, then divide into four equal balls. Squash one of the balls between a piece of cling film until it’s as flat as possible.

One at a time, lightly flour each cooked egg, then use the cling film to help roll the sausage meat around the egg to encase it completely. Repeat with the remaining sausage balls and eggs.

Beat the remaining egg and put it on a plate. (Can be prepared up to a day in advance.) put the flour and breadcrumbs on two separate plates. Roll the encased eggs in the flour, the beaten egg, and the breadcrumbs.

To cook the eggs, heat 5cm of the oil in a wide saucepan or wok until it reaches 160C on a cooking thermometer or until a few breadcrumbs turn golden after 10 secs.

Depending on the size of your pan, lower as many eggs as you can into the oil and cook for 8-10 mins until golden and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper, leave to cool a little, then serve halved with some piccalilli.

8. Classic Cheese Scones

These savory scones are easy to make and are a lovely alternative to bread at a picnic.

They’re simply delicious deliciousness split in half and spread thickly with butter. 

8.1. Ingredients for Classic Cheese Scones

• 225g self-rising flour, plus extra for dusting
• pinch of salt
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 55g chilled butter, cut into cubes
• 120g mature cheddar, grated
• 90-100ml milk, plus 1 tbsp for glazing

8.2 Method

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 with a large baking tray inside. Sift the flour, salt, cayenne pepper, and baking powder into a bowl, then sift again to ensure the ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Add the butter to the bowl and combine with your fingertips to make breadcrumbs. Sprinkle 100g of the cheese into the breadcrumb mixture and rub together until evenly distributed. Try not to mix too much, as the heat from your hands may start to melt the butter.

Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in enough milk to give a relatively soft but firm dough. Only pour in some of the milk at a time, as you may not need it to get the right consistency.

Lightly flour a surface and roll out the dough to approximately 2cm thick. Cut out the scones with a medium (about 8cm) cutter, then put them on a sheet of baking parchment, glaze them with a bit of milk and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Slide onto the hot oven tray.

Bake in the oven for 15-20 mins or until golden brown and cooked through.

9. Pea & Ham Picnic Eggs

Want a change from Scotch eggs? Instead, these tasty bite-sized morsels are filled with shredded ham hock and peas alongside traditional sausage meat.

Fry them in a crispy breadcrumb coating and serve with mustard, mayo, or minty tartare sauce. 

9.1 Ingredients for Pea & Ham Picnic Eggs

• 6 large eggs at room temperature
• 90g frozen peas, defrosted and any water drained
• 90g cooked ham hock, shredded
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 650g sausage meat
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp finely chopped parsley
• ½ tsp dried sage
• 70g plain flour
• 130g dried breadcrumbs
• 1 vegetable oil for deep-frying

9.2 Method

Bring a large pan of water to a boil and gently lower in 4 of the eggs with a spoon. Cook for 10 minutes, then scoop out and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.

Peel and chop the boiled eggs into small pieces. Tip into a bowl, then gently fold through the peas, ham hock, and mayonnaise. Season. The mayonnaise will help bind everything but don’t overmix, or the egg will start to break up. Set it aside.

Mash the sausage meat, mustard, parsley, sage, and some seasoning with your hands until well combined. Divide the mixture into 16 walnut-sized balls.

Press one of the balls flat in your palm to make a thin disc, then add a heaped teaspoon of the pea and ham filling to the center.

Close your hand to wrap the sausage meat around the filling, then press and pinch to seal well. Reroll into a neat ball in your hands, then transfer to a plate and chill. Repeat with the remaining sausage meatballs and filling.

Put the remaining eggs in a shallow bowl and beat, then tip the flour and breadcrumbs onto two separate plates. Season the flour with salt and pepper.

Dust the chilled picnic eggs in the seasoned flour, dip into the beaten egg, and roll in the breadcrumbs until well coated.

Fill a large pan or wok no more than a third full with the oil and heat to 180C, or until a cube of bread sizzles when dropped into the oil and browns in 30 seconds.

Lower the picnic eggs into the oil in batches of four or five, and turn every minute for 3-4 mins until evenly golden and crisp.

Drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper while cooking the remaining batches. Scatter with sea salt, mustard mayo, or minty tartare sauce, or serve cold.

10. Picnic Trail Mix

Ditch the shop-bought trail mix and make up your sweet, salty version of packing in a paper bag.

A delicious mix of nuts, seeds, pretzels, dried fruit or fresh fruit, and chocolate, it’s an excellent snack for kids to munch on while walking to the picnic.

Any leftovers can also be used as a popcorn alternative on family film night. 

10.1 Ingredients for Picnic Trail Mix

• butter for the tray
• 150g mix of your choice of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cashews, pecans, pistachios, chopped dried apricots, raisins, dried cranberries
• 150g caster sugar
• 100g milk or dark chocolate chips
• 25g bag mini salted pretzels
• 25g bag mini-Ritz crackers
• rainbow sprinkles for dipping

10.2 Method

Butter a baking tray. Mix your chosen fruit, seeds, and nuts in a medium saucepan.

Add the sugar and stir together over medium heat for 10 mins until the sugar has melted and caramelized.

Quickly tip onto the baking tray, press down a little, and leave to set (it won’t fill the whole tray).

Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, then half-dip the mini pretzels and crackers in the chocolate. Half-dip some in the sprinkles, leaving some plain. Place it on a wire rack to set as you go along.

Once the fruit and nut praline is set, bash it on the baking tray with a rolling pin to make tiny clusters. Mix with the chocolate pretzels and crackers and pack in little paper bags

You can try other perfect picnic recipes: tortilla chips, fried chicken with hot sauce, buffalo chicken dip, and macaroni salad.

11. Homemade Pineapple Juice

Beat the heat with this sound-reviving beverage prepared using new pineapples and lemons stacked with Vitamin C and fiber. You’ll cherish the ideal balance between sweetness and tartness in this rejuvenating yet straightforward drink.

A delectable tropical delight with a punch! This is the healthiest drink among the picnic foods.

11.2 Lemonade

Aaah! Isn’t anything better compared to a fresh glass of fresh lemon juice in your picnic basket? Stimulating with each taste.

Made with just 3 ingredients, and bam! Easy peasy, lemon squeezy! A superbly refreshing beverage ideal for the entire family! It is a refreshing drink.

Closing Thoughts

Now there you go! Hope our delicious ideas helped you a little bit. For more exciting picnic recipes, follow our website.

Last Updated on March 18, 2024 by Namrata123