Picnic Recipes for Every Kind of Occasion
Afternoon Date
Treat your sweetie to a day in the park with refreshing shrimp salad, an adorable charcuterie plate and a romantic fondue dessert.
What to Make
Complete your perfect park picnic with this easy-to-pack Grilled Shrimp Salad.
What to Buy
Cheese, salami, olives, a baguette, rosé wine, chocolate sauce and cookies.
A Cut Above
Pack a small cutting board and a pairing knife. Because who wants to saw through salami with a plastic knife?
Fundue Fun
Heat store-bought hot fudge sauce in this votive-powered fondue set by Mastrad, then dip your favorite cookies ($15, chefsresource.com).
Concert in the Park
Nothing goes better with music than a delicious meal and a cool beer!
What to Make
Grilled Pork with Rice & Quinoa Salad is easy to pack in individual portions, which means no extra serving utensils or platters required!
Grilled Pork with Rice & Quinoa Salad
What to Buy
Pickles, beer, fruit tart, heavy cream and crystallized ginger.
Get Snappy
Each Kip It Cutlery To Go set gives you two handles and mix-and-match heads. Snap on a fork, knife, spoon -- or chopsticks! ($6 for a set, surlatable.com)
Cool Bag!
Save room in your cooler by packing your beers in a Chill It six-pack freezable bag. ($15, chillitbags.com)
Whip Smart
Jazz up a bakery tart or cake with a dollop of cream whipped with chopped crystallized ginger.
Day at the Beach
Catch some waves and refuel on delicious fried chicken, refreshing coleslaw and sweet iced tea. Don't forget the sunscreen!
What to Make
Tossing the chicken with salt and seasonings, then refrigerating it overnight, infuses it with flavor all the way to the bone. Fry it up the next morning and chill it until you're ready to go!
What to Buy
Coleslaw, corn bread, honey, butter, cayenne, sweet iced tea, berries, whipped cream and vanilla wafer cookies.
Green Day
Swap out paper plates for ones made from bamboo: They're pretty and compost-friendly. ($10 for 8; bambuhome.com)
Berry Clever
For a quick dessert, layer your favorite berries in small jars with whipped cream and vanilla wafers.
Butter Up
Extra credit: Before you pack the butter, mix it with honey and cayenne.
Go for the Grill
Don't have a grill at home? You've got the perfect excuse to get out to a beach or park that does!
What to Make
Not loving the grungy grates on that public barbecue? This Grilled Salmon with Mint Tzatziki gets prepped in a foil packet that you can toss right on the grill.
Grilled Salmon with Mint Tzatziki
What to Buy
Stuffed grape leaves, tabbouleh, pita bread, Greek salad, white wine, lemon-flavored seltzer, lemons, figs and baklava.
Soft Sell
Skip the paper towels; bring a perforated roll of washable, reusable MyDrap green-striped cotton napkins instead. ($30 for a roll of 12, amazon.com)
Ice Age
The Hammered Acrylic Bowl has a bottom compartment for ice to keep your greens cool. ($40, surlatable.com)
Fizz Whiz
Turn your white wine into a refreshing spritzer by adding lemon-flavored seltzer, ice and a lemon slice.
Take a Hike
Reward your effort with a hearty sandwich, energy-enhancing hummus and a sweet chocolate treat!
What to Make
This New Orleans-style marinated sandwich can be made the night before. It just gets better as it sits!
Muffuletta with Artichoke Tapenade
What to Buy
Carrot and celery sticks, hummus, potato chips, orange slices and herbs (for flavoring water), grapes and chocolate bars.
Carry-Ons
Fill an interlocking GoStak container with salt, pepper, hummus and paprika-spiked EVOO; Drizzle the oil on the hummus before serving. ($9 and up, blenderbottle.com)
Sip Tip
Add fresh herbs and citrus slices to your water. The better it tastes, the more you'll drink!
