Summer Picnic Bites

Summer picnics are one of my family’s favorite ways to spend meals together! There’s just something so fun about packing up a picnic basket with foods the whole family normally eats only on special occasions. It’s also a great way to get my kids to help out in the kitchen and learn more cooking skills! When I think of picnics, I think of comfort food, puff pastry, flavorful dip, finger foods, fresh herbs, fresh veggies and simple ingredients. It’s important to me that I search for easy picnic food ideas that can’t be messed up. While packing the picnic basket is the best part, it’s great to use simple ingredients for an easy recipe.

Caprese Sandwich

I love bringing sandwiches to picnics. It’s always nice to branch out from a PB&J to a new recipe that is just as easy to make! This one looks so fresh and refreshing for the warm weather. Drizzle it with a little olive oil and it’s the best thing!

Recipe/Photography: Love & Lemons

Olive, Cherry Tomato & Feta Focaccia

Focaccia is a necessity for a summer picnic. Name a better bread, I’ll wait! Making a little pizza out of it is really fun, though and my kids enjoy making their own! It makes for a great appetizer to split or meal in itself.

Recipe/Photography: Barney Desmazery, Good Food

Chicken Caesar Wrap

Is anyone else on Chicken Caesar Wrap TikTok? They’re kinda on trend at the moment and I must say, they are so good! I find myself craving them every once in awhile. There’s a whole TikTok craze about finding the best one in NYC, but I thought, why not find a recipe to make them at home!

Recipe/Photography: Tastes Better From Scratch

Caramelized Onion and Thyme Sausage Rolls

There’s something about sausage rolls that really scream picnic to me! I don’t know what it is, but I do know they make an easy picnic finger food option! This recipe is easy to make and has so much great flavor. I really think your kids will love this one! Trust me, these are way better than a hot dog!

Recipe/Photography: Esther Clark, Good Food

Cucumber Salad

In the summer months, it’s really important to have refreshing bites. What is more refreshing than a cucumber salad? It’s such a simple recipe, but it’s going to quickly become a staple in my home! It’s full of fresh herbs and such a tangy dressing, that you will become obsessed with the great flavors!

Recipe/Photography: Love & Lemons

Asparagus Quiche

Quiche is such a classic picnic dish. And you know what? It’s not hard to make! I know it looks really intimidating, but it really is full of the freshest ingredients and most of the work is just the baking in the oven. Swap out the asparagus for any vegetable of your choice, if you aren’t an asparagus fan! You will want this on your picnic table!

Recipe/Photography: Becky Luigart- Stayner, Country Living

Couscous Salad

It’s nearly unheard of to not like couscous! It’s such a good base for a salad, too! This is another quick recipe you can whip up right before you leave and it stores well in the fridge for leftovers, as well. It’s so bright and colorful for summer and the fresh veggies make it that much better! I think this is a great alternative to pasta salads and it really makes a favorable side dish.

Recipe/Photography: Spend with Pennies

Chive Potato Salad

Potato salad is an essential, yet classic dish to have at get-togethers. You know me, I love a twist on a classic dish! The chives add such a great flavor to this recipe, which is already perfection! I do love that it’s not covered in a ton of mayo.

Recipe/Photography: Brian Woodcock, Country Living

Pineapple Salsa

Can you have a picnic lunch without salsa? I don’t think so! This pineapple salsa recipe is incredibly flavorful and refreshing! I love adding in fruits that contain a bunch of water to help with hydration in the warm weather. You can dip chips, pita or veggies in this!

Recipe/Photography: Love & Lemons

Lime Honey Fruit Salad

Fresh fruit is one of the best parts of picnics and summertime in general. I love that there’s a fun twist on a classic fruit salad! It’s more than just chopping fruit and putting it in a bowl, there’s almost a sauce that you make to toss it in. Fresh lime and decadent honey will do a lot for some fruit!

Recipe/Photography: Taste of Home

Cowboy Caviar

This is a huge TikTok snack that is beyond viral. And for good reason, it’s delicious! What I love about this is that it is easily amendable. Add in or take out what you want and customize it to your taste buds! I need to know who has tried this yet so we can obsess over it! It’s also really easily transportable for a picnic!

Recipe/Photography: Lena Abraham, Parker Feierbach, Delish

Herbed Feta Dip

How amazing does this look?! The vegetables look so fresh and the best part is that it’s so easy to make! This is definitely a recipe that can be saved for the next party you are hosting or attending. Really, anything with Feta cheese sounds great to me! I think this is such a unique dip!

Recipe/Photography: Taste of Home

Black and White Cookies

A classic NYC cookie, it must not be forgotten for picnics! I always thought they were difficult to make and I’m excited to tell you, they are more than doable! And I think this is something your kids will like to help bake, as well. Once we nail this recipe, we won’t need to run out to find them on the weekends! My mouth is watering just looking at this sweet treat!

Recipe/Photography: Preppy Kitchen

Raspberry Crumb Bars

I see a lot of crumb cake or fruit dump cake recipes on the internet, but these seem like the best option for a picnic! They can be cut and wrapped into individual servings to make them easier to pass around. I’m sure you could swap out the fruit for any of your choice, but raspberry sounds delicious to me! Grab a picnic blanket and bring these to your next picnic!

Recipe/Photography: Brian Woodcock, Country Living

Rainbow Gelatin Cubes

How fun are these?! They’re cool for the summer and I think it’s safe to say you’ll impress everyone at your picnic when you roll up with these. My kids are going to have a blast making these with me! It’s so much more fun than just making a traditional jello cup.

Recipe/Photography: Taste of Home

Frosted Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Ricotta cookies are a delicacy that I sometimes forget about. These are such a light, delicious dessert for the summers! The icing on them makes them that much better and adds the perfect amount of sweetness. I’m keeping this recipe on hand, from now on!