50 Classic Picnic Food Ideas for Your Next Outdoor Gathering
Sunny days, blue skies, and a gentle breeze make for perfect picnic weather—there is nothing like a hike in the country and an outdoor meal of your favorite picnic foods. Ditch the dining room this season and take it outside. Our best food picnic ideas will help you enjoy every minute of these glorious days.
Paired with a soft blanket and a patch of green grass, these easy and impressive picnic recipes will enliven any outdoor event. Similar to hosting a tailgate, a hostess needs to think about portability and casual charm for picnic food ideas. To minimize pre-party prep and stress—and maximize praise from your picnic guests—try these delicious, make-ahead recipes, including Mini Tomato Sandwiches With Bacon Mayonnaise and Chicken Pot Pie Hand Pies. Check out thrift stores or antique shops for not-so-perfect wicker baskets, hand-me-down vintage blankets, and charming quilts to help you set up a perfect picnic. These picnic recipes are both portable and casual, making for the perfect picnic menu. Armed with these recipes, you are sure to pull together a memorable movable feast.
Picnic Egg Salad
Recipe: Picnic Egg Salad
It's all the name! This simple, old-school egg salad recipe will fit right in on your picnic spread, whether you put it between two slices of bread or spread it on toasted baguette slices.
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Smoky Snack Mix
Recipe: Smoky Snack Mix
Go ahead and double this addicting recipe—it won't last long.
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Spicy Pineapple Slaw
Recipe: Spicy Pineapple Slaw
This vibrant slaw recipe will kick your picnic game way up.
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Blackberry-Peach Cobbler Bars
Recipe: Blackberry-Peach Cobbler Bars
This delicious recipe has everything you love about a summery fruit cobbler in grab-and-go form that's perfect for picnics.
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Southern-Style Potato Salad
Recipe: Southern-Style Potato Salad
This Southern classic is always a welcome sight at a picnic.
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Mini Muffulettas
Recipe: Mini Muffulettas
This tiny take on the muffuletta sandwich can be made a day in advance so you don't waste any daylight on the day of your picnic.
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No-Bake Granola Bars
Recipe: No-Bake Granola Bars
These healthy homemade granola bars will keep everyone full throughout the day, and there are three flavor options to satisfy every family member.
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Tomato Sandwiches
Recipe: Tomato Tea Sandwiches
This new spin on a classic tomato sandwich features our all-time favorite Summer Sauce.
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Field Pea and Pasta Salad
Recipe: Field Pea and Pasta Salad
Mini glass jars make for easy and adorable toting for this summery pasta salad recipe.
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Chicken Caesar Salad Sandwiches
Recipe: Chicken Caesar Salad Sandwiches
This easy sandwich recipe makes the most of that rotisserie chicken you have in the fridge.
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Classic Pimiento Cheese
Recipe: Basic Pimiento Cheese
Throw a Tupperware container full of pimiento cheese and an assortment of crackers into your basket, and you're good to go. You could always make easy-to-tote sandwiches with this favorite spread, too.
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Fresh Fruit Salad
Recipe: Fresh Fruit Salad
Fresh fruit is always welcome at our picnics. Bring skewers or toothpicks for utensil-free serving.
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Crunchy Pecan Pie Bites
Recipe: Crunchy Pecan Pie Bites
To round out your picnic with a bite of something sweet, toss a few of these easy pecan pie bites into a Mason jar.
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Lemonade Iced Tea
Recipe: Lemonade Iced Tea
Our riff on a classic Arnold Palmer is refreshing for hot summer days.
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Turkey, Apple, and Brie Sandwich
Recipe: Turkey, Apple, and Brie Sandwich
Crunchy apple and nutty, creamy brie are a perfect match with sliced turkey for a sandwich that's anything but boring.
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Egg Salad Sandwiches
Recipe: Egg Salad Sandwiches
Egg salad is a potluck favorite, so we made it picnic accessible in Masters-style tea sandwiches.
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Cheddar Cheese Straws
Recipe: Cheddar Cheese Straws
Cheese straws are an all-time favorite Southern snack for parties, hostess gifts, and any occasion that might arise because they're so easy to toss in a tin and take with you.
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Dianne's Southwestern Cornbread Salad
Recipe: Dianne's Southwestern Cornbread Salad
Remember cold layered salads? We never forgot about them! These vintage recipes are so easy to package and take on a picnic.
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Cheese Puffs with Ham Salad
Recipe: Cheese Puffs with Ham Salad
This old-school recipe is delicious, nostalgic, and easy to pack and take in zip-top plastic bags for a satisfying lunch at the park.
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Chewy Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bars
Recipe: Chewy Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bars
You can still enjoy a bite-size picnic dessert when it's too hot to turn the oven on. These no-bake bars fit the bill perfectly.
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Sweet Potato Chips
Recipe: Sweet Potato Chips
If you want to go all-out on homemade, try out this simple chip recipe that's so much better than bagged.
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Barbecue-Peach Summer Rolls
Recipe: Barbecue-Peach Summer Rolls
Showcase fresh summer peaches with this healthy handheld recipe.
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Golden Corn Fritters
Recipe: Golden Corn Fritters
These crispy poppers will be all gone long before the picnic is over.
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Mini Tomato Sandwiches With Bacon Mayonnaise
Recipe: Mini Tomato Sandwiches With Bacon Mayonnaise
This bite-size spin on a classic BLT will become a new favorite.
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Permanent Slaw
Recipe: Permanent Slaw
This simple slaw recipe was meant to be made ahead, so you don't have to worry about it when you're trying to pack up and go.
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Oatmeal-Caramel Cream Pies
Recipe: Oatmeal-Caramel Cream Pies
This childhood favorite is perfect for carrying along on a breezy afternoon picnic.
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Muddy Buddy Mix
Recipe: Muddy Buddy Mix
Whip up this addicting snack in just a few minutes.
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Salmon Bagel Sandwiches
Recipe: Salmon Bagel Sandwiches
The bright, tender salmon that stars in this recipe is made with the help of your slow cooker.
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Fire Crackers
Recipe: Fire Crackers
This Southern favorite starts with a sleeve of saltines from the pantry.
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Bacon-Ranch Pasta Salad
Recipe: Bacon-Ranch Pasta Salad
Bacon and ranch are a match made in side-dish heaven.
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Apple Chips
Recipe: Apple Chips
You'll leave store-bought bags behind once you try these healthy homemade chips.
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Greek Grilled Chicken Pita
Recipe: Greek Grilled Chicken Pita
Make your picnic lunch more fun than usual turkey sandwiches with this easy and fresh pita recipe.
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Blackberry-Oat Crumble Bars
Recipe: Blackberry-Oat Crumble Bars
If blackberry cobbler is your favorite Southern treat, you have to make these portable bars.
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Chicken and Fontina Panini
Recipe: Chicken and Fontina Panini
This simple but tasty sandwich makes the most of store-bought pesto and rotisserie chicken.
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Salted Caramel-Apple Hand Pies
Recipe: Salted Caramel-Apple Hand Pies
These mini desserts let you enjoy your favorite apple pie to-go.
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Ranch Snacker Crackers
Recipe: Ranch Snacker Crackers
If you can't get enough of ranch dressing, this simple snack will be your new favorite.
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Red Potato Salad
Recipe: Red Potato Salad
This potato salad is perfect for picnics because it tastes just as good at room temp as it does warm.
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Crispy Cheese Wafers
Recipe: Crispy Cheese Wafers
Make your picnic a snack lunch featuring these homemade cheese crackers.
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Raspberry Crumble Bars
Recipe: Raspberry Crumble Bars
Fresh or frozen raspberries will work for these bars that are both gooey and crunchy.
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Smoky Chicken Panini with Basil Mayo
Recipe: Smoky Chicken Panini with Basil Mayo
This panini recipe calls for freshly grilled chicken, but you could use the rotisserie chicken from the fridge to save time.
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Sweet and Salty Snack Mix
Recipe: Sweet and Salty Snack Mix
Your family will beg you to make this snack mix all the time.
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Puppy Chow Snack Mix
Recipe: Puppy Chow Snack Mix
This classic snack mix will be a forever-favorite.
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Bacon Bites
Recipe: Bacon Bites
You can't stop going back for more once you try this two-ingredient snack.
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Italian Beef Sandwiches
Recipe: Italian Beef Sandwiches
These savory sandwiches start in the slow cooker so hands-on time is minimal.
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Classic Macaroni Salad with Ham
Recipe: Classic Macaroni Salad with Ham
This make-ahead dish is reminiscent of the cold layered pasta salads of our childhoods.
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Chicken Pot Pie Hand Pies
Recipe: Chicken Pot Pie Hand Pies
We love chicken pot pie so much that we found a way to make it totally portable.
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Turkey Salad
Recipe: Turkey Salad
Whether you make the classic version or try one of our twists—Golden Curry Turkey Salad, Pickle-and-Dill Turkey Salad, or Fruit-and-Nut Turkey Salad.
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Fried Chicken Sliders with Pimiento Cheese
Recipe: Fried Chicken Sliders with Pimiento Cheese
Two Southern favorites—fried chicken and pimiento cheese—meet in these mini sandwiches that everyone will love.
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Blueberry-Lavender Hand Pies
Recipe: Blueberry-Lavender Hand Pies
A touch of lavender brings a floral note to these portable pies.
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Tuna Pasta Salad
Recipe: Tuna Pasta Salad
We gave Mama's vintage tuna pasta salad a modern makeover with this fresh recipe that's delicious chilled or at room temperature.