Food and Recipes Party Food and Drink 50 Classic Picnic Food Ideas for Your Next Outdoor Gathering By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on June 26, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Caitlin Bensel 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. 01 of 50 Picnic Egg Salad Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele 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. 02 of 50 Smoky Snack Mix Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Smoky Snack Mix Go ahead and double this addicting recipe—it won't last long. 03 of 50 Spicy Pineapple Slaw Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Kellie Kelley; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Recipe: Spicy Pineapple Slaw This vibrant slaw recipe will kick your picnic game way up. 04 of 50 Blackberry-Peach Cobbler Bars Hector Sanchez 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. 05 of 50 Southern-Style Potato Salad Southern Living Recipe: Southern-Style Potato Salad This Southern classic is always a welcome sight at a picnic. 06 of 50 Mini Muffulettas Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Amy Burke 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. 07 of 50 No-Bake Granola Bars Photo: Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox 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. 08 of 50 Tomato Sandwiches Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele Recipe: Tomato Tea Sandwiches This new spin on a classic tomato sandwich features our all-time favorite Summer Sauce. 09 of 50 Field Pea and Pasta Salad Photo: Kelsey Hansen; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Julia Levy Recipe: Field Pea and Pasta Salad Mini glass jars make for easy and adorable toting for this summery pasta salad recipe. 10 of 50 Chicken Caesar Salad Sandwiches Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Chicken Caesar Salad Sandwiches This easy sandwich recipe makes the most of that rotisserie chicken you have in the fridge. 11 of 50 Classic Pimiento Cheese Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox 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. 12 of 50 Fresh Fruit Salad Jen Causey Recipe: Fresh Fruit Salad Fresh fruit is always welcome at our picnics. Bring skewers or toothpicks for utensil-free serving. 13 of 50 Crunchy Pecan Pie Bites Jennifer Davick 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. 14 of 50 Lemonade Iced Tea Jennifer Davick Recipe: Lemonade Iced Tea Our riff on a classic Arnold Palmer is refreshing for hot summer days. 15 of 50 Turkey, Apple, and Brie Sandwich Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer 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. 16 of 50 Egg Salad Sandwiches Jen Causey Recipe: Egg Salad Sandwiches Egg salad is a potluck favorite, so we made it picnic accessible in Masters-style tea sandwiches. 17 of 50 Cheddar Cheese Straws Lee Harrelson 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. 18 of 50 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. 19 of 50 Cheese Puffs with Ham Salad Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Torie Cox 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. 20 of 50 Chewy Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bars Hector Manuel Sanchez 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. 21 of 50 Sweet Potato Chips Photo: Jennifer Davick 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. 22 of 50 Barbecue-Peach Summer Rolls Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Barbecue-Peach Summer Rolls Showcase fresh summer peaches with this healthy handheld recipe. 23 of 50 Golden Corn Fritters Southern Living Recipe: Golden Corn Fritters These crispy poppers will be all gone long before the picnic is over. 24 of 50 Mini Tomato Sandwiches With Bacon Mayonnaise Victor Protasio Recipe: Mini Tomato Sandwiches With Bacon Mayonnaise This bite-size spin on a classic BLT will become a new favorite. 25 of 50 Permanent Slaw Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Toni Brogan 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. 26 of 50 Oatmeal-Caramel Cream Pies Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Oatmeal-Caramel Cream Pies This childhood favorite is perfect for carrying along on a breezy afternoon picnic. 27 of 50 Muddy Buddy Mix Recipe: Muddy Buddy Mix Whip up this addicting snack in just a few minutes. 28 of 50 Salmon Bagel Sandwiches Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Recipe: Salmon Bagel Sandwiches The bright, tender salmon that stars in this recipe is made with the help of your slow cooker. 29 of 50 Fire Crackers Recipe: Fire Crackers This Southern favorite starts with a sleeve of saltines from the pantry. 30 of 50 Bacon-Ranch Pasta Salad Micah A. Leal Recipe: Bacon-Ranch Pasta Salad Bacon and ranch are a match made in side-dish heaven. 31 of 50 Apple Chips Micah A. Leal Recipe: Apple Chips You'll leave store-bought bags behind once you try these healthy homemade chips. 32 of 50 Greek Grilled Chicken Pita Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Greek Grilled Chicken Pita Make your picnic lunch more fun than usual turkey sandwiches with this easy and fresh pita recipe. 33 of 50 Blackberry-Oat Crumble Bars Photo: Helen Norman; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns Recipe: Blackberry-Oat Crumble Bars If blackberry cobbler is your favorite Southern treat, you have to make these portable bars. 34 of 50 Chicken and Fontina Panini Greg DuPree Recipe: Chicken and Fontina Panini This simple but tasty sandwich makes the most of store-bought pesto and rotisserie chicken. 35 of 50 Salted Caramel-Apple Hand Pies Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Katie Jacobs Recipe: Salted Caramel-Apple Hand Pies These mini desserts let you enjoy your favorite apple pie to-go. 36 of 50 Ranch Snacker Crackers Sheri Castle Recipe: Ranch Snacker Crackers If you can't get enough of ranch dressing, this simple snack will be your new favorite. 37 of 50 Red Potato Salad Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Red Potato Salad This potato salad is perfect for picnics because it tastes just as good at room temp as it does warm. 38 of 50 Crispy Cheese Wafers Recipe: Crispy Cheese Wafers Make your picnic a snack lunch featuring these homemade cheese crackers. 39 of 50 Raspberry Crumble Bars Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Raspberry Crumble Bars Fresh or frozen raspberries will work for these bars that are both gooey and crunchy. 40 of 50 Smoky Chicken Panini with Basil Mayo Jennifer Davick 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. 41 of 50 Sweet and Salty Snack Mix Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Katie Jacobs Recipe: Sweet and Salty Snack Mix Your family will beg you to make this snack mix all the time. 42 of 50 Puppy Chow Snack Mix bhofack2/Getty Images Recipe: Puppy Chow Snack Mix This classic snack mix will be a forever-favorite. 43 of 50 Bacon Bites Oxmoor House Recipe: Bacon Bites You can't stop going back for more once you try this two-ingredient snack. 44 of 50 Italian Beef Sandwiches Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner Recipe: Italian Beef Sandwiches These savory sandwiches start in the slow cooker so hands-on time is minimal. 45 of 50 Classic Macaroni Salad with Ham Jen Causey Recipe: Classic Macaroni Salad with Ham This make-ahead dish is reminiscent of the cold layered pasta salads of our childhoods. 46 of 50 Chicken Pot Pie Hand Pies Skyler Burt Recipe: Chicken Pot Pie Hand Pies We love chicken pot pie so much that we found a way to make it totally portable. 47 of 50 Turkey Salad Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall 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. 48 of 50 Fried Chicken Sliders with Pimiento Cheese Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Fried Chicken Sliders with Pimiento Cheese Two Southern favorites—fried chicken and pimiento cheese—meet in these mini sandwiches that everyone will love. 49 of 50 Blueberry-Lavender Hand Pies Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Blueberry-Lavender Hand Pies A touch of lavender brings a floral note to these portable pies. 50 of 50 Tuna Pasta Salad Caitlin Bensel 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. 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