59 Picnic Food Ideas for Lazy Meals in the Sun
Whether you’re plotting a casual park hang or an elaborate outdoor feast, successful picnic food ideas have a few things in common: Whatever you bring needs to be portable, shareable, and taste just as good—if not better—after sitting in a cooler or basket. Recipes should be easy to scale up or down depending on the size of the crowd and unfussy enough to eat standing up, sitting down, or sprawled across the grass.
We realize that’s a lot of “shoulds.” Fortunately, many crowd-pleasing dishes meet these criteria. Our favorite picnic foods span from crusty sandwiches to crunchy salads and slaws, creamy dips aplenty, and cookies that no one would dare to pass up. Bookmark your favorites, grab a basket, and head out into the great outdoors.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Styling by Joseph De Leo1/59Classic Deviled Eggs
Proof that some picnic food ideas never go out of style, this 2002 Gourmet recipe hits every time. Good deviled eggs—hard-boiled eggs with the classic accompaniments of Dijon, mayo, and chives—are era-less.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Hampton3/59Chickpea Salad Sandwich With Creamy Carrot-Radish Slaw
Protein-packed pantry staple canned chickpeas headline this vegetarian riff on chicken salad. Pack the buns separately in your picnic basket to assemble the sandwiches in the wild. Fruit salad on the side is a must.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Bill Clark5/59Mississippi Corn Pudding
Variations on this popular side dish abound across Appalachia and other parts of the American South. This version features fresh corn and celery, melted cheddar cheese, and buttery crackers on top.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich6/59Garlicky Instant Ramen Noodle Salad With Grilled Chicken Thighs
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova8/59Caprese Salad
The classic combo of fresh tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and aromatic basil needs no introduction—and very little adornment. A drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper is all it takes.
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich9/59Blondies
This blondie recipe is one of the sweetest and most satisfying ways to end a picnic. We love the toasted pecans in the batter, but you can use walnuts or even a mix.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell12/59Massaged Kale With Tomatoes, Creamed Mozzarella, and Wild Rice
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell13/593-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
If your picnic crowd includes dairy- or gluten-free friends, this easy peanut butter cookie recipe works for everyone. Sprinkling sea salt over the top takes them to the next level.
