146 picnic recipes

Brown rice salad tossed with French dressing, water chestnuts, snow peas, mushrooms, and red bell pepper. A crunchy, make-ahead cold rice salad for potlucks and picnics.

Flaky homemade hand pies stuffed with chopped ham, tomato sauce, mustard, and a kick of horseradish. A great way to use leftover holiday ham, perfect for lunchboxes, picnics, or game day.

Variety coleslaw: light yogurt-dressed slaw with cabbage, carrot, and green pepper plus chopped apple, pineapple, or raisins. A lighter spin on creamy coleslaw for picnics and BBQs.

Cold tortellini pesto salad with julienned zucchini and carrot, cherry tomatoes, Parmesan, and toasted walnuts. A creamy mayo-based picnic pasta salad that holds up in the fridge.

Herbed potato salad with red-skinned potatoes, Dijon mustard, yogurt-mayo dressing, and plenty of scallion, dill, and parsley. A lighter picnic side that skips the heavy gloppy stuff.

No fat potato salad swaps mayo for a sweet-tangy cooked dressing made from egg substitute, sugar, and vinegar. A diet-friendly take on the picnic classic with all the texture and none of the oil.

A no-cook marinated string bean salad with mushrooms, cucumber, cauliflower, and pimentos in a tangy champagne vinegar dressing. Make ahead, fat-free, perfect for picnics and potlucks.

Stuffed rolls pack hollowed French rolls with a ground mixture of sharp cheddar, green olives, tomato sauce, and bell peppers. Retro picnic and tailgate favorite baked 45 minutes.

Noodle salad with cheese: a hearty German-style pasta salad with spiral noodles, cubed Swiss cheese, ham, and dill pickles, all dressed with a tangy mayo-ketchup-cream sauce. A picnic and potluck classic.

Tri-color rotini tossed in a creamy Dijon vinaigrette with crispy bacon, hard-boiled eggs, celery, and scallions. A make-ahead pasta salad for potlucks, picnics, and summer cookouts.

Overnight coleslaw uses a hot vinegar dressing instead of mayo, making it ideal for picnics and BBQs. Holds in the fridge for days without going soggy or weeping water.

Soy-sherry marinated broiled chicken served cold, perfect for picnics and summer gatherings. Feeds a crowd of 12 with crispy, savory skin and tender meat you can make ahead.

The citrus zest undertone of these versatile bread sticks marries well with the rosemary and molasses to produce an intriguing addition to a picnic basket or a formal dinner.

Oven-fried apple hand pies with a pizza-crust dough wrapped around a spiced dried apple filling. Easier than rolling pastry, golden in 17 minutes, ideal for lunchboxes and picnics.

Dilly beef salad with cubed cooked beef, stuffed olives, pickled onions, and green pepper in a beer and dill mayonnaise dressing. A tangy, cold meat salad for lunch or picnics.

Aunt Ro's coleslaw is a classic creamy dressing built on equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream, lifted with white vinegar, celery seed, and superfine sugar. Crisp, cool, and feeds a picnic crowd.