A family picnic dinner is a fun family outing anytime the weather allows. It is also a great solution for when your kids' sports games and practices clash with dinnertime. Bringing a picnic to the game or practice helps you plan an easy and wholesome homemade family dinner. Plus, if a treat is offered after a game or a practice, your children can enjoy it after they've eaten their dinner instead of having a sweet treat before dinner and ruining their appetite.
Here are some ideas to help you get your picnic dinners planned and packed.
The first step is to gather what you will need, and store everything together so it's ready to grab at picnic time. You can pack your picnic in a picnic basket, or a cooler with wheels is also handy. Then, stock your favorite tote bag with a picnic blanket, washable non-breakable plates, silverware, and napkins, so everything is ready to go. I also tuck in two bags, one to use as a trash bag and one for the dirty dishes. After your picnic, wash the plates and silverware at home, and put them back in the tote so they are ready for the next time.
To gather your picnic items, start by looking around your house. You may already have many of the items you need. If you don't have everything, you can find non-breakable plates, cutlery, and food containers at a dollar store or discount home goods store. Also, consider choosing a water-resistant blanket to protect you from the damp grass. One that's washable makes cleanup easy. Here are some examples on Amazon.
Next, make a list of menu ideas to plan your picnics. Keeping a list of ideas for first courses, main dishes, and third courses allows you to mix and match them to create new and exciting meals without constantly coming up with new ideas. Picking a few different courses will also offer variety and ensure there is something everyone will enjoy. Here are some ideas for first, second, and third courses that can be prepared ahead of time — many don't require any cooking.
Pesto is a fabulous dip for vegetables, and it's packed with nutrients. It is also quick to make using a mini food processor. You can freeze pesto so you have it on hand when needed.
Chilled soups like tomato and cucumber gazpacho are excellent picnic ideas that are delicious chilled or at room temperature. You can make them ahead of time and store them in the fridge in a storage container or thermos, so they are ready to serve.
Summer is a great time to make roasted tomato soup with ripe summer tomatoes. It's delicious cold, family-friendly, and it freezes well, so you can enjoy it warm in the winter too.
Chilled melon soup made with merely melon, basil, and lemon makes a refreshing summer soup and is as effortless as making a smoothie.
A first course is as simple as combining a few fresh ingredients. The classic Italian dish of sliced melon and prosciutto doesn't require any cooking and is fabulous in the heat of summer. Just pack the sliced melon and prosciutto, and this course is ready to go.
Something as simple as grapes and Gouda cheese is a delightful and wholesome first course. Kids love it. Placing them on toothpicks is lovely and useful when entertaining, but for a family picnic, just pack them in containers.
The easy-to-prepare options for picnic salads are endless. For example, fresh arugula with watermelon and lemon dressing: just pack up some arugula and chopped watermelon, along with a container of lemon dressing, and toss everything together at the picnic.
Cold roast meat is an ideal choice for summer picnics. In the south of France, this is a typical main dish idea at summer parties, and for good reason. It is satisfying, suitable for the summer heat, and can be made ahead of time so it's convenient. You can roast meats like sirloin, pork, or chicken and serve chilled as is, or with pesto, aioli, or a good Dijon mustard on the side — and have a feast! Remember this idea for summer entertaining at home too.
Savory quick breads made with cheese, vegetables, or sausage are a delightful main dish and a kid favorite. They are also convenient to make because quick breads do not need to rise. Just mix the ingredients together and bake — it's like making a savory muffin. You can make a batch or two of savory bread to freeze. Then, it's ready for your picnics when you need it.
Cold pasta salad is hands down a kids' favorite, and you can add anything to it, such as fresh basil, sausage, tomatoes, peas, ham, and Parmesan cheese. The possibilities are infinite, and these salads are simple to make. Toss cooked pasta with your choice of additions, along with a bit of olive oil, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper, and you'll have a delight.
To please everyone, pack your cooked pasta in two containers and add different ingredients to each. You don’t need much more time to do this, just a few yummy ideas.
Of course, we can't forget about classic picnic salads such as potato salad and coleslaw. To make these salads extra special and nutritious, toss them with a simple homemade vinaigrette dressing. You can make a potato salad with potatoes only or add green beans or cooked Italian or German sausage to create variations.
Have you ever thought about bringing chilled shrimp for your family picnic dinner? If everyone loves shrimp, why not? It's easy, and a delightful treat!
I discovered this dish at a friend's party, and it has been on my family menu ever since. Whipped avocado served with shrimp is a wonderful summer picnic idea. Here's the recipe.
I came up with the following idea by combining leftovers, and now it's a summer go-to: toast slices with herbed butter, cucumber, and shrimp. It’s simple to make: Mix fresh herbs and butter for your herb butter. I also like to add sea salt, some garlic, and maybe a touch of lemon juice. Spread your herbed butter on toast and top with what you like!
When you are thinking of what to pack for your picnic, remember you can pack leftovers and other ingredients you have on hand to make a few courses. Maybe you can pack some shrimp, veggies, and pesto or leftover steamed veggies and pasta tossed with olive oil to make a cold pasta salad. Pack up what you have, and everyone can choose what they want.
Are you starting to think of courses you would enjoy together? I would love leftover roast chicken and leftover steamed asparagus with an easy Dijon sauce. Or, with this next easy idea, a clafoutis.
Clafoutis is one of my favorite picnic dishes. It's like a crustless quiche, delicious warm or at room temperature, and you can put just about anything in it — ham, cheese, vegetables, chicken and asparagus, or any combination.
When you are planning your courses, remember you can easily modify them to please everyone. For example, if everyone loves the savory vegetable stew Ratatouille, you can pack up some plain Ratatouille and also some Ratatouille mixed with pasta, to give everyone a choice. I love it plain, and my kids love it with pasta. Add to that some charcuterie to offer some meat for those who care for it and a third course, and you will have a magnificent meal to please everyone.
Fruit salad makes a fabulous and healthy third course. Make your fruit salad the night before, and it's even better the following day when the fruit juices have blended. Fresh orange juice is a secret to making a fabulous fruit salad. You can also add a sprinkle of French Orange Water to create something new and exciting. Orange water is an exciting ingredient to keep in your kitchen. You can learn more about orange water here.
Clafoutis can be savory, as implied above, or sweet, and it makes a divine summer dessert. I often serve a fruit clafoutis with a light dinner to round out the meal and satisfy everyone. You can make a fruit clafoutis with in-season rhubarb, plums, pears, or berries.
Clafoutis are divine and so simple to make. They are proof that simple food can be delectable and divine, as is this next idea.
Cheese and baguette isn’t only for picnicking along the Seine River in Paris, it’s a great family picnic idea. All you need is a few slices of good after-dinner cheese and baguette, and that's it.
The perfect picnic dessert can be as easy as fresh fruit of the season. There's nothing quite like sweet cherries, juicy plums, or melon at its peak freshness.
When you want to mix things up a bit, chilled fruit soup is divine and simple to make by simmering berries for a few minutes. With fresh, flavorful ingredients and easy ideas like this, you will make the most amazing picnics.
Start planning your family picnic today. Write down what supplies you need to get, and then make your food ideas list. An easy way to list your meal ideas is to begin with three columns on a piece of paper and label them First Course, Second Course, and Third Course. Then, write down all of your ideas. If you need some more inspiration, you can search for ideas based on the ingredients your family likes. For example, if everyone loves cucumbers, Google "What to make with cucumbers." You will find suggestions for cold cucumber salads and chilled cucumber soups. When I didn't have many first course options, I found that sliced cucumber with olive oil, sea salt, and fresh dill or basil is divine, and you can pack this in a picnic.
Remember, your delicious ideas can be very simple and require little or no cooking.
Once you have a few ideas, you can mix and match them to create different menus, and your picnics will always be exciting. Investing a bit of time up front will pay you back for years to come.
Everything is possible! I hope this post sparks your own delicious ideas for your next dinner al fresco. Be a trendsetter this summer, and have fun sharing your ideas with envious onlookers at your next ball game.
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