When the summer is here, one of the best things to do is to have a picnic. That’s why we are giving you some delicious recipes that you can make for any picnic that your family is going to love.
Ham and Cheese Sandwiches
Sandwiches are a staple for picnics, and this one is one that your family is going to love. This sandwich has a gorgeous golden crust, an easy and quick sauce made of honey and mustard, and some pickles to provide crunch.
Makes 2 servings
Ready to cook in 5 minutes
Overall time 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 slices of sourdough bread
- 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons of honey
- 6 slices of swiss cheese
- 6 slices of ham
- 8 slices of dill pickles
Instructions
Spread mayo on one side of each bread slice. In a bowl, combine your honey and mustard.
On two of your four bread slices, spread your mustard mixture on the side opposite of your mayo. Top using three of your cheese slices and three ham slices. Add four of the pickle slices and then put the other slice on top, with the mayo side facing out.
Heat up a big skillet using medium heat. Add the sandwiches and cook them until they’re golden brown and your cheese has melted. This will be around 3 minutes on each side.
Chicken & Pasta Salad
If you are looking for something tasty that can be adapted to feed a large group at a picnic, this is the salad that you want to make. It’s perfect for hot summer days.
Makes 8 servings
Ready to cook in 10 minutes
Overall time 30 minutes
For the Salad
- 1 pound of fusilli pasta
- 1 pound (two pieces) skinless & boneless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper (freshly ground)
- 1 teaspoon of olive oil (extra virgin)
- 4 slices of bacon, cooked & crumbled
- 2 cups of grape tomatoes, cut in half
- 2 cups of packed spinach
- ½ cup of crumbled feta
- ¼ of a thinly sliced red onion
- 2 tablespoons of dill, freshly chopped
For the Dressing
- ¼ cup of olive oil, extra virgin
- 3 tablespoons of vinegar red wine
- ½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning
- 1 clove of minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper, freshly ground
Instructions
In a big pot of boiling, salted water, cook your fusilli based on the directions on the package until it’s al dente. Drain the pasta and transfer it into a large bowl.
Season your chicken breasts using the garlic powder, pepper and salt. Heat up a big skillet over a medium heat setting, heat your oil. Then cook your chicken until it’s cooked through and golden brown, around 8 minutes on each side. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes. Then cut the chicken up into pieces of 1”.
While you’re waiting for it to rest, make the dressing. Using a medium sized bowl, mix the oil, Italian seasoning, mustard, vinegar and garlic with a whisk. Season it using pepper and salt.
In your bowl that contains the pasta, toss the ingredients that remain together. Pour the dressing over your salad, toss it until it’s coated, then serve.
Fruit never gets the attention it deserves at parties. This super simple dip will change all of that. It's so easy to whip together, can be made ahead of time, and is easy to transport. Honestly, it's perfect. Add a dollop on top of a fruit salad for an amazing treat!
Fruit Dip
One thing about summer is the amazing fruit that you can get fresh from farmer’s markets and your grocery store. That’s why no picnic is complete without a tasty fruit dip.
Makes 12 servings
Time to prep it 5 minutes
Overall time 65 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 8 ounce softened blocks of cream cheese
- 1 7.5 ounce jar of marshmallow crème
- 3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed orange juice
- Assorted fresh fruit
In a big bowl beat the marshmallow crème and cream cheese together with your hand mixer until there’s no lumps. Stir in your orange juice. Refrigerate the dip for at least an hour and serve it with fruit.
Mediterranean Chicken Salad
Full of tomatoes, avocado and cucumbers, this delicious salad is full of summer goodness. If you don’t eat meat and have a vegetarian diet, you can substitute some eggs you’ve hard boiled for the chicken.
Makes 4 servings
Time to prep it 5 minutes
Overall time 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 chicken breasts – skinless and boneless – around 1.25 pounds
- 1 teaspoon coriander (ground)
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper (fresh ground)
- 5 tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin)
- 4 teaspoons vinegar (red wine)
- 1 tablespoon parsley (freshly chopped)
- 4 chopped romaine hearts
- 3 thinly sliced Persian cucumbers
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
- 2 sliced avocados
- 4 ounces crumbled feta
- ½ cup halved and pitted kalamata olives
Directions
Heat your grill so that it’s on the medium high setting. Season your chicken using oregano, salt, coriander and pepper. Cover and grill, turning it halfway through grilling, until it’s not pink and is golden brown, around 18-22 minutes. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes and slice.
While it’s resting, make your dressing. Whisk the vinegar, parsley and olive oil in one of your small bowls and use pepper and salt to season it.
Divide your cucumbers, lettuce, avocado, feta, olives and tomatoes among 4 serving bowls. Then top with the sliced chicken before drizzling with dressing.
Egg salad is wonderful as is. But add bacon, blue cheese, avocado, and tomatoes, and you've got a lunch that you'll be dreaming about for days. The red wine vinegar–yogurt dressing is amazing and works well in regular Cobb salad, too. Our advice? Eat this over toasted sourdough or in a sandwich. Yes, it's delicious on its own, but it's SO damn good with bread.
Egg Salad – Cobb Version
If you love egg salad and you’re looking for a new way to have it, you’re going to love this version.
Makes 6 servings
Time to prep it 15 minutes
Overall time 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons of Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons of vinegar (red wine)
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper (freshly ground)
- 8 hard-boiled eggs that have been cut up into 8 pieces, and more for garnishing
- 8 strips bacon of cooked & crumbled bacon, with more to use for garnishing
- 1 thinly sliced avocado
- 1/2 cup of blue cheese crumbled, with more to use for garnishing
- 1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes cut in half plus some more for garnishing
- 2 tablespoons of chives, freshly chopped
Directions
In a little bowl, stir the yogurt, mayo and vinegar. Use pepper and salt for seasoning.
In a big bowl, mix the eggs, avocado, bacon, cherry tomatoes and blue cheese together gently. Then gradually fold in the dressing, only coating the ingredients lightly. Then use pepper and salt to season it. Use additional toppings and chives for garnish.
Take a look at what we have for sale and you’ll find a lot of different things for all the year round. Have a great summer and please check back for more blogs to make your life simpler.
