The Best Picnic Recipes For Summer

With the summer quickly on its way, it’s time to start thinking about how you can make the most of it. On days where we’re lucky enough to get some sunshine, there’s nothing better than heading outside, especially if you have some great food with you.

Picnics are a bit of a British tradition and are a fantastic way to spend some time during the summer season. Whether you’re on the beach, at the park or even huddled in your car waiting for the rain to stop, picnics allow you to enjoy a meal in a way that seems just a little bit more special.

While you can grab a meal deal from the supermarket and head to the nearest park bench, we all know that a proper picnic needs some preparation. Cooking up some tasty food in advance, packing it all up and having your picnic blanket at the ready all help to ensure you make the most of the opportunity and the weather.

To help you enjoy great picnics this summer, we’ve found some blogger recipes to try that are ideal for popping in your basket ready to eat in the sunshine.

No one wants to have to take everything including the kitchen sink on a picnic. Not only does this give you loads to carry, it means you end up having extra to wash up when you get home. This is why it’s great to have picnic foods that you can eat with your hands and that are full meals in themselves.

With this in mind, we think you’ll love this great hand pie recipe from Tinned Tomatoes. They’re really easy to make – whether you stick with the vegan ingredients or not – and are perfect both hot and cold. Whip up a batch and everyone is sure to love your picnic.

Quiche seems to be a bit of a traditional option for picnics, and while it tastes nice, it has been done a lot. However, eggs are a nice healthy and filling option that is sure to satisfy everyone while you’re out and about, so don’t skip them altogether.

For something a bit different, try this great recipe for Spanish tortilla from Hungry Healthy Happy. Another great option to eat both hot and cold, the potatoes in this dish make it more substantial than a typical omelette, while the fact it can be sliced ensures it’s easy to pack. You can also add any other ingredients you have lying around, making it a fab option for using up leftovers.

You can’t have a picnic without a sweet treat – well, you could but it wouldn’t be as good. While ice cream is the ultimate summer dessert, it’s far from practical when it comes to a picnic. You could have fruit, but a warm, sandy apple is no one’s idea of a good pudding.

Tray bakes are a great idea as they are really easy to make and pack, not to mention being delicious. Scrummy Lane’s recipe for lemon bakewell slices gives you a taste of summer that is going to be delicious whether at a picnic or when you’re stuck inside because of the rain wishing you could go out.

Everybody knows that a staple of any picnic is a sausage roll. They’re easy to eat, super tasty and perfect for both big and little kids. Rather than picking up a packet of slightly sad looking ready-made sausage rolls, why not make your own?

Avoid all the fiddly techniques associated with small sausage rolls and instead opt for this wonderfully grown up sweet chilli sausage plait from Fab Food 4 All. While you can make it in mini versions, a larger sausage option that you can slice when you reach your picnic spot is much easier to transport. Even if you don’t manage to make it look as pretty as it does on the blog, we’re sure it will have your mouth watering.