Frugal and Easy Picnic Recipes

Home >> Frugal Recipes >> Frugal and Easy Picnic Recipes

Spontaneous picnics with my kids have always been one of my favorite summertime activities with them.

From picking up some donuts and milk and having a snack by the lake in the midst of running errands, to packing a full picnic lunch in our giant picnic basket, and making a day of it at our state park, picnics have always been a family favorite for us.

These easy picnic recipes have never failed us because they're quick to put together; I usually have the ingredients handy, and the kids love them.

Use our easy picnic recipes as a starting point and get creative with your own special touches. Use simple foods that your kids love and give them a twist. Add a simple dip or combine two everyday foods (check out the cookies and cream brownies) to make one extra special treat without putting in extra effort.

Easy Picnic Foods

Here are some fun picnic sandwich ideas that go beyond peanut butter and jelly (except for the actual PB&J idea) but still stay within your budget.

• Pita Pockets: Better than your ordinary sandwich, pack some pita pockets, already sliced in half and ready to be filled. Bring along lunch meats, like turkey, ham, salami, and bologna cut in strips. Add shredded cheese and lettuce so little hands can stuff their own sandwich pockets.

Or...make up a batch of FFM's easy tuna salad to stuff the pitas with.

• PB&J Picnicky Style: My son loves PB&J in its purest form, so to make it special for a picnic I just make the sandwiches as usual then cut them into fun shapes with cookie cutters. The larger the better, but even small cookie cutters make PB&J finger sandwiches. Put these in a disposable storage container and pop them in the basket.
• Picnic Wraps Sounds fancy but it's actually a good way to polish off leftovers. Use roast chicken, turkey or even beef, shredding or cutting it in slices making sure to discard any fat. These are going to be cold sandwiches. Pack some tortilla wraps along with some cheesy herb garlic spread, and let everyone make their own "gourmet" wraps at your next family picnic.

These picnic salads come together fairly easily and are great in the picnic basket, or at the backyard cookout. It's a good idea to pack these together in one section of your picnic basket with an ice pack on top of them so they stay cool and fresh tasting.

Top


Red White and Blue Potato Salad

I first purchased this salad from the deli at my local grocery store. We all loved it but it was EXPENSIVE, so I decided to try and duplicate it, or at least make up my own version. We like this one too.

You will need:

• 2 1/2 lbs red and white potatoes
• 3/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup Marie's or Marzetti's blue cheese dressing
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 2 Tbl dried parsley
• 2 Tbl genuine bacon bits (optional)
• 1/3 tsp celery salt
• 1/3 tsp garlic powder
• Cracked black pepper to taste

You can also add 2/3 cup finely chopped celery to this to give it some crunch. I don't because my family isn't very fond of celery.

Clean and chop the potatoes. The white ones will need to be peeled and rough chopped into cubes. The red can just be washed and cut in half or quarters depending on how big they are. Cook the potatoes until fork tender.

Carefully fold all the other ingredients into the potatoes combining well. Season to taste and chill for at least an hour before serving.

One of my favorite easy picnic recipes because it travels well and everyone loves it.

Top


Broccoli Haters Broccoli Salad

Sweet and salty, this salad uses gently cooked broccoli (blanched) which makes it much more agreeable to kids taste buds, (and some adult digestive systems).

You will need:

• 5 cups broccoli florets, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup raisins (you can use 1/4 cup dark and 1/4 cup golden to make it more interesting for the kids
• 1 cup mayo
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup diced red onion (white is fine too)
• 2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbs sugar
• 5 Tbs genuine bacon bits
1. Fill a medium to large pot with water about three-quarters of the way full. Bring to a boil.
2. While you're waiting for the water to boil fill a large bowl with ice and cold water.
3. Add the broccoli to the boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Drain quickly and plunge into ice water. This stops the cooking process abruptly.
4. Drain and transfer to a large salad bowl. Add the raisins, slivered almonds, cheese, and onions.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, vinegar and sugar. Pour over broccoli and combine.
6. Mix in half of the bacon. Sprinkle the rest of the bacon over the top of the salad just before serving.
Top


Creamy Ranch Pasta Salad

Whenever easy picnic recipes include ranch dressing, chances are the kids will be happy. This picnic recipe is super fast to put together because you can use frozen thawed, or cooked veggies.

You will need:
• 1lb box of spiral pasta (we use the tri-colored)
• 1 cup deli turkey cut into strips
• 4 cups mixed veggies (we use the frozen spanish blend, broccoli, red peppers, onions) about 2 bags
• 2 cups of your favorite ranch dressing
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Salt and pepper to taste. Chill well before serving.

Top


Cheesy Herb Garlic Spread

A great alternative to mayo for sandwiches. Made with Neufchatel cheese, which is basically low fat cream cheese, this holds up well for a picnic. It can also be used as a dip for raw veggies or as a spread on crackers.

You will need:

• 1 package of Neufchatel cheese (you find this right next to the cream cheese in the grocery store)
• 1 heaping Tbs dried parsely
• 1 Tbs garlic powder

Let the cheese get to room temperature so it's soft enough to mix. Stir in the parsley and garlic and blend well. Chill and use as a spread, or dip.

Here are two very easy picnic recipes for desserts on the go. Very simple but made special just by combining some simple foods.

Top


Cookies and Cream Brownies

Very yummy. Very easy. Very cheap. (use generic sandwich cookies)

You will need:

• 1 box of chocolate brownie mix
• 6 chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreo-like cookies)

Put the cookies in a zippered baggie and break them up into pieces.

Prepare the brownie mix per the instructions on the box then mix in the crumbled cookies. Don't over mix.

Bake according to the instructions.

Let these cool thoroughly then cut and wrap for your picnic.

Top


Picnic Cupcakes

Cupcakes are fun and portable but for a picnic the frosting can be a bit messy. But a cupcake with no frosting is no fun....unless you put the fun inside the cupcake. Of course, these have to be baked ahead of time, but as one of the easy picnic recipes it's worth it.

You will need:

• 1 box of cake mix
• cupcake liners
• 1 bag of bite sized candy bars-- Snickers are a favorite, but Milky Way, Three Musketeers, or anything with chocolate works, just make sure they are the "bite sized". Snack size is too big.

Prepare the cake mix according to the instructions.

Fill each cupcake liner about a third of the way. Put one candy bar in the center of each cupcake then pour the remaining batter over the candy.

Bake the cupcakes according to the instructions then let them cool completely. Do not frost the ones that you intend to take on your picnic.

When the kids bite into the cupcakes they'll find the chocolately surprise.

Just in case you just can't bring yourself to leave those cupcake tops "naked", try a few of these simple cupcake decorating ideas.

TIP: To pack the cupcakes for your picnic use the Cup-A-Cake Single Cupcake Carrier They're compact, portable, and best of all, they'll keep the cupcakes perfect until it's time to eat!

Top



Return to Frugal Recipes from Easy Picnic Recipes
Return to Frugal Fun Home from Easy Picnic Recipes