Picnicking is often a casual affair, but sometimes it’s no picnic organising one! To make your next picnic as relaxed as a summer breeze, follow these storage tips and make a few of these delicious recipes before your alfresco outing.
Storing your sweet and savoury treats
- Pre-portion: Pre-cut your fruits, vegies and baked goods to minimise the amount of food handling you do in the heat. Cut and package the food just before you go on your picnic.
- Keep it ice-cold: An Esky or cooler compartment in your picnic basket is a must for items that need to stay cold. The ‘danger zone’ for food is between 5˚C and 60˚C; that’s when food poisoning bacteria grows rapidly. If your food is left in the danger zone for more than four hours, it’s not safe to consume.
- Divide and conquer: Use plastic gloves, separate containers and tongs, and lots of hand-washing to make sure meats, cheeses and vegies don’t contaminate each other. This is especially important if someone has food allergies or dietary requirements.
Make sure to follow the advice from your state food authority, or check out CSIRO’s tips for safe picnicking.
Use foodie shortcuts
Nothing beats making everything from scratch, but that takes a lot of effort. Pair your homemade sandwiches with store-bought coleslaw and packaged fruit boxes for quicker prep. Or bake easy-to-transport desserts – think cookies, brownies and slices – and then buy enough cheeses, meats and pickled goods to create an antipasto board.
Picnic essentials to pack
With a little bit of planning and the right sort of gear, you’ll be on your way to a memorable (and comfortable!) get-together. Make sure to pack the following:
- Paper towel or napkins
- A bag for rubbish
- Cutlery and plates
- Cups
- Water
- Ice packs to keep food chilled
- Cutting board
- Knife, either with a cover or wrapped in a tea towel for safety
- Containers for leftover food
- Insect repellent and sunscreen
The best recipes for picnics and outdoor gatherings
Quiche is already a fancy way to serve eggs and vegies, but this elevated vegetarian quiche takes it to a whole new level! With kale and beetroot, you’ve got great fibre, while the rich, delicious goat’s cheese creates a delectable dish great for bringing to an outdoor lunch. Cut into individual pieces before your picnic and serve with fresh herbs on top!
Sometimes dessert doesn’t have to be heavy like a rich and dense mud cake. This platter of fruit salad drizzled in vanilla lime syrup is light and will go down a treat with even the kids. Chop everything up and pour on the lime syrup once you get to your picnic spot for the ultimate refreshing snack.
If you’re a fan of apples, raspberries, chocolate and cake, then this is the dessert for you! A crumble slice is ideal for picnics – it’s not meant to look perfect and tastes delicious on a warm day.
Making your own flatbread pizzas sounds like a hard task, but in reality, it only takes a couple of minutes! After rolling out your dough, you’ve got your pick of toppings, whether that’s leftover veggies, cold cuts or a kitchen sink of every ingredient you love. This recipe is ideal for a picnic in the garden or an alfresco dinner.
Looking for the perfect summer sandwich recipe? These sweet, salty and fresh prosciutto, pesto and peach sandwiches are bursting with summer flavours with every bite. And with a generous layer of homemade chilli honey ricotta, you’ll be licking your fingers (and the bowl) before the kids ask, “What’s for lunch?”
Looking for the perfect fluffy, crispy and flavour-packed focaccia recipe? Introducing our mouth-watering roasted garlic and cherry no-knead focaccia. Perfect for baking up the night before a day out at the beach. All it takes is some time, patience and very little effort!
Bring this large roast pumpkin quiche to your next family gathering in the park. With spinach, feta and cubes of Kent pumpkin, you can serve this quiche hot or cold, and everyone will love you for it.
Feeling nostalgic? Try out these honey jumble treats, which will take you right back to your childhood. With an orange blossom-scented buttercream, this dessert is the perfect summer sweet treat!
Top up your dough with all the in-season veg and perfect spring pairings, like ricotta, mortadella and tarragon. It’s a match made in heaven. These spring pizzas are perfect for making with the kids, or for when you’ve got friends over who love a hands-on dinner. Cook in your pizza oven or barbecue, serve up on the patio or deck and enjoy the outdoors!
Warm, spiced, and irresistibly crumbly, this apple streusel cake is everything you want in a cosy bake. With layers of tender apple, rich brown butter, and a golden streusel topping, it’s the perfect treat for afternoon tea in the sunshine.
Summer entertaining doesn’t mean you have to make a three-course meal for your guests. If anything, it’s way too hot to do that! Instead, these barbecue flatbreads are the perfect lazy yet elevated dinner. Throw it on the barbie, and all the hard cooking is done and dusted! Top with seasonal peaches, salty prosciutto, and of course, some form of mozzarella (we used bocconcini) for an alfresco meal that looks, and is, effortless.
Whether you need finger sandwiches for the lunch box, high tea or a picnic by the sea, we have three delicious fillings for you to choose from that are traditional, but with a little flair. From curried egg to chicken Waldorf and Reuben stacks, there’s something everyone will love.
Traditional quiche Lorraine
Quiche Lorraine is the perfect French dish to serve on a hot spring or summer’s day. With cream, bacon and lots of egg, this recipe is as traditional as it gets (apart from the added cheese, of course!). Serve cold and already sliced for your day in the park – make sure you’ve got enough ice packs to keep it cool!
Melt-and-mix your way to dessert bliss with this easy hedgehog slice recipe—an old-school favourite made with crushed Scotch Finger biscuits and a rich chocolate filling. No baking required, just a few pantry staples and a bit of chill time in the fridge. Place in a biscuit container and keep cool until you’re ready to serve it up on a picnic blanket.
This Aussie classic is a fundamental recipe that should be kept up your sleeve at all times. From a weekend brunch to a casual dinner party – barbecues included – or picnic in the park, a zucchini slice is easy to make, and quick to be consumed!
You don’t need an excuse to indulge in a finger bun. Generously coated in pink icing and sprinkled with either coconut or hundreds and thousands (the choice is yours), finger buns are a classic Aussie treat that never misses the mark.
Quiche Lorraines were the perfect after-school snack back then, and it is just as perfect now. This recipe makes six perfect little eggy morsels, the ideal amount for a picnic with little kids. Take to your next park party, and double the recipe if more are joining!
The exquisite fluffiness of ricotta makes it the perfect ingredient for savoury and sweet dishes. Make this ahead of time for your picnic, pre slice it and watch the compliments roll in.
Lemon tea cake is, of course, the perfect tea-time cake! If sweet treats are your go-to for picnicking, this tea cake is satisfying without being too heavy. Swap out lemon for orange for a more sour, in-depth flavour profile.
Throwing a fancy and oh-so-elegant gathering with friends doesn’t need to be difficult. These little smoked salmon and herb rosti are simple to create and look super impressive.
The wonderful strawberry slice gets a revamp with tropical-tasting coconut. Bake it for friends or just whip up and enjoy a piece yourself – the recipe is so easy!
Afternoon tea isn’t complete without something mini and cute – and these fruit tarts fit the bill perfectly! Choose your favourite fruit (or whatever is in season), and get ready for the most adorable little treat you’ve ever seen.
Easy-to-eat snacks and bite-sized foods are ideal for picnics and outdoor gatherings. This includes:
– Individual sandwiches and wraps
– Pre-cut desserts, like tea cakes, slices and tarts
– Quiche, sausage rolls and savoury pastries
– Fresh fruit, either on skewers or in a fruit salad
– Cheese, cured meats and bread (provided they can be stored at a cool temperature)
– Cookies, brownies and homemade biscuits
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