Favorite Picnic Party Recipes
Easy Cream Cheese Tart [1]
Refrigerated piecrust gives you a head start on this smooth, rich party dessert. Serve with your choice of fruit preserves, sweetened whipped cream or fresh fruit slices as a summertime treat.
Crostini Appetizers [5]
Toppers for these savory appetizers start with purchased pesto and canned beans for one flavor and your choice of purchased olives for the other. Spread on lightly toasted, sliced baguette-style French bread.
Chateau Chicken Sandwiches [9]
Serve grilled chicken on a warm toasted roll with a sauce made of apple jelly or hot pepper jelly, chili sauce, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and chili powder. Cheese, bacon and tomato slices complete the hearty sandwich.
Chocolate Cherry Mini Cheesecakes [13]
Vanilla wafers make instant crusts for these individual cheesecakes. A fruity dessert wine pairs well with this treat. Or serve the cheesecakes with an ice wine.
Almond Brie [17]
Grilled or baked Brie turns truly spectacular when topped with orange marmalade and sprinkled with almonds, hazelnuts or pecans. Serve with fruit, French bread and assorted crackers. For best results, prepare this recipe with aged Brie, which has a softer texture than younger cheese.
Almond Brie [18]
Chilled Tomato-Bean Soup [21]
We created this herbed soup as an appetizer or first course. Canned ingredients help it go together quickly, but chopped cucumber, sliced green onions and snipped parsley give it fresh flavor.
Double Chocolate Biscotti [25]
Cocoa powder and chocolate chips blend in these crunchy, twice-baked Italian cookies. They're perfect for dipping into a cup of coffee or a glass of sweet wine.
Tangy Citrus Lemonade [29]
Mix honey with fresh lemon and lime juice, then add fresh or frozen raspberries for this party-perfect lemonade.
Shrimp Marinated with Artichokes and Tomatoes [33]
Buy already peeled and cooked shrimp for this refreshing recipe. Juicy tomatoes and snipped basil add fresh summer flavor.
Pancetta-Feta Red Cabbage [37]
Ultra-thin Italian bacon (pancetta), along with feta or blue cheese, bumps up the flavor in this multicolor veggie side dish.
For another great picnic side dish, try Rigatoni Vegetable Salad, a combination of rigatoni, cauliflower, broccoli, cheese, olives and carrots. You can use purchased salad dressing and packaged fresh vegetable florets to shortcut the recipe.
Picnic wine [42]
Picnic wines should be light and refreshing, wine experts say. Good choices include:
-- Prosecco. This goes-with-anything Italian sparkler is crisp, fresh, lightly tart and a little dry.
-- Pinot Gris. Good with light meals, this wine (also called Pinot Grigio) has a light citrus flavor.
-- Dry Sauvignon Blanc or Blanc Fume. This is the best wine for a variety of foods.
-- Chenin Blanc. Fruity and refreshing, it's perfect for a light lunch or by itself.
-- Riesling. Serve this clean, fruity wine with fish, chicken, turkey or sausage.
-- Gewurztraminer. Spicy and aromatic, it goes with roast pork, ribs and cheese.
Worth bringing [45]
Guests will enjoy nibbling on an assortment of olives, cheese, fruit and breads at your special event. Our suggestions:
Olives: You'll find California Mission and Sevillano olives at most supermarkets, as well as some options from outside the United States, to create an olive sampler.
Cheese: Want to keep to the Italian theme? Choose Parmigiano-Reggiano and shave off pieces to eat alone or with bread or crackers. Or try Asiago, Bel Paese, fontina, Gorgonzola or a wedge of mild fresh mozzarella. Cheese travels best to your destination chilled in a cooler.
Breads: Try crusty loaves of French bread, Italian bread, focaccia, slim baguettes, crunchy crackers or rye party bread.
Butter or olive oil: Serve with your sliced French bread, Italian bread or baguettes. Extra virgin olive oil is considered finest quality. Bring pepper to grind into oil, sprinkle with grated cheese, then dip in bread. Keep butter chilled.