A picnic spread need not be a complicated affair. Preparing cold food items makes the menu simpler to manage. There will be less things to bring and fewer cleanups afterwards.
A favorite picnic item is sandwiches. In the not so distant past a sandwich consisted of two slices of bread with a slice of lunch meat sandwiched between them. Sandwiches have been given a facelift in the last several years.
To add variety to ordinary sandwiches, choose from different breads. Sandwiches can made from pitas, flatbreads, and tortilla wraps. Cut the bread the night before and store in an airtight container.
Buy meats from the deli counter at the supermarket. Fresh turkey breast, ham, chicken breast, and salamis are options. Place the sliced deli meats in the freezer. The morning of the picnic, take them out so they can slowly thaw and stay cold until they are ready to be eaten.
Condiments can spell trouble for picnic-goers Refrigerate mayonnaise based foods and dips until ready to head out for the picnic. To avoid having condiments bottles sitting out without refrigeration, use condiment packets like the ones available at fast food establishments.
Salads of all types are awesome cold picnic food. Macaroni or potato salad is best when served cold. If your gathering is large, investing in single serving plastic cups with lids will avoid bringing too much to the picnic. When mayonnaise based salads come to room temperature they begin to get soupy and could spoil.
Rather than a fruit salad, opt for bringing whole fruits. Fruit need not be refrigerated. It can be cleaned off before you leave the house and kept from the light in a storage container. Choose a variety: apples, peaches, oranges, plums, and etcetera. Fruit makes a nutritious dessert alternative than ice cream or candy. Plus it has natural sweetness.
Individual bags of chips and other snacks eliminate lots of hands from reaching in the same bag, dirty and clean. It also eliminates opened bags of chips that need to be transported home. This gives picnickers more variety without having to spend a fortune on snacks. It also allows everyone to choose the snacks or chips they like so everyone gets what they like most.
Nuts make a simple treat for a picnic. They need no refrigeration and can be easily transported. For easy handling by others, separate nuts into individual snack bags. Any bags that are not used can be dumped back into the can for later consumption.
Cold food options equal a convenient and simple picnic menu. There is no need to use a barbecue. The majority of foods can be packaged individually for less mess and ease of serving even with large family picnics.
---------- For more awesome ideas for the kitchen and recipes from Christine Steendahl, "The Menu Mom", check out www.themenumom.com
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