10 Picnic Lunch Recipes

Looking for a fresh, portable lunch option? These easy picnic lunch recipes are perfect to make ahead and bring on your next adventure!

Chicken, Asparagus, Walnut and Pesto Pasta Salad

SERVES 8 – 10

1 (20-ounce) package frozen three-cheese tortellini
1 (7-ounce) container prepared refrigerator pesto
4 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1 bundle fresh asparagus, trimmed, blanched and cut into approximately 1-inch segments
1 cup good quality grated Parmesan cheese or freshly grated, divided
1/2 – 1 cup chopped toasted walnuts

1. Prepare pasta according to package.
2. Drain, toss with pesto. Cool.
3. Add chicken, asparagus and 3/4 cup of the Parmesan.
4. Stir in walnuts, cover and refrigerate or place in a cooler until ready to use.
5. Before serving, bring to room temperature (leave out 20 – 30 minutes) and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

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Late Summer Salad

Recipe courtesy Chef Bo Hamilton, Ox Kitchen, Fairhope

SALAD:
2 cups summer peas, pink eyes or similar
2 cups sweet corn, freshly removed from the cob
2 large zucchini, sliced about 1/8-inch and grilled with olive oil, salt and pepper
4 cups heirloom, cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup cooked bacon, crumbled
1 tablespoon fresh thyme

DRESSING:
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Toss salad ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk dressing ingredients. Add dressing to salad when ready to serve.

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Hummus Collard Wraps

Recipe by Theresa McCown

MAKES 16

8 large collard green leaves
1/2 cup hummus of your choice
Sriracha chili sauce, to taste
1/2 each red and yellow bell pepper, sliced in thin strips
1/2 cucumber, sliced in thin strips
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
1/2 cup slivered Kalamata olives
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. Wash collard leaves, then remove the stems and trim off the thickest part of the spine.
2. Fill a large saute pan with 1/2 inch of water and bring to a simmer. Add the collard leaves and steam for a few minutes to make them more pliable. Allow to cool completely.
3. Lay one collard leaf on a cutting board. Add 1 tablespoon of hummus to the bottom 1/3 of the leaf and drizzle with Sriracha, to taste. Top with a few slices of each of the vegetables, olives and cheese.
4. Fold the sides in towards the middle, and then roll the leaf from front to back until the filling is completely enclosed, keeping everything nice and tight. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until ready to serve.
5. Before serving, slice chilled wraps diagonally across the middle and serve cold.

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Pimento Cheese Sandwiches

Recipe by Mimi Fowlkes

MAKES 8 SANDWICHES

2 ounces or a scant 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans 
7-ounce jar diced pimentos
8 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese
8 ounces Vermont white cheddar cheese
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 sweet white onion, hand grated (measures 2 tablespoons with its juice) 
4 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon grated cayenne pepper
16 slices white bread, such as Pepperidge Farm sliced sandwich bread

Optional topping:
6 tablespoons red pepper jelly
8 pieces thinly sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled 
Chopped chives

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chopped pecans on a sheetpan and put in oven until toasted, about 10 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to toast evenly.
2. Drain pimentos over the sink using a fine colander, carefully pressing out the liquid. Place in a bowl and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, grate the cheddar cheeses using the large holes of a hand grater. 
4. Fold in cream cheese and pimentos just until combined. Do not combine pimentos with mayonnaise, they will turn mayonnaise pink. Set aside.
5. In a separate smaller bowl, combine onion with juices, mayonnaise, sugar, pecans and cayenne pepper. 
6. Fold mixture into the large bowl of cheese until combined. Retain texture, don’t overmix. 
7. Chill 4 hours or overnight.
8. When ready to serve, spread jelly-bacon mixture onto one slice of bread and pimento cheese on the other slice. Close and slice. Roll the sides in chopped pecans, if desired.

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Corn and Zucchini Orzo

SERVES 6

3 ears corn, shucked 
1 large zucchini, quartered lengthwise, or several smaller zucchini, halved lengthwise
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
kosher salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1/2 pound orzo 
1/4 cup tahini 
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice 
1/2 teaspoon chili powder 
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped cilantro, divided
1 tablespoon red onion, thinly sliced  
2 ounces feta, crumbled 

1. Light the grill. Place corn and zucchini pieces on a large plate and brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill over medium heat until charred, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool. Remove the kernels from the corncobs and chop the zucchini. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. Boil the orzo in salted water until it is al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Remove to a tray lined with paper towels to dry completely. 
3. In a large bowl, whisk the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil with the tahini, lime juice, chili powder and 1/2 cup of the cilantro. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the orzo, corn, zucchini, red onion and the remaining chopped cilantro and mix well. Transfer to a platter and top with crumbled feta, for serving.

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Antipasta Skewers

Recipe by Kathy McGuire

cheese tortellini of your choice
cherry tomatoes
Italian salad dressing of your choice
whole black or green olives
sliced salami
white cheddar cheese, cubed
bamboo skewers or large toothpicks

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Allow to cool completely.
2. Place pasta, tomatoes and salad dressing in a large zip-top bag and allow to marinate in refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight.
3. Skewer each item in the following order: olive, salami, cheddar, tortellini and tomatoes. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

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Summer Shrimp Salad Wrap

Recipe by Lucy Buffett

MAKES 1 WRAP

1 tortilla (8 or 10 inches in diameter)
5 fresh baby spinach leaves (stems picked off and rinsed)
1/4 – 1/2 fresh heirloom tomato (diced)
1/2 cup Summer Shrimp Salad, recipe below
1/2 slice thinly sliced prosciutto, sautéed for 10 seconds on each side. After prosciutto is sautéed, cut into a chiffonade.
grape tomatoes to garnish

1. Place wrap on a clean, flat surface.
2. Line spinach leaves leaving 1 inch from the left, right, and bottom edges.
3. Sprinkle tomatoes on spinach leaves.
4. Spread Summer Shrimp Salad on tomatoes and spinach.
5. Sprinkle prosciutto on Summer Shrimp Salad.
6. Starting with the left and right sides, fold tortilla over 1 inch toward the center, then start rolling from the bottom up, being sure to keep the left and right sides tucked in as you go.
7. Cut wrap in half on a diagonal with a serrated knife. Place a tomato on a 3-inch frill pick, and stick through 1 half. Repeat with the other half. Makes 1 wrap

Summer Shrimp Salad

3 pounds boiled shrimp, peeled and chopped into medium to large pieces
1 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped green onion
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon LuLu’s Crazy Creola Seasoning
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed
lemon juice

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients, stirring gently.
2. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

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Shrimp Remoulade

A classic, cold, delicious starter and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, this dish is a favorite menu special at Regina’s Kitchen.

SERVES 4 – 6

2 pounds medium-sized shrimp, boiled and peeled
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
3 tablespoons Creole mustard
3 tablespoons hot sauce (Mary Ann and Regina prefer Crystal.)
4 tablespoons capers, drained
1/2 purple onion, minced
large handful flat leaf parsley, chopped
3 ribs celery, finely chopped
fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
Creole seasoning, to taste (Mary Ann and Regina use Tony Chachere’s.) 

1. Toss all ingredients together until well combined. Refrigerate for about 3 hours before serving.

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Summer Garden Gazpacho

SERVES 4 – 6

2 pounds ripe tomatoes, halved and cored
1 small cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 medium yellow bell pepper, cored
1/2 small red onion, peeled
2 small garlic cloves, peeled
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh-cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1. Place tomatoes in a food processor. Large dice the cucumber, bell pepper and onion. Set 1/3 aside for garnish and add the rest to the food processor. Add remaining ingredients and process until desired consistency. Adjust seasoning if needed. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. 

2. Serve cold topped with diced vegetable garnish, a drizzle of olive oil and more fresh-cracked pepper. 

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Mediterranean Hummus

Recipe by Beverly Smith

SERVES 10

2 containers store-bought hummus
olive oil, to taste
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
1/2 pint pitted black olives
4 ounces crumbled feta
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped*

1. Spread hummus evenly across the bottom of a serving dish with 1-inch sides. On one diagonal half of the hummus, use the back of a spoon to create swirls. Drizzle this side with a generous amount of olive oil to taste.
2. Slice the tomatoes longways into quarters. Top the plain side of the hummus with tomatoes, olives and feta. Drizzle this half with a little more olive oil and then sprinkle with the fresh chopped parsley just before serving.
3. Serve with plain pita chips.

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Packing up your picnic? Hostess Beverly Smith shares some stylish ideas for serving perfectly-portioned meals.