We have about two months left of summer picnics, from big family reunions, to church potlucks, to just one or two at a park or the beach. Our family has a couple of picnics coming up later this month, and I was thinking about the many food options for picnicking on a budget. Of course, I thought I would turn to you friends for your suggestions. Let's swap ideas.
So, I'm looking for very budget-friendly ideas in each of the following categories:
- main dishes
- fruit and vegetable sides
- starchy sides
- desserts
- beverages
Here's my list.
main dish: non-mayo chicken salad sandwiches on buns, using leftover roasted chicken, lemon juice, dijon mustard, olive oil, celery, salt, pepper, herbs, garlic/onion powder
fruits and vegetables: watermelon slices
starchy sides: pasta salad with vegetables added, vinaigrette dressing
dessert: fruit layer bar cookies, the kind with a cookie base, a layer of fruit filling, and a topping of crumb mixture
beverages: infused water -- cucumber, mint, and melon infused water, or raspberry and basil infused water
What would you bring on a picnic while sticking to a budget?
I guess it would depend on where the picnic was and what the facilities were like. When I think about taking a picnic on a hike or to a park, I think peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, apples and carrots, and cookies. Maybe lemonade to drink, but probably water. Not very exciting, but it would be more about the outing than the food. If I were going to upgrade that a bit, I like cold fried chicken, pasta salad, veggies and humus, fruit-whatever is in season, and cookies. Those are not very imaginative, but will get the job done.
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