Find these lunch ideas, using our easy picnic recipes...
a great base to start your food planning.
Picnic foods which are easy to eat in your fingers, or perhaps just using a plate and fork, are our favorites. Including sandwiches... delicious ones, not just the school lunch variety. Kids can run around munching.... free and happy!
You should try the rolls too... the ones which don't spill
everywhere.
I find preparing the easy picnic recipes the day before and having the food ready to pack into the picnic basket, or cooler, on the morning of the picnic, takes away any of the stress or worries you might have.
All of these recipes are easy to adapt too, if you wish to.
You don't like Brussels Sprouts?... then we can easily change this bake to something delicious you do like!
And using the picnic planning check off list when you sort the things you are taking, you will find so useful... invaluable!
It is so easy to forget something vital and really annoying when you are a long way from home and you have forgotten the chairs, or knife to cut the cake... and it happens!
Boxes like these can be helpful to store your easy lunch ideas...
Best Lunch Box for Work, School - Bento Lunchboxes - Pack Fast BPA-free, single-lid, 3-compartment, bento-style food containers, insulated coolers. Healthy for kids and adults. No lead. Waste-free.
OK, here we go... a few lunch ideas and suggestions using our easy picnic recipes.
Practical and delicious picnic food!
It's a day out in the fresh air... informal and relaxed... it was under the shade of the old gum tree for this picnic.
No need for difficult or
complicated recipes... keep this in mind for your picnic food.
- Short crust pastry for pies… or you can use bought pastry.
- Egg and bacon pie... a family favorite from Eileen.
- Cold meats… ham, beef, lamb, pork, or chicken.
- Then roast Beef… with garlic and mustard, on crunchy fresh bread... ooh mouth watering.
- Roast lamb… with rosemary and garlic... so sophisticated and yum.
- Pork with… crunchy crackling.
- Chicken… with lemon and basil... so versatile and can be used in many recipes.
- Quiche … with variations... I'll explain what you can do for a last minute picnic when time is short.
- Jenny’s Brussels sprouts bake... so easy and adaptable, there are other options if you don't like Brussels Sprouts.
- Great salad recipes... simple to do and so refreshing and moreish to compliment these lunch ideas.
Pastry can be stressful to think about, although this simple recipe is quite easy. If you are worried, or lacking time, just buy some frozen pastry already prepared... no one will know!
We have a lovely buttery pastry made locally and although it is a bit more expensive to buy, it is delicious and can save time.
Basic Pastry… so simple, you will wonder why you haven't made it before.
You Will Need...
- Plain flour 350gm (12oz)
- Butter (or margarine) 125gm (5oz)
- 1 small egg
- Pinch salt
- Small amount cold water
Place flour, butter and pinch salt in food processor.
Pulse... until it resembles bread crumbs.
Add egg... while motor running.
Process for very few seconds then add small amount water until dough forms a ball (don’t over process).
Roll ball on floured area, wrap in a damp clean tea towel, or plastic wrap.
Chill for 30 minutes before rolling out to use.
My Mother-in-law, Eileen, who was a great cook and always catering for large groups of family and friends, used to double this Egg and Bacon Pie recipe.
Often it was even larger for more people... and then baked in a roasting pan for large amounts.
Then she would cut the pie into squares to serve.
Egg and Bacon Pie… a winner with everyone!
This is delicious both hot and cold and will serve approximately 6-8 people.
You
Will Need... Purchased good short crust pastry, or make your own... see above
- 4-6 rashers of bacon
- 6-8 whole eggs
- Salt and pepper
- An extra egg yolk and teaspoon water…for glaze
To Put Together...
- Grease, then line 20cm (8”) baking tin approximately 7-10cm (3-4”) deep.
- Chill pastry and roll out on lightly floured board…you will need 2/3 of the pastry for bottom and sides… make sure bottom isn’t pierced... to prevent mixture leaking under pie crust.
- Lay pastry over flan dish and ease into dish, pushing into corners.
- Roll rolling pin over top to trim edge.
- Cut rind off bacon, cut into 3 or 4 pieces and fry until crisp. Drain on paper towel to absorb excess fat, then spread on pastry.
- Break eggs into pie case leaving eggs whole… be careful not to pierce yolks.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Either cover with remaining rolled out pastry, sealing edges brushed with milk glaze… or just leave open.
- If topping with pastry, brush with egg yolk and water glaze.
- Bake in mod-hot oven 190 C (375F) for 10-15min then lower temp to moderate 175 C (350F) for 30 min until top is golden brown… or eggs are set if baked without pastry top.
Optional extras, really worth adding...
Handful of olives, semi dried tomatoes, crumbled Feta cheese and chopped parsley to add to this pie.... just sprinkle between the eggs as you prepare, before baking this pie.
Lunch Ideas Using Cold Meats... beef and lamb, or pork... ham and roast pork.
How to use cold meats…
A slice of thick ham, or rare roast beef on fresh, crunchy, crusty, bread with yummy mustard... old favorites.
Hmm… what’s for lunch!?
A delicious open faced sandwich with rare roast beef and heritage tomatoes... pretty too!
A cold roast is great...
For sandwich fillings.
Or on its own… with a salad ... or part of the salad.
On a plate, to add to the other food you have chosen.
On crunchy thick bread... our absolute favorite for lunch ideas!
TOP TIPS... With added bonuses!
- If time permits, a roast… beef, lamb, or pork, are great for your lunch ideas... we love these for a picnic!
- I cook the day before and make sure we have enough for a meal at home too... with roast veg... while the roast meat is hot.
To be really decadent, sop up the juices from the roast with fresh bread… eat, yum!
Our family fights over this… the juices not the fat.
Your family will love you if you share this, just let them to taste, perhaps without telling them what it is… and they will be excited about the picnic food coming!
Choose your roast...
Beef…choose your favorite cut of, sirloin, scotch fillet or topside for example.
Lamb… I like a leg, or part of. This gives added flavor with the bone still in. Boned lamb will work well too…maybe with a tasty stuffing or a marinade.
Rolled Pork... is possibly one of the easiest lunch ideas for a picnic.
Have a chat with your Butcher about …
- The best roast for you…your budget and favorite cut.
- The amount needed for the number of people going on your picnic lunch.
- Also check with the butcher how long your choice of meat should be cooked, it will vary with the size of your roast.
You will have…
very delicious roast beef and/or lamb for the picnic menu.
- Beef, or lamb of your choice for these lunch ideas.
- 2-3 tablespoons French/Dijon mustard… or Horseradish.
- I find mustard makes the meat salty enough but you can add extra salt and pepper if you wish… use ground if possible.
- 2-3 cloves of garlic… more if the cloves are small and you love garlic.
- For lamb I poke sprigs of fresh rosemary in with the garlic.
How to cook a roast...
- Have the meat at room temperature if possible.
- Cloves of garlic cut into slithers and poked into the meat randomly on both sides.
- Spread two table spoons of French/Dijon mustard, or Horseradish, over the roast, with a knife.
- Meat can be put on a rack in the roasting pan, but the juices from these roasts are delicious and you will want to save them to pour over the cooked meat or the fresh bread!
- Now back to the cooking...Place the meat into a heavy roasting pan and put into a hot oven… 230⁰C or 450⁰F for 15-20 minutes.
- Lower the temperature to 175 ⁰C or 350⁰F… (Medium heat) and cook until the meat is to your liking. I like it brown on the outside with some juice dripping through... from the pink center, but if you like it well done cook longer.
- Take out of the oven and leave to rest out of oven for 15-20minutes before carving.
- Carve across the grain for tender slices.
Try a very delicious Roast Pork for the picnic menu…
- Wipe pork with paper towel to make sure it is dry.
- Rub oil over the skin
- Then rub salt into the oil on the skin... to make crunchy crackling for this easy picnic lunch idea.
- Set the hot oven… 230⁰C or 450⁰F ... it can take longer to crackle the skin sometimes.
- Then lower the temperature to Medium until cooked through.
Ham or cold chicken from the shop…
These meats for lunch ideas, to go so well after your easy appetizers are so simple.
We have been taken many whole chooks from the chicken shop to our picnics, especially for a last minute picnic.
Sliced ham, especially fresh slices of leg ham... very really delicious (preferably not from a packet, but freshly cut from the bone)
Couldn’t be easier to prepare for lunch ideas!
Chicken with Lemon, Basil and Tarragon… so easy
You Will Need...
Method
Quiche...and Variations
One of the ideal easy picnic recipes is quiche.
This amount is for a 23cm (9”) flan tin.
If you purchase packet of pastry …follow instructions on packet. ...but if you like the satisfaction of making pastry yourself for your lunch ideas follow above…
Filling…
Ingredients for basic quiche to go on the picnic menu.
Ingredients
Method
This quiche is equally delicious hot or cold …so handy for lunch ideas.
Other suggestions …add to basic quiche for easy picnic recipes.
Spinach
Tomato and basil and zucchini (courgette)
Rich and cheesy
Quiche is ideal for the picnic menu and easy to transport.
Jenny’s Brussels Sprouts Bake
Even if you are not a fan of Brussels Sprouts this is very tasty and you could substitute with chopped pumpkin, or similar for your picnic lunch ideas from my friend Jenny. It is so easy to cook I thought I should include it in the easy picnic recipes.
Ingredients
Method
These lunch ideas using easy picnic recipes should give you a great start with the picnic menu.
Easy Picnic Food Ideas
Our favorite picnic food ideas are tried and tested and simple
Home
General picnic ideas.
Picnic Check List
Wondering How to Plan a Picnic? … use our picnic ideas. Don’t forget these basics …
Really Simple Appetizers
Take the stress from your picnic food ideas.
Appetizer Recipes
Easy appetizer recipes …so tasty…you will love these picnic recipes.
Salad Recipes
How to make popular salad recipes
Sandwich Recipes
A great selection of sandwich ideas
