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Now that summer has finally arrived, I love to load up a picnic basket for a July 4th celebration and find a shady spot at the park to relax and watch the fireworks. The challenge is finding recipes that are easy to pack and will keep all day without needing to be chilled. I also like to cook foods that I can prepare the day before, and ones I know will appeal to the whole family while we celebrate Independence Day together.
These recipes can be made in advance — and are among my favorites. So enjoy your picnic, with family and friends, as fireworks light up the sky.
Greek Pasta Salad
Whenever I go to a cookout or picnic, I'm drawn more to the side dishes than the meat platters. My favorite salads usually include pasta, and this Greek salad is super flavorful if it sits in the refrigerator for at least two hours before serving (it can be made the night before, too). It's also easy to pack in a picnic basket and doesn't require staying chilled in a cooler.
Serves 4-6
12-ounce box bowtie pasta (or any pasta of choice)
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
1 cup black olives, sliced
1 medium cucumber, diced
1 cup chickpeas
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup Greek salad dressing (homemade or store-bought)
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain again. Add pasta to a large bowl, then add all other ingredients. Stir well until dressing has coated everything in the bowl. Chill for 2 hours before serving cold or at room temperature. *You can add more dressing if you prefer a moister salad.
Grilled Mojo Chicken Thighs
Whenever I visited my sister during my college breaks, she'd invite me over for dinner. My request was always for the same meal — her grilled chicken. It was so moist and tender! I asked her what her secret was, and she said it was simple — she marinated the chicken for several hours in salad dressing. I've been making it this way ever since those days, sometimes using other dressing mixes like Greek dressing, but my favorite marinade is Mojo sauce with added spices. The meat can be grilled in advance and eaten at room temperature or even chilled overnight for an outdoor picnic.
Serves 4-6
3 cups Mojo sauce (homemade or store-bought)
2 packets of Sazon Goya Con Azafran*
1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
6 large chicken thighs (bone-in or boneless)
Whisk the first 4 ingredients together in a bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup of sauce in a small bowl. Cover and store the bowl in the refrigerator. Place chicken thighs in a large Ziploc bag. Add remaining sauce, seal tightly, then gently turn the bag over several times to coat the chicken. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator, turning the bag every so often. The next day, remove chicken from the bag (discarding the bag of juice) and heat grill to medium. If using bone-in thighs with the skin, cook on the grill skin side up, over indirect heat for about 20-25 minutes. Baste with reserved sauce from the refrigerator. Move the chicken to the direct heat and cook another 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until the skin is crisp and slightly charred. To make sure the meat is thoroughly cooked, the temperature should be 165°F at the thickest part of the thigh. For boneless skinless thighs, cook the chicken for 12-15 minutes, turning after 6-7 minutes, and basting with extra sauce. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving at room temp (or it can be chilled and eaten cold, but I don't recommend cold if you prefer your chicken with the skin still on, as it may get soggy). *If Con Azafran is not available, substitute the seasoning with 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp. ground turmeric, and 1 tsp. sweet paprika, plus a pinch of salt.
Summer Fruit Salad
Take advantage of the bountiful fruits that are available during the summer months. This delicious recipe from Happy Life Healthy Food is a great way to cool down when the weather turns warm.
Serves 6-8
6-8 mandarin oranges
4 kiwis, peeled, halved, and sliced
2 1/2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
1 medium pineapple, cut into chunks
1/4 cup blueberries
1/2 cup mint leaves, loosely packed
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
1/4 cup pineapple juice
Peel and separate the mandarin oranges into segments. Remove the white strings, then place the orange segments in a large bowl. Add the sliced kiwis, grapes, pineapple chunks, and blueberries. Top with mint leaves. Combine the maple syrup and pineapple juice, then pour the mixture over the fruits. Gently toss to combine and serve.
Peanut Butter Bars With Chocolate Chips
I've been making my mother's peanut butter cookie recipe for years, but since placing cookies one at a time to a baking sheet (and pressing then with a fork) takes so long, I discovered how much easier it was to pour the batter into a baking dish and cook them all at once! I also add chocolate chips to the recipe since my family is crazy for anything that tastes like Reese's candy.
Makes roughly 24 bars (depending on how you slice them)
1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
6 ounces of chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 375. Sift flour with baking soda and salt in a bowl. In a larger, separate bowl, add the remaining ingredients (except the chocolate chips) and mix. Add dry ingredients a little bit at a time until the mixture is smooth and completely blended. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into a greased 9x13 dish and bake for 20 minutes, or until it is light golden brown on top and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cut into squares and serve.
***Link to fruit salad recipe and food photo: https://happyfoodhealthylife.com/summer-fruit-salad/
What's YOUR favorite food to take on a picnic? Let us know in the comments below.
