Top 10 Family Picnic Food Ideas

The summer holidays are finally here and with that six weeks, for most parents this can mean a ton of family days out, many of which are expensive and include a meal out. 

I say pack up a mean picnic so the kids won't be bored by the choices, you can save the extra pennies for another day or for all important ice creams and you can avoid any teen, tween or toddler drama in restaurants too. Win, win. 

Here are my top ten picnic food items that we love to bring on our days out - mostly savoury with a couple of sweet treats creeping in for good measure.

1. Sausage Rolls
These have become my go-to for bringing to parties, festive gatherings and of course summer picnics. All you need is puff pastry, sausage meat (you can squeeze the meat out of good quality sausages if sausage meat is hard to source), a little English mustard and an egg. The instructions are here. 

Top 10 Family Picnic Food Ideas - Sausage Rolls

2. Ham, cream cheese and salad roll ups

You can use any sliced meat and whichever veggies you prefer; we always go for sliced deli ham or home cooked gammon with carrot and cucumber matchsticks. Simply spread a tortilla wrap all over with the cream cheese, place the ham over the top, covering most, and then place the matchstick vegetables on top. Roll up tightly, wrap in cling film and place into the fridge until you’re ready to pack up your picnic. You can slice into three pieces to make little sushi sized pieces.

Top 10 Family Picnic Food Ideas - Ham, Cream Cheese & Salad Roll Ups

3. Tuna Salad Pitta Pockets

These are ridiculously easy to make and you can add whichever salad items your little ones enjoy – we like cucumber, carrot, red pepper and radish with sweetcorn thrown in with the tuna and a little mayonnaise. Simply toast the pittas, allow them to cool, cut in half and gently help to make a hollow, then fill with all of the above and pop into a plastic container for your picnic.

Top 10 Family Food Picnic Food Ideas - Tuna Salad Pitta Pockets

4. Spanakopita

This Greek filo pie is filled with a delicious combination of spinach and cheeses, namely feta and is super simple to make on the morning of a picnic or the night before. Spanakopita keeps well in the fridge and is nice hot or cold. I make one pie and cut into portions but you could make small individual pies too if you preferred. Here’s the instructions.

Top 10 Family Picnic Food Ideas - Spanakopita - Greek Cheese & Spinach Pie

5. Pesto Pasta Salad

My walnut pesto is always made in abundance over the summer months as me and the girls absolutely love it but you can make up this pasta salad with shop bought if you prefer.

You need about 250g of your children's favourite pasta shapes -  fusilli,conchiglie or farfalle all work well. Once the pasta is cooked add a heaped tablespoon of the pesto of your preference - giving a good stir to ensure all of the pasta gets a good coat, and the rest is down to you - it all depends on which salad items you and your family enjoy. I've made a simple one here with just some sweetcorn, red pepper and cucumber as this combination is always well received - but you could add spring onions, cherry tomatoes and even some sliced chopped ham or chicken if you wish. 

Top 10 Family Picnic Food Ideas - Pesto Pasta Salad

6. Chicken Souvlaki Skewers

My love for both Greek food in general and souvlaki knows no bounds, and these overnight marinated chicken skewers are absolutely ideal for picnics as they travel well, are good finger food and they’re just as tasty cold as they are straight off the BBQ or grill. Here is the recipe.

Top 10 Family Picnic Food Ideas - Chicken Souvlaki

7. Cheese Muffins

These are a lovely little savoury muffin, heavy with tangy Cheddar and whatever other cheeses you happen to have lurking in the fridge. They’re really easy to make and a great finger food too. Here’s how.

Top 10 Family Picnic Food Ideas - Cheese Muffins

8. Spiced Chicken Goujons

Another party favourite - I always make up a double portion when I prepare these, as they are great snacks to have in the fridge and are adored by children and adults alike. They transport well and are nice cold too so work well for picnics and the recipe is here.

Top 10 Family Picnic Food Ideas - Spiced Chicken Goujons

9. Fruit Kebabs

These are favourite summertime snack at our house, let alone out on picnics. The preference is to serve on skewers which the girls seem to love, preferably with some kind of dipping sauce such as a chocolate or caramel. You can use whichever soft fruit you prefer – strawberries, pineapple, mango, peach, blueberries, raspberries and watermelon all work well and go down a treat.

Top 10 Family Picnic Food Ideas - Fruit Kebabs

10. Blueberry & Lemon Curd Muffins

A picnic is all about having fun and sweet food and children do go hand in hand where fun is concerned – as long as it’s all in moderation, a sweet treat is absolutely fine in my eyes. The recipe for these two types of muffins can be found here. 

Top 10 Family Picnic Food Ideas - Lemon Curd & Blueberry Muffins

Easy Sausage Rolls

I have been making these for a few years - I think the original recipe was a BBC Good Food one with a few little tinkles and tweaks over that time. Sausage rolls are a great party food bite or for any packed lunches or picnics.

They have been popular with whoever has been the recipient but never more so than by my daughter's dance school - I made them for an all day competition recently and then they were in heavy demand for the end of year presentation and over 50 of them went almost immediately! But then you just can't beat a fresh sausage roll straight from the oven can you?

I use mustard in these but you can vary these according to your personal taste - I have used red onion chutney and pickles before now too.

For the sausage meat, I would say try to get the best quality you can afford, as it will impact the flavour; and if you can't find the blocks or sausage meat that have been adorning the supermarket lately for festive reasons, then feel free to buy good sausages and just squeeze out the meat from their skins.

Easy Sausage Rolls

Here's how:

• 350g Sausage meat 
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic salt
• 2 tbsp English Mustard
• 1 sheet ready roll puff pastry
• 1 egg

Firstly pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and line a couple of baking sheets with grease proof paper.

Now prepare the sausage meat in a bowl, break it up a bit and season generously with the black pepper, and more modestly with the sea salt as sausages tend to be quite salty anyway. Add the garlic salt and mix well - you may need to use your hands!

Now wash and dry your hands, then roll out the pastry which will be in a rectangular shape - cut length-ways straight down the middle so you have two sections, and pull apart slightly. 

Take a pastry brush, and brush a generous amount of English Mustard all the way along the centre of both pieces of pastry.

Now get half of the sausage meat and roll out or pull into small balls and put along the centre of one of the pastry sections all the way along, using the mustard as a guide.

After repeating the process, wash and dry your hands again, and then beat the egg in a small bowl, ready to egg wash the sausage rolls.

Now brush the egg wash along the side of one of the sides of each pastry section and carefully fold the other half over the sausage meat, and press the dry side down onto the egg-washed side and hold down to secure along the length of the sausage roll. 

Now use a sharp knife to cut into smaller sausage rolls - about 3cm long, or just use your eye to cut them into the size you'd prefer. 

Once cut, use the knife to make gentle incisions or little cuts along the top of each individual sausage roll. 

Now use a fork to crimp the edge of each sausage roll, just press down with the ends, where the two pastry sections (dry and egg washed) have met and been pressed together.

Finally lay onto the two baking trays and brush with the remaining beaten egg generously and then place into the oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!

For more party food inspiration there are a few ideas below:

Spiced Chicken Goujons
Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese Blinis
Children's Vegetable Train
Children's Caterpillar Sandwiches 
Skinny Spicy Breaded Prawns
Prawn Summer Rolls

Halloween Mumified Sausage Rolls

I copied the idea from BBC Good Food but used ready rolled puff pastry instead of croissant pastry and these went down well at a mini Halloween gathering I held on Saturday evening.

The are a really fun, festive Halloween inspired snack sure to get everyone in the spooky mood and are super simple to make.

Mummified Sausage Rolls for Halloween



Here's how:

• 12 chipolatas 
• 1 sheet ready rolled Puff Pastry (I use Jus Rol)
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp English mustard

 

 Firstly pre-heat the oven to 180 and line a baking sheet with some greaseproof paper and set aside. 

 

Place a frying pan on a medium heat and fry off the sausages for 6-7 minutes, to sear all the way over.

 

 Leave the sausages to cool for fifteen-twenty minutes.

 

Now roll the puff pastry out onto the paper its wrapped in, and cut into 12 rectangles - three straight lines down, long-ways, and three across should do it. 

 

Now take each sausage and place into the centre of one of the pastry rectangles, with at least 1cm hanging off the edge, for the Mummy's face.

 

Now use a knife and make incisions all the way along the edges, both sides, to make the 'bandages'. And then 'wrap' each one over the sausage, one side at a time, to look like a bandage and once wrapped place onto the baking sheet.

 

Repeat for each sausage, and then beat an egg and brush over the pastry coat of each, then place into the oven for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and well risen.

 

Leave to cool for ten minutes before serving and before doing so, use a skewer dipped into the mustard to place tiny eyes onto each sausage. Enjoy!