Picnic Finger Food Ideas

Be sure you have enough portable containers for all of your finger foods.

While having a portable barbecue at a picnic would make for a wonderful steak supper, sometimes less is more. Having finger foods at your picnic will allow a larger variety of food for your guests and is good for younger children due to the size of their portions. Serve a variety of sandwiches, salads and desserts for the perfect picnic.

Sandwiches

While there are traditional offerings for picnics and parties that make good bite-sized sandwiches like chicken salad, egg salad and tuna, you can also provide ingredients for do-it-yourself sandwiches. Bring squeeze bottles of ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise. Provide a platter of cheese, lettuce and tomatoes cut into small, bite-sized strips. Bring a platter of rolled cold cut meats like ham, salami, chicken and turkey. Your picnic guests can prepare their own do-it-yourself sandwiches to their preference.

Kabobs

Feature a wide variety of kabobs for your dinner. Make a Greek kabob for your main course by using lamb or chicken, feta cheese cubes and peppers. There are many variety of kabobs to choose from, both adult and kid-friendly. Add your favorite fruits, or a mixture of vegetables and shrimp, or for a real man's kabob, throw on some cooked steak and roasted potatoes.

Vegetable Platter

Bite-sized platters work well for picnics due to the variety involved. Make a vegetable platter with cuts of carrot, cucumber, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes and peppers and finish off with a ranch or vegetable dressing for dipping.

Potato Wedges

Create flavored potato wedges to serve at your picnic by cutting a potato into portions as thick as your liking. Rub the potatoes in olive oil and season them. Season wedges with herbs, chili powder and garlic, or simply salt. Bake the potatoes on a baking sheet for 25 minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit or until wedges are cooked through. Serve as finger food at your picnic with sour cream.

Caramel Corn

Have fun without chip dip and mix popcorn and a handful of your favorite nuts with one cup of butter, 1 tsp. of salt, 1/2 cup of corn syrup, two cups of brown sugar, and 1 tsp. of vanilla extract. Heat and drizzle it over your popcorn. Store the popcorn in an airtight container before taking to your picnic.

Desserts

While cake is delicious, it isn't exactly convenient for a picnic scenario. Think small and portable when planning a dessert menu for your picnic. Serve oatmeal, chocolate chip or peanut butter cookies, macaroons, fruit bars, chocolate dipped fruit, candy, brownies or cupcakes. For a healthier dessert, mix cantaloupe, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, honeydew melon, pineapple, banana and your other favorite fruits in a bowl. Give a light squeeze of lemon juice over the fruits to help them from going brown while you are transporting to your picnic location.

References

• Cooking Nook: Citrus Fruits - Orange, Grapefruit, Lime and Lemon Facts
• Great Party Recipes: The Definitive Collect of Party Dip Recipes
• Cooks Recipe Search: Potato Wedges
• All Recipes: Caramel Popcorn