Pack the Perfect Picnic with 20 Must-Try Recipes That Can Withstand the Heat

Pack the perfect picnic with these must-try recipes that are sure to impress. From tasty sandwiches and vibrant salads to sweet treats and refreshing drinks, we’ve got everything you need for an unforgettable outdoor meal. Make your next picnic a hit with these easy and mouth-watering recipes everyone will love.

Kentucky Benedictine Sandwiches With Cream Cheese and Cucumbers

 

As elegant and charming as the Kentucky Derby itself, these Benedictine Tea Sandwiches are a delightful blend of cream cheese and cucumber on soft white bread. Perfect for lunches, brunches, a wedding or baby shower, and more, these mini sandwiches are a refreshing addition to any party spread.

Get the Recipe: Benedictine Sandwiches With Cream Cheese and Cucumbers

Loaded Ranch Potato Salad with Bacon

This Ranch potato salad with bacon, cheese and a sour cream ranch dressing is just what you need for a potluck or cook out. All the flavors of a loaded baked potato plus a flavorful dressing to coat tender new potatoes.

Get the Recipe: Loaded Ranch Potato Salad

Cold Antipasto Pasta Salad with Pepperoncini Peppers

Kick start your next picnic or potluck with this Italian-inspired pasta salad. It’s like a cheese board but in salad form with tangy pepperoncini peppers, salty and savory cured meats, and sweet roasted peppers that all come together with chewy pasta and a seriously flavorful dressing for a truly show-stopping pasta salad. 

Get the Recipe: Cold Antipasto Pasta Sala

Creamy Southern Macaroni Salad with Cheese

A combination of both sour cream and mayonnaise create the creamiest Southern macaroni salad around. A hint of sweet and sour along with grated cheese makes this the star of any potluck or cook out. A fantastic make ahead summer salad that gets even better after a day in the fridge. No mushy bland salad here!

Get the Recipe: Macaroni Salad

Best Shrimp Salad Recipe

This easy, tossed shrimp salad recipe combines cooked shrimp, mayonnaise, lemon juice, finely chopped cucumber and red onion, fresh dill, and Old Bay seasoning. Delicious on its own, this simple shrimp salad is also a terrific filling for sandwiches,

Get the Recipe: Best Shrimp Salad Recipe

Ham and Swiss Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls with Aioli

Ham and Swiss sliders are ideal for tailgates, game day parties, backyard cookouts– you name it, these sliders are quick, easy and scrumptious. Soft, sweet Hawaiian rolls get filled with layers of savory ham and melted Swiss cheese. With a spread of creamy garlic aioli and a generous brushing of butter on top, these sliders are completely irresistible.

Get the Recipe: Ham and Swiss Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls with Aioli

Homemade Salsa with Peaches and Corn

Try an easy to make mouthwatering peach and tomato salsa with a spicy twist of sriracha! Perfect as a refreshing dip, or as a topping for tacos or quesadillas. It showcases the balance between sweet and spicy flavors that the South is known for.

Get the Recipe: Homemade Salsa with Peaches and Corn

Cold Corn Dip with Sour Cream and Rotel Tomatoes

This easy and creamy corn dip is the perfect appetizer for your next game day or party. With little effort and basic ingredients, you’ll have a fan favorite dip ready in no time.Using canned corn and canned rotel tomatoes and chillies for ease, this cold corn dip takes just 10 minutes to toss together! 

Get the Recipe: Cold Corn Dip with Sour Cream and Rotel Tomatoes

Chicken Drumsticks on Grill with Peach Glaze

Grilled chicken drumsticks are cooked over indirect heat for the most tender and juicy drumsticks or thighs.  Start with a dry rub and add mustard then end with a peach glaze for the most delectable grilled chicken.

Get the Recipe: Chicken Drumsticks on Grill with Peach Glaze

Marinated Shrimp Recipe

This marinated shrimp recipe will take your shrimp cocktail to the next level. Marinated overnight in an Old Bay lemon dressing, they’re so good you won’t even need cocktail sauce.

Get the Recipe: Marinated Shrimp Recipe

Tangy Cucumber Salad with Apple Cider Vinegar

This tangy Cucumber Salad is light, refreshing, and perfect for warm summer days. Since it has no mayo, it’s perfect for bringing to outdoor parties and summer barbecues–and the flavors only intensify as it sits. Despite the low-effort recipe, it’ll make a big impact!

Get the Recipe: Tangy Cucumber Salad with Apple Cider Vinegar

Summer Pasta Salad with Fresh Peaches

This peach pasta salad recipe uses fresh peach slices, sweet corn, juicy grape tomatoes, pine nuts, and your favorite pasta for a bright, light, and refreshing summer salad. Boil the noodles, assemble your produce, and toss it in a simple homemade dressing, and you’re done! It’s easy, quick, and just what a hot summer day calls for. 

Get the Recipe: Summer Pasta Salad with Fresh Peaches

Refreshing Blackberry Iced Tea

If you love sweet tea and fresh blackberries, make this homemade iced blackberry tea and sip on a splash of fruity indulgence. This tea recipe is perfect for the hot summer months and is almost easier to make than to open up a can of the premade stuff. 

Get the Recipe: Refreshing Blackberry Iced Tea

Fudgy Chocolate Brownie Pie – No Pie Crust

Calling all chocolate lovers, this dessert is like a super fudgy brownie in pie form. No pie crust required for this rich and decadent Brownie Pie. The soft, moist, and chewy brownie filling has an unexpected touch from toasted pecans! Top it off with melty chocolate and serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s like a brownie sundae.

Get the Recipe: Fudgy Chocolate Brownie Pie – No Pie Crust

Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

With just three ingredients, it’s no surprise that Rice Krispie treats are a childhood favorite. Magically transform them into Brown Butter Rice Krispie treats with just 1 extra step and create an even better dessert.

Get the Recipe: Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

Decadent Mississippi Mud Brownies with Marshmallows

These Mississippi Mud Brownies bring all the best parts of the classic dessert into a handheld form. This fan-favorite recipe has three distinct layers: a rich brownie bottom topped with gooey marshmallows followed by a decadent chocolate frosting. They take just 30 minutes in the oven and then a couple of hours for the remaining layers to set completely. 

Get the Recipe: Decadent Mississippi Mud Brownies with Marshmallows

Old Fashioned Kentucky Butter Cake

This moist and decadent vanilla pound cake is baked in a bundt pan to get it’s signature shape. Kentucky Butter Cake is rich with a tender crumb that’s soaked in a sweet butter sauce while still warm. This one of a kind cake is a Southern staple that’ll quickly become a family favorite.

Get the Recipe: Old Fashioned Kentucky Butter Cake

Chewy Rice Krispie Oatmeal Cookies

Ever tried adding Rice Krispies to your oatmeal cookies? If not, you’re in for a treat! These chewy Rice Krispie Oatmeal Cookies have a crispy twist and are just the thing to shake up your baking routine. They’re perfect for anyone who loves a good, old-fashioned cookie but are looking for something a little different.

Get the Recipe: Chewy Rice Krispie Oatmeal Cookies

Sweetly Southern Coca-Cola Cake With Marshmallows

Decadently sweet and perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, this moist chocolate Coca-Cola cake is made with the iconic soda, mini marshmallows, and unsweetened cocoa powder for extra rich chocolate flavor. It’s so chocolatey, you wouldn’t even know that there’s soda in it! This has been a longtime Southern classic—and I’m sure it’ll become a family favorite in your house too. 

Get the Recipe: Sweetly Southern Coca-Cola Cake With Marshmallows

Brownies with Edible Cookie Dough Frosting

Brownies with cookie dough frosting are like getting two desserts in one.  A rich fudgy brownie topped with a cookie dough frosting for the perfect combination when a brownie is just not enough.

Get the Recipe: Brownies with Edible Cookie Dough Frosting