20 Picnic-Ready Recipes That Are Perfectly Portable

By Madeleine Crutchley
Viva
Think sturdy tarts, packed sandwiches and indulgent cookies. Photo / Babiche Martens

Fold your blankets and ready your Tupperware — the long-awaited season of picnicking is finally here.

Warm evenings, sunny afternoons and flower blooms all throughout the country are making the great outdoors look much more inviting. As the opportunity to lay down on blanketed ground presents itself, we’re considering the

Of utmost importance is the ability to pack a meal without worrying about spillage or destruction. These recipes stray away from runny sauces and fragile presentation, relying on sturdy crusts, pastry and bread.

In this collection, you’ll be swayed by delicious pates, easy-oven tarts, hand-built sandwiches and vibrant spring flavours. There are a couple of sweet additions too, for making up the ultimate picnic basket.

Photo / Babiche Martens
Photo / Babiche Martens

It’s easy to swap out the ingredients to suit vegetarians in this hearty recipe, keeping everyone on the blanket/fold-up chairs happy.

Photo / Babiche Martens
Photo / Babiche Martens

Serve this salty and moreish pate on toast or crackers, with tomato, cucumber and salt and pepper.

Photo / Babiche Martens
Photo / Babiche Martens

If you’re looking for a pretty plate to serve alongside heftier eats, these little bites are a colourful and sweet solution.

Photo / Babiche Martens
Photo / Babiche Martens

This compact and impressive sausage roll travels well and is easy to slice up among a large group.

Photo / Babiche Martens
Photo / Babiche Martens

Serve this simple vegetable-filled frittata outdoors for lunch or dinner, with a loaf of bread and leafy side salad.

Photo / Babiche Martens
Photo / Babiche Martens

Take advantage of a portable grill or public barbecue and cook up these loaded kingfish kebabs.

Photo / Babiche Martens
Photo / Babiche Martens

The tart is deceptively easy, gaining silky texture with no-peel potatoes and aniseed flavour from thinly sliced fennel.

Photo / Babiche Martens
Photo / Babiche Martens

Hand out these filling sandwiches for a lunchtime meal, and enjoy garlicky aioli and a citrus-seasoned pea mash.

Photo / Babiche Martens
Photo / Babiche Martens

Pomegranate seeds will add a touch of sweetness to this creamy and herby potato salad.

Photo / Babiche Martens
Photo / Babiche Martens

This no-fuss, easy-bake loaf will be ideal for hastily planned weekend lunches — ready to eat in about two hours. Bring along any leftover chutneys, spreads or paté for a symphony of tastes.

Photo / Babiche Martens
Photo / Babiche Martens

Mint, parsley and a healthy squeeze of lemon make this salad an especially fresh addition to an outdoor spread.

Photo / Babiche Martens
Photo / Babiche Martens

Half the fun of a good picnic is bringing your meal together. To make this sandwich you’ll tear apart a baguette, slather it with chilli jam and overfill with steak and vegetables.

Photo / Babiche Martens
Photo / Babiche Martens

These herby and citrus-squeezed cups are easy to hand out amongst a group and have an appealing crunchy, creamy texture.

Photo / Babiche Martens
Photo / Babiche Martens

This sunny and lemony tart is extra decadent, thanks to lashings of ricotta and a super-buttery crust.

Photo / Supplied
Photo / Supplied

This salty, fluffy slab of focaccia will likely be devoured by even the smallest group of friends. It’s great for soaking up juices and smearing with hummus and sauces.

Photo / Babiche Martens
Photo / Babiche Martens

Flaky salmon tops this vegetable-filled tart, with a wholemeal crust supplying deeper, toastier flavours.

Photo / Babiche Martens
Photo / Babiche Martens

These tender chicken thighs, fried and oven-baked, make for a decadent picnic offering (and serve up well with breads and salads).

Photo / Melanie Jenkins
Photo / Melanie Jenkins

Though this recipe from Petra Galler’s Butter, Butter makes for a slightly more time-intensive loaf, it’s a luscious addition to the picnic basket.

Photo / Babiche Martens
Photo / Babiche Martens

Ahead of the arrival of summer berry season, there’s still some fun to be had with sweet fruits — try sandwiching mandarin, kiwifruit and any other of your seasonal favourites between light sponge and cream.

Photo / Babiche Martens
Photo / Babiche Martens

A blend of peanut butter, tahini and dark chocolate creates an indulgent cookie.

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