8 Perfect Memorial Day Picnic Recipes (2024)

For perfect picnic food, pack these delicious dishes that are easy to spread out and share

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Green Aioli
Savor the season with a fast and fresh picnic of crunchy veggies with zesty aioli. Make a spread with your veggies and meats of choice to dip.
Ingredients
1 large egg (see notes)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 to 6 garlic cloves, peeled
About 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup lightly packed rinsed fresh mint leaves, fresh basil leaves or coarsely chopped Italian parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 cup olive oil (see notes)
Preparation
In a blender or food processor, whirl egg, lemon juice, garlic to taste, salt, mint leaves, and lemon peel until well blended.
With machine running, gradually add olive oil in a thin, steady stream until all is incorporated. Add more salt to taste.
Quick Aioli: Omit the egg and oil, and use 1 cup purchased mayonnaise instead. Whirl mayonnaise with lemon juice, garlic, salt, mint leaves, and lemon peel until smooth. Makes about 1 cup.
Notes: If you're concerned about salmonella or bacteria in raw eggs, use pasteurized whole eggs (available through some grocery stores). Or make our egg-safe quick aioli (above). If using a pungent, peppery extra-virgin olive oil, start with 1/3 to 1/2 cup, then add a milder oil to make 1 cup total. You can store the aioli airtight in the refrigerator up to 1 week.

Chicken, Corn, and Tomato Pasta Salad
This easy pasta salad gets its creaminess from ricotta and sour cream for extra cheesy tang. Substitute your favorite vegetables to add variety.
Ingredients
8 ounces orzo pasta
1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup light sour cream
2 teaspoons lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
About 1 tsp. salt
About 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup fresh corn kernels (sliced from 2 ears of corn)
1/2 medium red onion, finely diced, rinsed, and thoroughly dried (about 3/4 cup)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (light and dark meat)
1 1/2 cups halved grape tomatoes
1/2 cup thinly sliced basil leaves
Preparation
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender to the bite, 9 to 12 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse thoroughly under cold water until completely cool (see Notes).
In a medium bowl, whisk together ricotta, sour cream, lemon zest and juice, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper.
In a large bowl, toss together pasta, corn, red onion, chicken, tomatoes, and basil. Add ricotta-lemon dressing to pasta mixture and stir to evenly coat pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spinach and Orzo Salad
This herb vinaigrette-dressed pasta salad keeps better than a mayo-based one from the deli, and tastes better too.
Ingredients
1 cup orzo pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
About 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 quart lightly packed baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup slivered dried tomatoes packed in oil
12 pitted kalamata olives, sliced
Preparation
Cook orzo according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, oregano, basil, 1/2 tsp. salt, and the pepper and reserve.
Drain pasta, rinse with water until cool, and drain again. Add to bowl with dressing and gently mix in spinach, tomatoes, and olives to combine. Add more salt if you like.
Keeps: Up to 2 hours at room temperature, 4 hours with ice packs.
13 crowd-pleasing sides

Almond Raspberry Lemonade
For the most thirst-quenching drink, look for a less-sweet brand of lemonade such as Santa Cruz Organic.
Ingredients
1 quart chilled lemonade
1/2 cup chilled almond syrup
1/2 cup raspberries
Preparation
In a pitcher, stir together all ingredients
Keeps: Up to 4 hours in a prechilled thermos or container with ice packs.
Delicious summer drinks

Crostini with Roasted Pepper, Onion, and Anchovy
To prepare this recipe for a picnic, bake the bread ahead of time and let cool; then pack the crostini, the topping, and the anchovies separately.
Ingredients
Crostini
1 baguette
About 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
About 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
About 1/4 tsp. pepper
Topping
1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed, drained, and patted dry
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
10 marinated anchovies, preferably white (boquerones)
Preparation
Make crostini: Preheat oven to 375°. Slice baguette into ten 1/4-in.-thick slices on the diagonal (save leftover bread for another use). Brush both sides of each slice lightly with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Set slices on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden brown and crisp, rotating pan halfway through cooking, about 15 minutes total. Let cool.
Make topping: Combine peppers, onion, capers, and salt in a medium bowl. Add vinegar, brown sugar, and oil and toss to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 2 hours or chill overnight.
Stir in parsley just before serving or before packing your picnic basket. At the picnic site, spoon strained spoonfuls of the mixture onto crostini and top each with an anchovy.

Radicchio, Roasted Pepper, and Provolone Ciabatta Sandwiches
The vegetables in these sandwiches don't get soggy as they stand, and the flavors benefit from a little time together.
Ingredients
1 head (7 oz.) radicchio, cored and separated into leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces (3/4 of a loaf) ciabatta bread, split horizontally
1 jar (16 oz.) roasted red peppers, drained, patted dry, and halved
6 slices regular or aged provolone cheese (about 4 oz.)
4 ounces thinly sliced dry salami
10 basil leaves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°. Put radicchio on a large rimmed baking sheet. Lightly brush all over with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake until wilted, 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, open up bread on another baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, 8 minutes. Let radicchio and bread cool.
Layer radicchio on bottom half of ciabatta, then top with roasted peppers, provolone, salami, and basil. Close bread and cut into 4 sandwiches. Combine vinegar and mustard in a small bowl. Just before serving, drizzle dressing into sandwiches through a cut side. Serve with plenty of napkins.
Keeps: Up to 2 hours at room temperature, 3 hours with ice packs.
Unique sandwich recipes

Strawberry Puff
Strawberries layered over orange-flavored filling in a cream puff crust makes a showy yet easy dessert that travels well.
Ingredients
5 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup whipping cream
About 2/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 cups sliced strawberries (12 oz.)
Strawberry Sauce
1 1/2 cups strawberries (about 10 oz.)
2-3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur (optional)
Preparation
Sauce: Rinse and stem strawberries. In a blender, whirl berries until smooth. Blend in sugar to taste and orange-flavored liqueur (optional).
Puff: In a 2- to 3-quart pan, combine 2/3 cup water, butter, and granulated sugar; bring to a boil over high heat. Add flour all at once and stir quickly until mixture pulls away from pan sides and clumps together. Remove from heat and stir until flour is incorporated and mixture is smooth. Let cool about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
One at a time, add eggs to warm butter mixture in pan, beating with a wooden spoon after each addition until dough is smooth and satiny. (Or scrape warm butter mixture into a bowl, add eggs one at a time, and beat with an electric mixer on high speed after each addition just until smooth; do not overbeat.)
Spoon dough into a buttered 9-inch cheesecake pan with remov- able rim; spread evenly over bottom and about 1 inch up sides.
Bake in a 400° oven until puffed and golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Prick pastry crust with a toothpick in about 12 places, then return to oven and bake until golden brown, dry, and crisp, 5 to 15 minutes longer. Transfer pan to a rack and let cool completely. Run a knife around pan sides to release pastry, then remove pan rim.
In a bowl, with an electric mixer on high speed, beat cream cheese, orange peel, and vanilla until smooth. Add whipping cream and 2/3 cup powdered sugar; beat on low speed until blended, then on high speed just until mixture forms stiff peaks (do not overbeat).
Spoon filling into puff shell. Scatter sliced strawberries over filling. Sift about 1 tablespoon powdered sugar over the top. Cut into wedges and serve with Strawberry Sauce to spoon over individual servings.