Family Picnic Favorites
Featured recipes:
Herbed Fried Chicken
Vegetable Pasta Salad
Oatmeal Honey Cookies
It's the perfect time of year to gather the family for a picnic supper! Whether at the park, on the beach or even in your own back yard, a family picnic is fun way to spend time together.
What's a picnic without fried chicken? Our Herbed Fried Chicken can be made early in the day and refrigerated until ready to pack in your cooler.
For a super-safe picnic, pack side dishes that don't need constant refrigeration. Our Vegetable Pasta Salad has no mayo so it's a great picnic food.
Make sure to end your picnic on a sweet note! Our Oatmeal Honey Cookies are a perfectly-portable picnic treat that's quick and easy!
When packing your picnic, don't forget a large blanket! And if the weather's been damp, plastic sheeting underneath is a good idea, too. And pack plenty of plates, napkins, cups and cutlery, plus games and activities for the kids. For easy clean up, tuck a couple damp kitchen towels into your picnic basket. And you'll be ready for anything if you keep an emergency first-aid kit in your picnic supplies!
Here are some tips for picnic safety:
- Pack your cooler at the last minute making sure it's loaded with plenty of ice or ice packs.
- Pack separate coolers for drinks and foods. The constant opening and closing of the beverage cooler increases the temperature. Keeping perishable foods separate keeps them cooler longer.
- Pack the cooler in the air-conditioned car-not the sizzling hot trunk.
- Find a shady spot at the picnic area to store the cooler.
- The danger zone for food is between 40 and 140 degrees. Don't leave picnic foods out for more than two hours. On a day that's over 90 degrees don't leave them out more than an hour. Discard leftovers.