How to Pack a Summer Picnic
Check out how one blogger packs a romantic picnic for two.
Planning a summer picnic? Here are some of my picnic packing tips and tricks for a fun summer picnic, as well as a delicious cacon cheddar potato salad!
I love a good old-fashioned picnic basket with a metal or wicker base. Sure, I have a fancy cooler picnic basket for when we go to music venues or have more than two people to feed, but there's something romantic about the smaller, basic baskets for a romantic picnic.
For my picnic in the park, I packed two turkey sandwiches, two jars of bacon cheddar potato salad, two jars of lemon cookie, lemon curd, blueberry compote parfait, and two jars of pink lemonade. You may be wondering why I used mason jars instead of Tupperware. They're convenient, leak-proof, and better for the environment. When searching to purchase, be sure to use the phrase "canning jar." I use the pint and half pint sizes that are great for serving main dishes and drinks, and sides and desserts respectively. Plus they help with the whole old-fashioned picnic vibe!
Photo: Andrea Ament
Bacon Cheddar Potato Salad
8-10 medium potatoes
2 cups cheddar cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, as topping
10-12 slices of bacon, cooked, and crumbled (save some for on top)
1/2 red onion, diced
2 green onions, diced as topping
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Peel, cube, and boil your potatoes until tender. Drain and let cool to warm.
In a bowl, mix together mayonnaise, buttermilk, mustard, salt, and pepper.
Photo: Andrea Ament
In a separate bowl, mix together two cups of cheddar cheese, red onion, and bacon (remembering to save some red onion and bacon for on top).
Add some of the mayonnaise mixture to the potatoes and stir to cover. Add half of the cheese mixture and mix gently. The cheese should melt.
Repeat with the rest of the mayonnaise mixture and the remainder cheese mixture. Cover and refrigerate.
Top with 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, diced red onion, bacon crumbles, and diced green onion and serve.
Enjoy!
Photo: Andrea Ament
This recipe was an absolute hit with my husband. He used words like "amazing," "wow," and "really good" to describe the potato salad. It's not like he's a picky eater, but he doesn't say those things about everything I make, so I know when I get it right!
Ready for some fun and games? I like to bring along our croquet set for a picnic with friends (I white-washed my set to give it a vintage look), but bean bag toss and ladder toss are also crowd-pleasers.
Photo: Andrea Ament
