Create an easy, delicious, and nutritious picnic food recipe in no time at all – the Caprese sandwich! Juicy tomatoes and creamy mozzarella complement crisp veggies and soft baguettes perfectly in this tasty Caprese sandwich.
Picnic Works recently raised $20.5 million in funding and installed its pizza-making robots at managed food service providers Compass and Chartwells, Ole Miss University, Ohio State University, and Speedy Eats drive-thrus. Their Picnic Pizza Station can assemble 100 pizzas in an hour with up to 80% less waste compared with traditional makelines.
1. Grilled Pizza
Memorial Day weekend marks a transition: spring to summer; from muted hues to vibrant whites. Additionally, this year marks an additional change: regular pizza season becomes grilled pizza season!
Grilled pizza preparation can often be faster than its baked counterpart, as the crust can be made within minutes, and most toppings can be added directly on top, without needing to pre-cook first. This is possible thanks to less moisture being present on grilled pizza crust so that ingredients won’t become soggy as quickly.
Plan to ensure the best pizza-making experience: have prepared pizza sauce (whether store-bought marinara, pizza sauce, or homemade alfredo) and low moisture cheese like mozzarella or motz available as they form the core of a delicious pizzette! These ingredients also keep it light enough for eating on a picnic blanket!
Make sure that your grill is hot, and have everything ready so you can quickly transfer pizza onto and off of its grates. A pizza peel or another flat surface should be prepared next to the grill so you can move dough onto or off of it quickly. Be sure to apply some oil onto both sides of the dough before placing it onto the grill!
2. Pizza Rolls
Pizza rolls are a tasty party or picnic snack, often packed with mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, and other toppings and then rolled up before being baked. Although quick to make and easy to consume, pizza rolls contain high levels of sodium, processed ingredients, and potentially carcinogenic preservatives like Butylated Hydroxytoluene A (BHA), which could contribute to health risks.
In order to reduce fat and sodium intake when snacking on pizza, it is advised that you make your pizza dough from scratch. Making homemade pizza rolls is just as fast and convenient compared with store-bought varieties; thaw out frozen dough before flattening it with a rolling pin before layering it with cheese shredded over it and toppings such as pepperoni slices before rolling up each rectangle carefully, pinching its ends to seal in your filling!
To bake pizza rolls, it is necessary to brush them with garlic butter before placing them on a baking sheet. Please make sure the rolls are evenly spaced out so they cook efficiently; additionally, cooking spray may add an extra crispy texture and can add an extra crunchy bite! Once they are baked, enjoy them right away with either pizza sauce, marinara sauce, or ranch dressing as dipping sauces!
3. Grilled Veggies
The smoky, caramelized flavor of vegetables is one of our favorite summer grilling tricks. This easy side dish is an effective way to use up leftover produce from your refrigerator, garden, or CSA box. Sprinkle Kosher salt and cracked black pepper before drizzling with aged balsamic vinegar (or any other type of vinegar you have available); sprinkle with fresh chopped herbs such as thyme, rosemary, or basil leaves before topping with aged balsamic. An herbaceous sauce like Romesco or chimichurri could also be added.
Prepping vegetables ahead of time, particularly long slices and single thin veggies like carrots or asparagus, ensures they can be quickly and easily grilled at the last minute. You could do this as early as breakfasttime! Alternatively, marinate them first (we did this with Halloumi and Vegetable Skewers with Pomegranate-Tahini or Spicy Jerk Vegetables with Yogurt-Scallion Sauce), rub them with spiced oil before marinating, or marinate as we did when creating Spicy Jerk Vegetables with Yogurt-Scallion Sauce — however remembering this can quickly help them cook faster so as not become soggy or soggy later! Having the grill preheated will help get these onto their respective surfaces faster so as not to become mushy later!
4. Potato Salad
This creamy potato salad makes a delicious side dish for any picnic. It is easily assembled and full of delicious flavor! For optimal results, we like making it at least 24 hours in advance so the flavors have time to blend and develop.
Start by boiling potatoes until fork-tender (avoid overcooking to ensure they don’t become mushy). While your potatoes are cooking, prepare all other ingredients. Drain your potatoes once done cooking and allow them to cool; this step is critical as chilled potatoes absorb more dressing while being less likely to break during mixing with other ingredients.
As for the dressing, combine mayonnaise with sugar, mustard, dill pickle relish, garlic powder and salt for optimal flavor. You may also try substituting some or all of the mayonnaise with sour cream or plain Greek yogurt for an alternative, lighter solution; Dijon mustard adds a great tang to this salad!
Once the dressing is ready, stir in cooled potatoes and the remaining ingredients. For extra zing, add diced sweet, or dill pickles or chopped olives; fresh herbs such as finely minced chives, parsley, oregano basil tarragon, and thyme will complete this delicious salad.
At this point, add a splash of paprika before serving your potato salad. Not only is this side dish tasty on its own, but you can use it in sandwiches, burgers, or chicken wraps or as part of an outdoor barbecue spread!
