Pack a 5-Star Picnic

These 12 portable dishes are perfect for dining alfresco and on the go.

Photo By: Alice Gao ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.

Photo By: Alice Gao ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.

Photo By: Alice Gao ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.

Photo By: Alice Gao ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.

Photo By: Alice Gao ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.

Photo By: Alice Gao ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.

Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2013, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.

Photo By: Alice Gao ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.

Photo By: Alice Gao ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.

Photo By: Alice Gao ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.

Photo By: Alice Gao ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.

Photo By: Jackie Alpers ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.

5-Star Picnic Plan

Spruce up your picnic spread with crowd-pleasing salads, sandwiches and desserts that can stand up to the heat and travel easily.

Antipasto Summer Lettuce Wraps

Refreshing, crisp lettuce leaves double as plates in Kelsey's playful spin on the classic Italian appetizer.

Get the Recipe: Antipasto Summer Lettuce Wraps

Caponata Picnic Sandwiches

Giada's picnic-ready sandwiches are stuffed with eggplant caponata, a Sicilian vegetable mixture that's perfect for summer dining, as it's traditionally served at room temperature.

Get the Recipe: Caponata Picnic Sandwiches

Smoky Panzanella with Market Vegetables

Kelsey's panzanella gets its moniker from the smoky mozzarella chunks that are mixed with vibrant veggies, toasted bread and a tangy Dijon-vinegar dressing. It's the most iconic picnic salad, since the longer the salad sits, the more the flavors meld.

Get the Recipe: Smoky Panzanella with Market Vegetables

Pressed Picnic Sandwich with Roasted Red Pepper and Pepperoncini Spread

Make this pressed sandwich first thing in the morning and put it in the refrigerator for 4 hours with a pan on top of it. This will help condense and flatten the sandwich as well as marry all those salty Italian flavors.

Get the Recipe: Pressed Picnic Sandwich with Roasted Red Pepper and Pepperoncini Spread

Black Bean Salad with Mango, Cilantro and Lime

Toss sturdy black beans with ripe mangoes, bell peppers and a tangy vinaigrette to form a colorful, satisfying salad that won't wilt in the heat.

Get the Recipe: Black Bean Salad with Mango, Cilantro and Lime

Fried Chicken in a Basket

Forget fumbling with knives and forks — guests can tear into this juicy, buttermilk-marinated chicken as soon as the picnic blanket hits the grass.

Get the Recipe: Fried Chicken in a Basket

Italian Soba Noodle Salad

Featuring a blend of Mediterranean and Asian ingredients like Kalamata olives and shiitake mushrooms, Ching's salad — which ditches starchy pasta for nutty Japanese soba noodles — is the perfect all-in-one meal for warm-weather gatherings.

Get the Recipe: Italian Soba Noodle Salad

Italian Porchetta Sandwich

Kelsey loads herb-flecked porchetta, peppery arugula and caper-laced mayo in between toasted ciabatta rolls to make this Italian-inspired picnic sandwich. We guarantee you'll never go back to same-old ham-and-cheese ones again.

Get the Recipe: Italian Porchetta Sandwich

Creamy Dijon-Dill Potato Salad

You can make this tangy, dill-laced potato salad a couple of hours ahead and let it sit at room temperature as you finish the rest of your picnic prep. Putting the spuds in the fridge actually ruins their rich, smooth texture.

Get the Recipe: Creamy Dijon-Dill Potato Salad

Radiance Fruit Salad

Save the chocolate sweets for another day — they'll melt into a cocoa mess under the summer sun. Instead, sate your sugar cravings with this bright mix of honey-sweetened cantaloupes, strawberries and kiwis.

Get the Recipe: Radiance Fruit Salad

Apple and Blueberry Hand Pies

Bringing an entire pie to a picnic is guaranteed to turn dessert into a sticky situation. These flaky, grab-and-go treats — stuffed with cinnamon-dusted apples and blueberries — are far easier to transport and devour.

Get the Recipe: Apple and Blueberry Hand Pies

Napa 'Road' Mix

When guests get hungry after some fun in the sun, they can snack on this energy-boosting trail mix of dried nuts and fruits. 

Get the Recipe: Napa 'Road' Mix