Snacks and Appetizers

• Thoroughly cooked meats and poultry are safe to serve at picnics without refrigeration. Cook chicken strips on skewers the night before, garnish with your favorite sauce and refrigerate. The flavors peak as they come back to room temperature at the picnic. For variety, add spiced tender beef strips or barbecued baby spareribs to the platter. Homemade salsa served with tortilla chips is a good picnic appetizer. Set out bowls of various types of nuts roasted with unique flavorings such as cinnamon, cayenne and chili powder. Serve potato chips with bean or pesto dips.
  
  

Salads and Entrees

• Dried bean and lentil salads dressed with tangy oil and vinegar dressings improve in flavor when left unrefrigerated. Mixed fresh fruit salads last several hours if you set the serving bowl in a tub of ice. Pasta and rice salads made with non-dairy ingredients hold up well outdoors. Fry up a batch of chicken the morning of the picnic for a traditional picnic entrée. Purchase a four- or six-foot sandwich roll from a local deli and make a giant sub the night before, dressing the meats and cheeses with an oil and vinegar dressing. The flavors will meld in the refrigerator overnight and produce a sumptuous sandwich to cut into serving pieces at the picnic.
  
  

Desserts and Sweets

• Bake a variety of cookies and set out a platter for guests to munch on during the picnic. Fruit cobblers and pies easily withstand outdoor temperatures, as do unfrosted pound or Bundt cakes and fruit and nut breads. Make a sweet and healthy trail mix with assorted nuts and dried fruits. Steer clear of ice cream and other cool treats unless you have a way to ensure you don't end up with a melty mess.
  
  

Tips and Hints

• Use plastic squeeze bottles for easy dispensing of condiments and toppings to keep the picnic table free of drips and spills. If using coolers to transport foods to the picnic, pack them full with thoroughly chilled foods and layered with ice for maximum refrigeration. Transport the coolers inside the car wrapped in blankets or sleeping bags for added insulation; avoid hauling them in the car's hot trunk.