Next level picnic recipes

Salads don't have to mean a pile of limp leaves and lacklustre dressing. No picnic would be complete without our filling, seasonal salad recipes. Throw together this simple summer allotment salad with potatoes, plenty of crunchy veg and a classic mustard dressing. Of course, a boiled egg or two never goes amiss. Try our egg & parsley salad with watercress dressing for a picture-perfect plateful. This impressive epic summer salad lives up to its name and believe it or not, there's no cooking required. Want to take a standard salad recipe to the next level? Mix up one of our top 10 quick salad dressings from simple, storecupboard ingredients. Sink your fork into even more sensational summer salads with our best ever recipes and our top pasta salad collection.

Sharing bites

We've never known anyone turn down a sausage roll, picnic-sized or otherwise. Give our summer sausage rolls with sundried tomatoes a try, or go the whole hog with our stunningly savoury cheese & Marmite sausage rolls. Inject spicy Spanish flavours with a couple of our cheese & chorizo skewers. Put a twist on the traditional with our pickled onion pork pies and indulge in a cheesy treat with these mini quiches - the cherry tomato and parmesan filling make these the ideal portable tartlets. Don't want to worry about soggy sarnies? Try our pesto focaccia sandwich with a delectable filling baked into the bread itself.Reach for a retro classic with our utterly scrumptious Scotch egg recipes. Go all out and cook up our smoked salmon Scotch eggs or combine two picnic classics and bake this Scotch egg pie.

Pies and pastries

Wrap up all the best parts of the picnic in chunky pastry and embrace these satisfying pies. Tuck into a slice of our ploughman's pork & cheese picnic pie – we guarantee everyone will be going back for seconds. Pack in the veggies with our rainbow picnic pie, it's certainly got the wow factor but it's simple to make, using ready-made puff pastry. Grab the crusty bread, a fresh green salad and enjoy a slice of cheesy heaven. Or, why not whip up a pea & leek super-green tart with either shortcrust or puff pastry?Give everyone's favourite summer main a makeover with our next level quiche Lorraine. Made with three types of cheese and an irresistibly light filling, this recipe deserves its summer classic status. Take some inspiration from Latin America and pack up a batch of our beef & chorizo empanadas. These crisp pasties are fantastic served with guacamole and soured cream for dipping.

Sandwiches

Don't forget the sandwiches! Serve up these skewered egg & cress club sandwiches as part of a family-sized feast. We like ours with crunchy salt and vinegar crisps for extra texture. Or, cater for a crowd with this stuffed rainbow baguette, chock-full of creamy hummus, pesto and fresh veg. Wrap the baguette tightly in baking parchment and tie with string for easy transportation. Want a meaty version? Try a mozzarella & salami picnic baguette, filled with all the flavours of Italy. Why not bake your fillings right into your bread? Our fig & Serrano picnic loaf is delicious dunked in balsamic vinegar or topped with creamy goat's cheese.

Sweet treats

Bake up seasonal sweets to round off your dream picnic. Our blackberry Bakewell squares are easily transportable and will hold up against the heat of a sunny day. The biscuity base, zingy jam layer, light berry filling and frangipane topping come together to make the ultimate shareable treat. Pack up these five-ingredient raspberry honey flapjacks, they'll be snapped up in no time. The sharpness of the berries balances out the sweetness of the flapjack. Want more no-fuss brownies, bakes and biscuits? Check out our ultimate traybake collection.

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What's your ultimate picnic treat? Leave a comment below...