4 Picnic Recipes Perfect for a Holiday Weekend (2024)

Red, White, and Blue Chicken Kabobs

The flavor-packed blueberry sauce helps give these kabobs a festive and colorful look. Prep them in advance and throw on the grill right before you’re ready to eat.

Makes 4 servings (eight kabobs) | Prep time 15 minutes | Cook time 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the Blueberry BBQ Sauce:

• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 cup ketchup (low sugar, organic)
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbs. molasses
• 1 tsp. chili powder

For the kabobs:

• 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 3 red peppers, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

Directions

1. Put all of the sauce ingredients into a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in 1/4 cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the sauce is thick and slightly chunky, continuing to stir occasionally. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Thread the chicken and peppers onto skewers. If you’re using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 20 minutes before using. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place the kabobs on the grill, cover, and cook until the chicken is opaque throughout, about eight to 12 minutes, turning once or twice during cooking.
3. Transfer the cooked kabobs to a platter and drizzle the Blueberry BBQ Sauce over them before serving.

Nutritional Info: Calories: 230 | Protein: 40 | Fat: 1 | Carbs: 6

Baked Zucchini Chips

If you’re a salt lover like me, you can’t have a picnic without something salty and crunchy to munch on. Vegetable chips are a great alternative to store-bought and processed options. They taste great plain, but you could also try them with a yogurt or hummus dip.

Makes 3 to 4 servings | Prep time 15 minutes | Cook time 1 hour

Ingredients

• 2 zucchinis, sliced into thin, round slices
• Coconut oil
• Sea salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place a wire rack on top. Coat the rack with coconut oil.
2. Place the zucchini slices in a single layer on top of the wire rack and sprinkle with sea salt.
3. Bake for 60 minutes or until golden brown. Cool before serving.

Nutritional Info: Calories: 41 | Protein: 1 | Fat: 3 | Carbs: 2

Chickpea Chunky Salad

Nothing says summer more to me than a fresh and chunky salad packed full of flavor and healthy seasonal produce. This is actually my favorite recipe to batch prep for my lunches during warmer months.

Makes 4 servings | Prep time15 minutes | Cook time 1 hour marinade time

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas or garbanzo beans, drained
• 2 green bell peppers, chopped
• 1 cucumber, sliced and quartered
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved

For the dressing:

• 2 tbs. lemon juice
• 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. dried oregano

Directions

1. Combine all of the salad ingredients into a large bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, and oregano. Pour over the salad and toss thoroughly, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour prior to serving.

Nutritional Info: Calories: 141 | Protein: 2 | Fat: 9 | Carbs: 13

Red, White, and Blue(berry) Ice Pops

Who doesn’t enjoy a cold popsicle on a hot day? It’s the perfect treat for both kids and adults. If you’re vegan or lactose intolerant, this recipe is easy to modify to be dairy-free.

Makes 6 servings | Prep time 20 minutes | Cook time 2 hours freezer time

Ingredients

• 2 bananas, peeled, cut, and frozen for at least 2 hours
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 3 cups full-fat vanilla yogurt
• 1 cup frozen strawberries or cherries

Directions

1. Add the blueberries, 1 cup yogurt, and 1/2 banana to a food processor or blender. Blend well. Add to a popsicle mold until it’s about 1/3 full.
2. Add one frozen banana and 1 cup yogurt to the food processor or blender. Blend well. Add to the same popsicle mold until it’s 1/3 more of the way full.
3. Add the strawberries or cherries, 1 cup yogurt, and 1/2 banana to the food processor or blender. Blend well. Add to fill the rest of the popsicle mold.
4. Insert popsicle sticks into the base of mold and freeze until hardened.

Substitutions (optional)

• If you don’t have popsicle molds, use cups and popsicle sticks, straws, or spoons.
• If you want vegan or dairy-free popsicles, with each fruit option, use one full banana and 1 cup coconut or other nut milk.

Looking for more fun, frozen treats? Check out these “9 Delicious and Healthy Ice Pop Recipes.”

Nutritional Info: Calories: 173 | Protein: 6 | Fat: 4 | Carbs: 30