Looking for picnic food for a crowd that goes beyond a pile of sandwiches? Big bowls of pasta salad, colorful fruit and little veggie cups give you plenty to choose from.
These ideas include sharing platters, individual portions and a few serving setups worth saving.
You can keep things simple or go all out with a grazing table. Pick a few favorites rather than trying to make everything.
For outdoor serving, keep perishable food chilled and bring out smaller portions to refill.
Picnic food and serving ideas to try
pasta salad and colorful tomatoes
We’re starting off strong with this gorgeous salad spread. I love the spiral pasta with leafy greens and the bowl of little tomatoes and white cheese balls beside it.
Read also: 20 Appetizer Recipes and Serving Ideas for Your Next Get-Together
If you want to follow this setup, pair a big pasta salad with a tomato salad and sliced bread. You don’t need to copy every dish to get the same generous look.
a big tray of pasta salad
If you are looking for one big dish to build your menu around, this one is for you. The tray mixes colorful pasta spirals with black olive slices, tomatoes and little white cheese cubes.
Set out serving spoons at opposite ends so guests can help themselves from either side. Use your chosen recipe to work out quantities rather than estimating servings from the photo.
gingham picnic tables
How cute is this outdoor setup? The red-and-white tablecloths and little groups of chairs are my favorite part.
This image is more about seating than a particular dish. Borrow the layout for your picnic and leave clear paths between tables for guests carrying plates.
individual pasta salad jars
Don’t want everyone scooping from one big bowl? No problem!
These little jars hold rice-shaped pasta, leafy greens and colorful chopped vegetables.
I love how you can see all the different pieces through the sides. Pack your own salad in lidded containers and keep them in a cooler until you’re ready to serve.
an all-out grazing table
I am obsessed with this spread. There’s so much to look at, from the baskets of bread to the crackers, grapes and sliced citrus.
The raised drink station is a detail worth borrowing. For your own version, start with a few food boards and keep any decorative greenery separate from the food.
watermelon on three tiers
Who says you need several different fruits to make a pretty display? These watermelon wedges look so cute piled onto a three-tier stand.
For your version, line a food-safe stand with parchment and add chilled wedges just before serving. I’d keep the fruit selection simple like this.
pinwheel sandwiches
These pinwheels may just be one of my favorites here. I love the spirals of sliced deli meat, lettuce and tomato inside each wrap.
Arrange yours with the cut sides facing up so the fillings show. The little picks are a useful detail for holding the rolls together.
deviled eggs with a lettuce border
Give a platter of deviled eggs a little extra color with a leafy green border. The piped yellow centers and tiny red toppings look so pretty in these neat rows.
Read also: 20 Finger Food Ideas for Parties From Mini Tacos to Fruit Skewers
Use your favorite deviled egg recipe for the filling. Keep the platter chilled until serving rather than leaving it out for the whole picnic.
Read also: 20 New Years Appetizers for a Pretty Party Spread
paper-wrapped baguette sandwiches
How adorable are those little string bows? The baguette sandwiches are partly wrapped in paper and tucked together in a shallow tray.
Try this presentation with your own sandwich fillings. If you’re offering several kinds, add small labels so guests don’t have to unwrap them to choose.
fruit skewers with a drizzle
The strawberries, grapes, apple chunks and orange slices are so colorful together. That glossy brown drizzle makes the platter look a little more like dessert.
For your own version, you could serve caramel sauce on the side instead of pouring it over everything. That lets guests choose whether they want the extra sweetness.
picnic boxes with a little of everything
If you are looking for lots of variety, then this one is for you. These open boxes hold wraps, sandwiches, strawberries and little browned-top tarts.
I especially love the separate compartments. Follow the idea with smaller containers inside your picnic boxes so the fruit and savory bites have their own spaces.
cookies brownies and cupcakes
Can’t decide which dessert to bring? This platter makes a pretty good case for a little of everything!
Cookies circle the outside, brownies fill the next ring and frosted cupcakes sit in the middle. Try the same arrangement with your favorite baked treats.
fruit veggie and sandwich trays
This is a simple serving idea to build on. Separate trays hold cut fruit, vegetable sticks, sandwich toppings and a pile of rolls.
Keep the lettuce, tomato slices and onion rings together like they are here. If you’re planning a sandwich station, add your chosen fillings in a separate chilled tray.
individual veggie and dip cups
I am obsessed with these little veggie cups. The orange carrots, green cucumber and colorful pepper strips look so cute standing above the pale dip.
Try setting yours on a tiered stand just before serving. This is a lovely alternative to one large vegetable platter.
a colorful snack board
Don’t want to stick to just cheese and crackers? No problem there!
This board mixes berries, grapes, carrots, cucumber, bread and crackers with several dips or spreads.
I love the raspberries beside the round crackers. Pick a few different colors for your own board and place the bowls first, then arrange the food around them.
lemon slices and a drinks dispenser
Your picnic drinks deserve a little space too. This big dispenser of pale yellow drink looks so pretty with lemon slices floating at the top.
Try the setup with your favorite lemonade and keep cups nearby. The lemon-patterned napkins are a cute extra touch if you want to follow the same theme.
a stacked deli sandwich
If you love a generously filled sandwich, save this one. Layers of deli meat, pale cheese slices and green olives peek out beneath the herb-scattered bread.
For a group, I’d cut a long sandwich into smaller portions before serving. You can keep the same layered look without asking guests to slice it themselves.
a sweet and salty snack bar
This is a fun way to give everyone a few snack choices. The lined baskets hold popcorn, pretzels, little crackers and candy, with scoops tucked inside.
The photo shows an indoor fall setup, but you can borrow the basket idea for a picnic. Add individual cups so guests can put together their own mix.
shrimp and savory sharing plates
That shrimp platter is such a pretty detail! The shrimp circle a bowl of red dipping sauce, with lemon wedges tucked around the edge.
There are spring rolls, vegetables and a small meat-and-cheese board nearby too. Borrow a few of these choices rather than crowding your table.
Keep the shrimp over ice for outdoor serving.
cheese crackers and berries
Last but definitely not least, we have this colorful sharing board. I love the strawberries beside the fan of cheese slices!
Grapes, blueberries, tomatoes and sliced salami fill the other spaces, with olives in a little bowl at the top. Keep that small-bowl detail when you arrange your own platter.