Pick Up Your Picnic at Braum’s This Summer

The sun is high in the sky and summertime is in full swing. With the kids out of school for the summer and longer, warm days to enjoy, now is the perfect time to pack a basket filled with your favorite picnic foods and take a trip to your local park for a lazy afternoon under the sun.

Packing the Perfect Picnic Food

Take a visit to your one-stop shop at the Braum’s Fresh Market to grab ingredients for all of your favorite picnic foods. From easy to a little more involved, here are a few of our favorite recipes:

No picnic is complete without a few of the classics, whether your favorite is fried chicken or a traditional sandwich, pack up your basket with these munchies for a day in the park.

Andrew Carmellini’s Fried Chicken

Serving cold fried chicken is always tricky: you don’t want the crust to turn soggy and you want to make sure the chicken remains flavorful and moist. This recipe is the perfect combination of a classic buttermilk fried chicken recipe, incorporating Old Bay seasoning into the batter for an extra kick.

Traveling tip: After allowing the chicken to cool completely, wrap the chicken in paper towels and then place the pieces in a brown paper bag. While the chicken will inevitably lose some of its crispiness the longer the duration between cooking and serving, wrapping it in paper will help the moisture evaporate instead of condensing on the chicken. Soggy chicken? See ya.

Fancy Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

Shake up your normal PB&J with these tasty additions. Your crew will still have an easy and portable bite to eat but with an upscale twist.

1. Add fresh fruit. A few of our favorite fruits to instantly upgrade your sandwich are strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, pomegranate seeds, apples, and bananas.
2. Before packing up the basket, put your sandwich on the grill or in a Panini press to add an extra crunch.
3. Mix up the fillings. We know, we know, what’s a PB&J without the PB and J? Trust us when we say you should try fillings like Nutella, cream cheese, honey, and different types of nut butters. Mix and match your favorite fillings to create your dream sandwich.
4. And last, but of course, not least – add potato chips. The crunch adds a surprising twist to even the simplest of sandwiches.

While it may be easier to grab a bag of potato chips and call it a day, here are few simple side dishes to take your picnic to the next level.

Spicy Pinwheels

Ingredients

• 16 oz. Braum’s Cream Cheese
• 8 oz. Braum’s Sour Cream
• 4 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 3 green onions (stalks only), finely chopped
• 10 large (10 inch) flour tortillas

Instructions

1. Finely chop green onions. Place all ingredients (except tortillas) into large mixing bowl and stir until well blended.
2. Lay out tortillas and place two generously heaping tablespoons of cream cheese mixture onto each tortilla and spread.
3. Roll up each tortilla and place in refrigerator for about one hour to chill. Prior to serving, slice into one-inch pieces and garnish with more chili powder.

Note: Makes approx. 80 pinwheels.

Macaroni Salad

Ingredients

• ½ cup Braum’s mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp. Braum’ssour cream
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
• 2 tsp. sugar
• Salt and pepper
• 4 cups cooked macaroni pasta
• 1 Tbsp. chopped dill
• 2 stalks diced celery
• 1 small diced red bell pepper
• ½ small diced red onion

Instructions

1. Whisk the first 6 ingredients together for the dressing, set aside.
2. Combine the macaroni, dill, celery, bell pepper, and red onion in a large bowl.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
4. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Serve.

When packing for a picnic, you don’t want to forget a little something to satisfy your sweet tooth. Of course, a picnic is not the place for complicated or messy desserts, but rather easy-to-eat finger foods and sweet treats like these.

Lemon Cream Cheese Bites

Ingredients

• 2 (8 oz.) cans Braum’s crescent rolls
• 6 oz. Braum’s Cream Cheese, softened
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp. Braum’s Whole Milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Unroll crescent rolls and separate to form 8 rectangles. Press diagonal perforations to seal.
2. Stir together cream cheese, sugar, and lemon juice.
3. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over each rectangle. Roll up lengthwise.
4. Gently cut each roll into 6 one-inch thick slices.
5. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9×13 inch baking pan.
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

For Glaze:

Combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Drizzle over warm rolls. Allow these to cool before packing.

Two Minute Fudge

Ingredients

• 1 Box Powdered Sugar (approximately 16 oz.)
• 1/2 Cup cocoa
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 Cup Braum’s Milk
• 1 Tbsp. Vanilla
• 1/2 Cup Braum’s Unsalted Butter
• 1 Cup Finely Chopped Braum’s Pecans (optional)

Instructions

1. Stir together first five ingredients. Slice Braum’s Butter on Top.
2. Microwave for exactly 2 minutes.
3. Beat until smooth.
4. Blend in Braum’s Pecans and pour into 8×8 inch, wax paper lined pan.
5. Chill. Cut into squares.

Traveling Tip: These squares will melt if you leave them in the heat for too long, so keep them close to an ice pack when you pack your bag.

These are just a few of the many recipes you can create with ingredients found in your local Braum’s Fresh Market. From the main course to the sweet treats, throw a summertime picnic this year and build memories to last a lifetime.

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