Another great picnic menu

So you’ve decided to try to save some money this year by spending more time outdoors and less time in expensive restaurants. Well, we’re doing the same thing, so this weekend, weather permitting, we’re going to our second picnic of the season. Are you interested in the recipes for the food that will be in our wicker picnic basket on Saturday? Well here they are.

1. Grilled Banana Stuffed Peppers

You’ll need to prepare them ahead of time and pack them in your picnic cooler.

INGREDIENTS

  1. 12 banana peppers
  2. 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine
  3. 1/2 cup chopped onion
  4. 1/2 cup chopped celery
  5. 1 8-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  6. 1 46-ounce can tomato juice
  7. 2 garlic cloves minced
  8. 1 teaspoon dried basil
  9. 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  10. 2 1/2 teaspoons salt divided
  11. 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper divided
  12. 1 egg
  13. 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  14. 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (you may prefer to use more)
  15. 1/2 pound hot Italian sausage
  16. 1/2 pound ground beef
  17. 1 cup of breadcrumbs

ADDRESSES

Cut off the tops of the peppers and remove the ribs and seeds. Chop the edible parts of the tapas and reserve. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add bell peppers, reduce heat and simmer until tender but still firm. This should take about 5 minutes. Drain the peppers and set them aside.

Heat the butter in a medium skillet. Sauté reserved chopped bell pepper, onion, and celery for 3 to 5 minutes until tender. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato juice, and garlic. Season with basil, herbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, add the Worcestershire sauce and Parmesan cheese. Combine ground beef, hot sausage, breadcrumbs, and 1 cup tomato juice mixture. Using a piping bag or sausage filler, fill each pepper with meat mixture and pour remaining tomato juice mixture over peppers.

You can roast these peppers in a pan, but I like to make them right on the grill for that barbecue look and aroma. Grill the peppers for an hour over medium-high heat or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Place sauce in saucepan on rack to heat sauce and use for basting. I suggest spraying every 15 minutes. When the peppers are done, return them to the saucepan with the sauce and let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.

By the way, this recipe will work just fine in your home oven if you cook it for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

2. Potato Salad

INGREDIENTS

  1. 6 potatoes
  2. 4 eggs
  3. 1 cup chopped celery
  4. 1/2 cup chopped onion
  5. 2/3 cup sweet pickle relish
  6. 2 or 3 tablespoons of mustard prepared according to your taste
  7. ground black pepper to taste
  8. 2/3 cups mayonnaise
  9. 1/3 cup miracle whip
  10. salt to taste

ADDRESSES
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until tender. Drain, cool, peel and chop the potatoes.

Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a peak, cover, remove from the heat, and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the eggs from the hot water, cool, peel and chop.

In a large bowl, combine potatoes, eggs, celery, onion, relish, mustard, pepper, mayonnaise, and Miracle Whip. Mix well and refrigerate until chilled. This takes a while, so I like to do it the day before so we can be ready for our picnic in the morning.

3. Grilled Corn on the Cob

I like this method of grilling corn because you get the flavor and aroma of cooking outside, but the corn doesn’t end up dry or burnt. In effect, you will be steaming the corn directly on your grill.

INGREDIENTS

  1. 1 ear of corn per person (buy your corn with the husk still on)
  2. 1 tablespoon butter per ear of corn
  3. salt to taste
  4. ground black pepper to taste (optional)

ADDRESSES

Peel the corn husks without removing them. Remove all the corn silk and close the leaves again. Soak in cold water for at least two hours. Preheat your grill to medium high heat (if you’re cooking with charcoal, make sure all of the black burns off). Place corn directly on grill grate. Do not wrap in foil. Flip corn 1/4 turn every 3 minutes until husk is dry and golden brown on grill rack. The total cooking time will be about 20 minutes. Like I said before, your corn will have that great roasted flavor but it will actually be steamed. Personally, I don’t use salt, butter, or pepper, but you can season the corn to taste.

4. Grilled Cranberry Peaches (You’ll love these)

INGREDIENTS

  1. 12 ounces of fresh blueberries
  2. 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
  3. 2 fresh peaches, peeled and halved
  4. 5 teaspoons of brown sugar
  5. 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  6. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  7. 1 teaspoon of butter or margarine
  8. 1 cup of sugar

ADDRESSES

Sauté cranberries, sugar, and lemon juice until cranberries are cooked through and sauce thickens. Cover and chill.

Place peach halves, cut side up, on a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on peach centers. Sprinkle with vanilla and dot with butter. Fold foil over peaches and seal. Grill over medium heat for 15 minutes or until heated through. Pour the cranberry sauce over the peaches and serve.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *