Hey folks, and welcome back to Cool Beans! We’ve got whiplash from watching the summer whiz by, which got us thinking ’bout how to make the most of the last days of al fresco fressing. Unfortunately, our minds also jumped to the piles of picnic-related trash a portable feast can create. We’ve got a better way: Whether you plan to barbecue, beach, or basket, the upcoming three-day weekend is an awesome opportunity to lay down a tableware-free picnic challenge.
To make it happen, we’ve curated a collection of delectable dishes that are their very own delivery systems—doing away with the need for single-use bowls, plates, and utensils. From empanadas to wraps to rice paper rolls, all of these vittles are easily eaten right out of hand. You can even cap it all off with an ice cream cone (no cup!).
The disposables-free din-din requires only a little extra planning. Have a stack of cloth napkins or small cotton towels at the ready to wipe down hands and spills, and don’t forget to tell your friends to BYO their travel mugs—you’ll provide the punch. Lastly, as with all your outdoor eats, don’t forget to respect the two-hour rule.
Rice paper rolls
These might sound like something you’re more likely to order in than whip up, but trust us: Making rice-paper rolls is a fun and relatively easy activity. J. Kenji Lòpez-Alt’s easy vegan crispy tofu spring rolls are a great place to start—or you could try some summer rolls with jicama, watermelon, and herbs.
Wraps
Love & Lemons’ Jeanine Donofrio concocted her spinach-hummus wrap as a way of avoiding airplane food on a long flight. It’s bound to hold up as well at the picnic table as it did on her tray table. If you want to mix up your fillings, just be sure to heed her advice to steer clear of juicy add-ins like tomatoes.
Hot dogs
It’s not a holiday weekend in the summer without franks—the king of quick handheld bites—and plant-based varieties are better than they’ve ever been. We taste-tested five faux dogs to find the very best one. Just grab a bun and be glad the plant-based take on this cookout classic is pretty near hot dog heaven.
Empanadas
There’s nothing quite like a hand pie for self-contained snacking. Our flaky, meatless empanadas are as easy to make as they are to scarf thanks to frozen pastry dough. A make-ahead marvel, they can be frozen then reheated right before go-time.
Skewers
Who needs a fork when you can brandish a skewer? This tofu-vegetable satay with peanut sauce is a riff on Indonesian sate padang. Pack the sweet-smoky-spicy sauce on the side for dipping, or drizzle it right over the skewers in your carrying container. (It should firm up enough to swathe each one with minimal mess.)
Dessert bars
Melissa Clark’s creamy peach pie bars are a plate- and fork-free take on a classic. A cross between cheesecake, pie, and bar, the sumptuous squares make the most of late-summer peaches without the usual drip and dribble. Clark recommends serving them cold, so keep ’em in the cooler til you’re ready to dole ’em out.