Headed off on a summer adventure? This tasty lineup of pickled egg salad sandwiches, herby cobb pasta salad, and no-bake salted honey berry cheesecake jars are all quick and simple to whip up and don’t even require turning on the oven! Pack up this portable lunch spread and take it to the park, a hike, the pool, a road trip, or even your back yard!
Pickled Egg Salad Sandwiches
A tasty and flavorful spin on an iconic lunchtime sandwich
Ingredients
- 8 Vital Farms eggs, pickled (recipe below)
- 2 tablespoons brine from pickled eggs
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise, plus more for spreading on bread
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 large loaf of bread, such as a baguette or french loaf, sliced in half horizontally
- few handfuls of arugula
Instructions
- Remove the eggs from the brine, roughly chop them, and add to a medium bowl.
- Add in the brine, mayonnaise, Dijon, shallot, dill, salt and pepper. Stir everything to combine then taste for salt and pepper and adjust as necessary to your taste.
- Spread mayonnaise on both sides of the bread, layer on the egg salad, top with arugula and the top piece of bread.
- Slice the sandwich up into 4-6 sandwiches. Wrap in parchment or wax paper to take on the go.
Herby Cobb Pasta Salad
Cobb salad but make it pasta salad with perfectly hard-boiled eggs, crispy bacon, juicy tomatoes and punchy blue cheese all tossed in a creamy, herby dressing. Pack it up and take it on the go!
Ingredients
salad
- 1 pound short cut pasta, such as fusilli, cavatappi, or farfalle
- 6 Vital Farms eggs, hard-boiled
- 8 bacon slices, cooked and cooled
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 avocados, diced
- 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles, feel free to swap in feta or even Parmesan if you’re not a blue cheese fan
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 1/2 cup fresh tender herbs, finely chopped such as dill, basil, or chives
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Boil the pasta according to the package directions.
- Make the dressing by adding the mayonnaise, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper to a large bowl and whisk to combine.
- Roughly chop the bacon and eggs. Add them to the bowl with the dressing along with the pasta, avocado, blue cheese, and tomatoes. Gently toss to coat all ingredients in the dressing.
- Pack up in jars or transportable containers for your picnic!
No-Bake Salted Honey Berry Cheesecake Jars
A perfect little treat to make and take on the go for all your Summer adventures.
Ingredients
crust
- 5 ounces graham crackers
- 3 ounces mini pretzels
- 2 tablespoons honey
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup Vital Farms Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled slightly
cheesecake filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract
- 2 cups fresh berries, such as strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries, washed
Instructions
- Add the graham crackers and pretzels to a food processor and pulse until mixture resembles bread crumbs. Add in the honey, salt, and butter and pulse until combined and mixture starts to clump together. Set aside.
- Add the cream cheese and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and whip for a minute or so, until fluffy. Add in the honey and salt and beat again until mixture is well combined.
- In another bowl, add in the heavy cream and whip until soft peaks form. Gently fold whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until well combined.
- To assemble the cheesecakes, layer in about 2 tablespoons of the graham crumbs into the bottom of a small jar. Add a few dollops of the cheesecake mixture on top followed by a few berries. Repeat each of these layers once more.
- Add lids to all the jars and they’re picnic ready!
