A summer-games picnic: menus for watching big events outdoors

When a big summer sporting event is on, people want to watch it together. A picnic or backyard viewing party makes it easy: a screen, a few blankets and a spread of food that does not need a host standing at the stove through every race. Here is how to make it work.

Plan the setup first

• Screen and sound. A projector on a white sheet or a TV near an outdoor outlet will do. Test the signal in daylight, because glare is the enemy. If you cannot watch outside, a speaker playing the commentary works for races and matches.
• Seating. Folding chairs, blankets, a few cushions. Keep a clear path to the food.
• Shade. Umbrellas or a pop-up tent. Food and people do better out of direct sun.
• Bugs and bins. Citronella candles, a lidded rubbish bin and a recycling bag. Your neighbours will thank you.

Check local rules if you are using a public park: some have limits on alcohol, barbecues or amplified sound.

The menu: food you can eat with one hand

People will be looking at the screen, so choose food that needs no cutlery.

Hot, from the grill (or the oven)

• Chicken skewers with lemon and oregano
• Veggie or beef burgers with a topping bar
• Corn on the cob, brushed with butter and lime

Cold and make-ahead

• A big pasta salad with cherry tomatoes, olives and herbs
• Bean and corn salad with lime and coriander
• Watermelon wedges with salt and mint
• Cucumber sticks with yogurt dip
• Wraps cut into pinwheels

For grazing

• Chips and salsa
• A cheese and fruit board
• Popcorn in paper cones

Sweet

• Brownies or oat cookies
• Frozen fruit pops
• A cooler of ice cream sandwiches

Quantities, roughly

For 10 people, plan about:

• 2 to 3 skewers or burgers each
• 1 big bowl of each salad (about 2 litres)
• 1 medium watermelon
• 2 to 3 drinks per person per hour of viewing, and more water than you think

Keep it safe in the heat

This is the part many people forget.

1. Cold food stays cold. Keep it in a cooler with ice packs until you serve, and refill small bowls rather than putting everything out at once.
2. Two hour rule. Perishable food should not sit out more than two hours, and no more than one hour if it is hot out. When in doubt, throw it out.
3. Cook meat properly. Use a thermometer. Chicken is safe at 74 C inside, burgers at 71 C.
4. Separate raw and cooked. Do not put cooked skewers back on the plate that held raw meat.
5. Wash hands or provide sanitizing wipes near the food.
6. Water. Put out a jug with citrus and plenty of cups, especially for kids and older guests.

This is general food-safety information. If someone has a health condition or allergy, check with them in advance and label your dishes.

Make it a game

• Pick a country or athlete for each guest and keep score on a chalkboard.
• Match the snack to the event. Light salads for a long track day, a bigger spread for a long match.
• Give kids their own table with paper, crayons and something to nibble.

What can go wrong

• Rain. Have a plan B indoors or a tarp ready. Skewers and burgers can switch to the oven.
• The signal drops. Keep the event on a phone as backup.
• Everyone arrives at once. Put out snacks and drinks first so there is no queue.
• Too much food. Pack leftover salads and fruit in containers for guests to take home.

For more crowd-friendly menus, see our dinner parties section.

Whatever the result on screen, a good picnic is its own kind of win: cold watermelon, a shared blanket and people cheering at the same moment.