Bruschetta Bar Indoor Picnic – It’s Magnifico!

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One of my favorite vacations was a trip to Italy, where I ate bruschetta at neighborhood cafes. Enjoy bruschetta anytime with a Bruschetta Bar Indoor Picnic!

Summer may be the quintessential time for picnics at the park, but you can have an indoor picnic anytime of the year. For my indoor picnic I’m serving some simple, but beautiful finger food. We’re having a bruschetta bar indoor picnic!

Many moons ago my husband and I spent 10 days in Italy, specifically in Sicily. It was one of the greatest vacations I have ever taken. The history, the sights, and most definitely the food. I have never eaten so much or so well on a vacation. It was a good thing we also walked a lot during that trip. While I can’t make an exact replica, nothing compares to fresh olive oil, I can certainly come close.

To create the bruschetta I first grabbed a loaf of some fresh bread from the bakery. Preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the top slot of the oven and use a bread knife to slice the baguette diagonally, making half-inch thick slices. Brush one side of each slice with olive oil and then place them olive oil side down on a baking sheet. Toast the slices for 6 minutes, or until they are lightly browned around the edges.

While the bread is toasting gather your toppings. I picked up some salami, pancetta, and prosciutto from the deli section. I also picked up some fresh basil leaves and a pint of cherry tomatoes. I sliced the cherry tomatoes in half and stuck them in the oven while I was toasting my bread slices to slightly roast them. To finish off my bruschetta spread I picked up a package of Kraft French Onion Dip at Walmart.

To set the table for our indoor picnic I made some simple DIY paper pinwheel name tags. They are attached to plastic straws with push pins, and a piece of tape around the straw is the perfect spot to write each guests name.

Along with our bruschetta bar I sliced up some carrot and celery slices. Placing a few in clear plastic cups is a great way for each guest to get their own serving size of vegetables for dipping.

You can’t go wrong with lemonade at a picnic, indoor or outdoor. While I used powdered lemonade for our drinks, I also sliced up a few lemons for garnish. And served them in small mason jar glasses.

Let everyone pick and choose from the toppings, combining them in various ways to customize their bruschetta. Don’t forget some dip for the veggie slices.

Picnic food that you can eat with your fingers is the best. Add a cold drink and you have all the elements you need for an indoor picnic. And if the weather is nice it’s simple to move everything outdoors.

I would say bon appetit. But that’s French, and this is a bruschetta bar. So instead I’ll say, “Magnifico!”

For dessert make sure to serve these hand-held lemon pies! And then play a game of tic-tac-toe with your own DIY board.