Summer is a time when many of us eat at least some of our meals outdoors, which means looking for bright and delicious dishes that hold up to the rigors of car travel.

Those trips can come in the form of rolling out to a cookout or neighborhood get-together, but warm and sunny weather and kids being home from school also inspires impromptu picnics and trips to the pool, too — or maybe the beach or mountains, if you’re lucky.

Here’s a pitch from someone who spends hours (and hours) on the road each month making weekend trips to Northern Virginia: homemade eats are almost always cheaper and healthier than ones you get from a fast food or fast-casual restaurant.

Packing a picnic basket or cooler with scratch salads, sandwiches and desserts that you can reach for whenever you get the munchies on route is also quicker for those of us who like to get where they’re going in the shortest amount of time possible.

These recipes are easy to make in a short amount of time, with even limited culinary skills. And, importantly, they travel well.

These filling sammies are layered with a hearty mix of Italian meats, roasted red peppers, pesto, arugula and fresh mozzarella and then pressed under a weight (I used foil-wrapped bricks) until they are flat. A homemade olive tapenade adds a fresh, briny flavor.

These sandwiches are best made with a loaf or mini ciabatta, but any long and wide, crusty white bread will work, too. I used salami, prosciutto and soppressata, but you can easily individualize them with mortadella, ham, coppa or any other favorite meat.

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Pressed Italian Sandwiches

INGREDIENTS

1 loaf ciabatta or other long/wide crusty white bread, cut in half lengthwise with a serrated knife

4 tablespoons pesto, homemade or jarred

4 tablespoons olive tapenade, homemade or jarred

4 ounces salami, thinly sliced

4 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced

4 ounces spicy soppressata

8 ounces mozzarella, sliced

1/2 cup roasted red peppers from a jar, drained well and chopped

1/2 cup pepperoncini rings, drained well

2 large handfuls arugula

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS

Spread one side of the split ciabatta with pesto and the other with the olive tapenade.

Layer the three meats down the length of one half of ciabatta. Top the meats evenly with the roasted red peppers and pepperoncini.

Add mozzarella cheese in an even layer and season lightly with salt. Place arugula in a bowl, drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic, and season with a pinch more salt.

Place dressed arugula on top of cheese, and place the other half of ciabatta on top and press down firmly.

Wrap the loaf tightly in plastic and place on a sheet pan. Put another sheet pan upside down on top and weight it with something heavy, like a cast-iron skillet. (I used bricks wrapped in aluminum foil.)

Let the sandwich sit to press and chill overnight in the fridge. Slice crosswise into 6 even pieces and serve. To take on a picnic, wrap each sandwich in parchment, and tie with a pie of twine.

Serves 6.

— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

Nothing is easier to throw together quickly (and cheaply) than a big bowl of pasta salad. Since it’s summer, this iteration is dressed up with fresh veggies that are easy to find at any market in July — cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, greens and Italian garden herbs. The fact that even picky kids will eat pasta salad — especially when it includes mozzarella — makes it even more of a winner.

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Easy Pasta Salad

INGREDIENTS

For pasta

3 cups uncooked tubed or curly pasta

Extra virgin olive oil

2 large handfuls of cherry tomatoes

2 Persian cucumbers

2 cups arugula or baby spinach

1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

4 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn into bite-sized pieces

1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, optional

For dressing

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 small clove garlic, minced

Pinch of dried oregano

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water. When al dente, drain and toss with a little olive oil so it doesn’t stick together. Set aside to cool while you prepare vegetables.

Slice cherry tomatoes in half and cucumbers into half moons. Add to bowl with arugula or spinach, basil, parsley and mint.

Whisk together dressing ingredients in a small bowl or jar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add pasta to the bowl with the veggies, add mozzarella balls and Parmigiano-Reggiano, drizzle on the dressing and toss well to combine.

Serves 6.

— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

Pasta salad is great picnic food, and for munching in the car on the way. (Photo Metro Creative Services)