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When you’re doing your meal planning for an office lunch, you’re definitely going to want to figure out some easy potluck dishes and avoid the complicated ones. These lists of food for special events will give oyu some ideas for things that you can make and transport easily, or buy at the last minute if you’re in a pinch.
We also provide links to other articles that can help you figure out how much food you’ll need to feed a crowd so that oyu can keep your budget on track.
Potluck food ideas that you can buy.
The easiest things to bring to a work potluck are foods that you can buy and bring with you without having to worry about refrigeration or keeping things warm. They’re going to include a lot of food that would work at a picnic or casual gathering, but could also be things that might require a little special treatment but could also be eaten at room temperature.
Click on the links for article about how much of each type of food to buy for a group, including serving charts.
- Chips and salsa
- Store-bought veggie platter
- Pre-made deli sandwiches
- Cheese and cracker tray
- Hummus and pita bread
- Pre-made pasta salad
- Rotisserie chicken
- Chicken wings
- Fried chicken
- Bagged salad mix with dressing
- Assorted chips and dip
- Bread rolls
- Fresh fruit platter
- Individually packaged snacks
- Coleslaw
- Spring rolls
- Shrimp cocktail platter
- Sushi rolls
- Pizza
- Potato salad
No-cook options
If you need something that you don’t need to spend a lot of time cooking, these are some options that would work. Some of them can also be purchased at the grocery store deil or made ahead and kept refrigerated until it’s time to take them to work.
Click on the links for article about how much of each type of food to buy for a group, including serving charts.
- Sandwiches
- Wraps
- Fruit salad
- Cold pasta salad
- Antipasto platter
- Marinated vegetables
- Deviled eggs
- Caesar salad
- Stuffed mushrooms
- Chicken or tuna salad
Click here for an article about potluck brunch ideas for work.
Drinks
If you’re in charge of bringing drinks to the potluck, you’ll need to figure out how many people there will be and how long the lunch is going to last. These are some options, and you can click here to get an idea about how many sodas you should buy for a group. That should give you an idea about the rest of these options, too.
- Bottled water
- Soda
- Iced tea
- Lemonade
- Sparkling water
- Iced coffee
- Hot coffee
- Pre-made punch
- Energy drinks
- Flavored water
Desserts
Desserts for a potluck are going to be the thing that people linger over. If the party is at lunchtime most of the food is going to be wrapped up and put away afterward, but the desserts will probably be left out for people to grab as the afternoon goes on. You should probably focus on things that can sit out at room temperature for that reason, but these are some options to consider.
Click on the links to see articles about how much of each food you’ll need for a group.
- Brownies
- Cookies
- Cupcakes
- Fruit tart
- Pie
- Donuts and Donut Holes
- Cake pops
- Cheesecake bites
- Mini pastries
- Chocolate-covered strawberries
- Carrot cake
- Chocolate cake
Things that are easy to make in a crockpot
These dishes are easy to make ahead of time in a crockpot so that you can take them to the office, or you can prep them in the morning and plug the crockpot in when you get to work so that they’re ready when the party starts.
Click on the links to see serving charts about how much of each food you’ll need for a group.
- Chili
- Meatballs
- Pulled pork for sandwiches
- Baked beans
- Mac and cheese
- Soup
- Slow-cooked chicken
- Cocktail sausages
- Vegetable stew
- Beef Stew
- Sausage and peppers
- Gumbo
- Brunswick stew
- Sloppy Joes
Baked Dishes To Make
If you want to cook ahead, and you have a way of warming things up when you get to work, you can make something in a casserole dish that can be transported. These are some meals that you can make and take to work, and you can click on the links for more information about how much of each you’ll need.
Click here for tips on how to keep food warm when you’re serving a crowd.
- Baked Ziti
- Fried Rice
- Mini quiches
- Taco casserole
- Jalapeno poppers
- Lasagna
- Garlic bread
- Enchiladas
- Crab cakes
- Roasted potatoes
- Twice-baked potatoes
- Chicken and rice casserole
- Teriyaki chicken
- Stuffed peppers
- Pasta Carbonara
- Roasted vegetables
- Roasted brussels sprouts