The best potluck dishes for work and office luncheon parties. From main dishes, sides and work potluck desserts, you’ll love all these easy and QUICK potluck ideas! It’s 5pm the day BEFORE your lunch potluck office party and you need to bring a dish to share… Now what? Nothing like waiting until the last minute right?
The GOOD news is – been there, done THAT. Let me show you the Bring a Dish ideas I take to MY office parties.
Updated on September 28, 2023
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So there I was…it was 5pm on a school night – my office party was the next day – and I had to bring a dish.
Needless to say, I needed something quick since this was all happening last minute…AND I really wanted something cheap to make or BUY.
So – time to brainstorm some type of food dish to take… and do it QUICKLY because the family needed dinner too.. and they are a BUNCH of picky eaters!
Desserts
My go-to dish to bring to any buffet style party is always the easiest potluck dessert recipe on my list: my “famous” brownies.
WHY they’re famous? Heck if I know – they’re BOX MIX brownies haha!
I use this brownie mix and then add an additional egg to make them “cakier”.
Using only ONE egg (as directed on the box) makes the brownies really gooey – and they’re GOOD – but the extra added egg makes them easier to cut and serve individually (and make MUCH less mess too!)
I also sprinkle sprinkles on top of the brownies before I bake them. The colors and/or shapes of the sprinkles varies depending on the season or holiday theme.
BUT here’s the problem – this particular office party organizer did not WANT anyone to bring desserts – so my famous brownies were OUT.
(just a fun side note: SHE ended up bring brownies!)
If you’re looking for DESSERTS for your lunch potluck at work, here are some of my favorite places to find easy desserts to make for a crowd:
1 – ✅ 15 Large Batch Desserts With Few Ingredients For Potlucks and Parties – Need something SWEET for a crowd? Try these 15 large batch desserts with few ingredients for your work party.
2 – 9×13 Dessert Recipes – Easy 9×13 Dessert Recipes – 15 of our most popular dessert recipes that are made in a 9×13-inch pan. Cakes, cheesecakes, coffee cakes & more!
3 – 45 Tasty Sheet Pan Desserts – These Sheet Pan Dessert recipes are perfect for feeding a crowd! There’s everything from cookie bars to brownies to cakes to pies and more. So many simple recipes!
4 – ✅ The Best Blueberry Dessert Recipes You’ll EVER Make (so EASY too!) – Need blueberry recipes? You MUST try these easy blueberry desserts for fresh and frozen blueberries! Super easy and quick blueberry desserts for a lunch potluck crowd.
Alrighty, let’s get back to potluck main dishes and sides…
Lunch Potluck Sides
I have these side dish recipes I make for Thanksgiving and Christmas – but those are more for a dinner main meal. My office party was more of a luncheon type thing.
Plus, if I go bee-bopping into the office with a pyrex dish full of carrots, they’ll probably hate me haha!
I seriously considered this cheesy mashed potato casserole – but I’ll be honest with you… I did NOT feel like COOKING anything.
Here are more easy potluck side dishes for your work lunch party:
1 – 50 Easy Dump and Go Side Dishes – With minimal prep time and your trusty slow cooker, these dump-n-go side dishes are perfect for a lunch potluck at work.
2 – 10 Easy Potluck Salad Recipes – Looking for salad recipes to serve at your potluck this season? Check out these quick and delicious ideas that really are the best!
3 – 50 Easy & Quick Side Dishes to Bring to a Cookout – Looking for something easy and delicious to bring to your next cookout or barbeque? These tasty salads and sides are always crowd pleasers for any gathering!
4 – 10 Crowd Pleasing Potluck Dishes – Easy Recipes to Feed a Crowd – These potluck recipes will make it easy. We found easy Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Dishes – Easy Recipes to Feed a Crowd.
So – what else to make and bring?
Main Dish Ideas
I thought about ordering a few pizzas and have them delivered to the office – but that would NOT be cheap.
Or just buy some chips and salsa – but that would make me LOOK cheap.
I also have this recipe for party meatballs which is SUPER easy (the recipe is about half way down that page).
Just dump frozen meatballs and a two other ingredients into your crockpot and let them slow cook – but I didn’t have that much time and did not want to keep my crockpot on overnight (I’m still haunted by that This Is Us storyline ha!)
That site I mentioned above with the cold appetizers also had this BRILLIANT idea that I knew I could whip together in a snap:
Cold chicken salad croissants!
The chicken salad shortcut she recommended is what drew me to her idea.
She uses CANNED chicken breast (ie, white meat) mixed with mayo and some seasonings to make the chicken salad really fast.
So, I ran to the store and bought canned cooked chicken meat. I thought about just buying tubs of pre-made chicken salad, but it was actually more expensive.
I also bought the croissants from the bakery department and then went to the produce area and bought some tomatoes to slice up, a bag of shredded lettuce, a bag of cheese, some grapes and some celery to chop up.
My chicken salad only had the chicken meat, mayo and few spices – I didn’t add anything else to it.
Why? Because SO many of my office co-workers have food allergies. Some are lactose intolerant, some hate tomatoes, some don’t like lettuce…and there’s even one employee that is allergic to celery.
Everything else I bought from the produce department I served separately so they could pick and choose the chicken salad croissant toppings as they liked.
Let me tell you something – those people GOBBLED them up! I didn’t even get one!
Those chicken salad croissants are now one of my favorite NO COOK party food ideas.
Here’s my “notes to self” for this bring a dish sandwich platter recipe in case you want to save it too:
Office Party Food Ideas
Here are some more office party food ideas I considered:
– No Boil Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese
Luncheon Food For Work
1 – ✅ Potluck Dishes, Recipes and Ideas For Work, Church or ANY Holiday Bring-A-Dish Party – Best EASY potluck dishes, potluck recipes and potluck ideas for work, office, church or as easy party food for a crowd or food for special events – hot, cold, side dishes, themed food ideas, finger foods, appetizers, casseroles, salads, desserts and crockpot potluck dishes.
LOTS of office party food ideas for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner – store bought ideas too. Here’s what to TAKE to a potluck at work last minute or make ahead for a large group.
2 – What Are the Best Dishes to Bring to an Office Potluck? Need ideas for an upcoming potluck at work or elsewhere? Here are some great options, along with suggestions of what not to bring.
3 – 15 Easy Potluck Recipes – If you’re looking for something easy to take to a potluck this weekend, we’ve got you covered with 15 delicious and easy potluck-friendly recipes.
4 – Feeding a Crowd on a Budget – Easy Large Group Meals – EASY large group meals for feeding a crowd on a budget – simple easy meals for parties, lunches, church dinner, potluck at work or block party outdoor party or picnic for family reunion Simple make ahead no cook COLD finger food and main dish ideas.
Hope that helps!
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