Best office potluck recipes
Halloween marks the opening of the office Pot-Luck Lunch Season, which lasts roughly until the American Football Super Bowl in January.
Yes, every time you turn around, there’s a sign up sheet for a gathering in the conference room.
If you are unlucky enough to get to the sheet before “drinks” or “plates and napkins” are spoken for, you have to bring something food-like to the shindig, and, sometimes the expectation is more than chips and salsa from the gas station market.
I usually have one or two items I always bring, one of which is Pumpkin Dip:
PUMPKIN DIP
4 c. confectioners sugar, sifted (I’ve had best results with name-brand sugar)
2 (8 oz. each) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 (30 oz.) can pumpkin pie filling mix
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground gingerIn a large mixing bowl, combine sugar and cream cheese, beating until well blended. Beat in remaining ingredients.
Makes about 7 cups of dip. (That’s a lot of dip, be warned)
Serve with ginger snaps, I like the fancy thin ones you can find in the deli with the cheeses, etc.
What is your favorite “go-to” recipe for office pot luck lunches? Is there anything that you are asked to bring over and over again? Is it easy enough for people like me to make?
Share your favorite take-along recipes.
My no-effort throw together is a recipe from Miss Daisy’s Tea Room in Franklin (which I’m sure is long gone). Stir together by hand one giant Cool Whip & one can of Eagle Brand & one can of cherry pie filling & half a can of crushed pineapple (drained). Chill until needed or make ahead of time and keep in freezer.
This recipe usually goes over very well. I usually double it though.
Cookie Dough Cheese Ball
8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4-1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1. Blend first 3 ingredients until creamy. Add powdered sugar and brown sugar mix well. Fold in choc. chips. Cover and refrigerate 3-4 hours. Shape into ball, wrap in saran wrap-again refrigerate 30 minutes or more. When ready to serve, take the ball out of the wrap and roll into the pecans or toffee bits. Serve with graham cracker sticks or vanilla wafers.
I keep these ingredients on hand for a spur of the moment (aka I forgot to stop at the store) dessert:
Dump Cake
1 yellow cake mix
1 can cherry pie filling
1 lg can crushed pineapple
1 stick butter melted
Grease 9×12 pan. Dump in cherry pie filling and pineapple (do not drain). Dump in dry cake mix. Drizzle with melted butter. Take a knife and poke it around the cake but do not stir. Bake at 350 til golden and bubbly and cobblery looking (30-40 mins). Could add chopped nuts or coconut 1/2 way through cooking time if desired. Could experiment with different flavor ways (spice cake and apple filling, yellow cake and peach filling, etc).
Unwrap a block of cream cheese, place on plate, dump a bottle of Pickapeppa sauce* over it and serve with Wheat Thins.
Crazy delicious.
*Also good with Raspberry Chipotle sauce.