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Christmas Potluck Ideas for Work
Portable dishes for the office Christmas party, from veg platters to sausage rolls to cookies.
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One Mumsnet poster says they really appreciate vegetables at a work potluck, and the original poster loved the idea of token carrot sticks to break up the beige. The other brief to remember: portable, and fine eaten cold, since in that thread the basics were already taken. These ideas mix make-ahead sweets and savories with easy platters, drawn from a Christmas dish roundup and that thread. Anything that needs an oven at the office is out.
Why these items are on the list
- Raw veggie platter with dip. Cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes, mini carrots. One Mumsnet poster says bagged carrot sticks went down well with dips.
- Potato and pea samosas. A Mumsnet poster says they're vegan depending on the pastry, and thinks store-bought or homemade would be equally fine.
- Goat cheese chutney sausage rolls. A Mumsnet poster found them easy with store-bought puff pastry, and says they can be served at room temperature.
- Vegetarian sausage rolls. Delia's recipe says they can be frozen before cooking, then glazed and cooked from frozen for about 30-35 minutes.
- Cheese board with bread. A Mumsnet poster suggests adding mixed nuts and fruit alongside. Nothing to cook.
- Fruit platter. A Mumsnet poster suggests satsumas, apples, ripe pears and small bananas as a contrast to the usual buffet.
- Crisps and dips. One of the thread's no-cook suggestions, so there's nothing to reheat.
- Falafel to share. Two people in the thread suggested it; one lists it among options for if you can't be bothered cooking.
- Pork pie or Scotch eggs. The thread's pick if you can't be bothered to make anything yourself.
- Tandoori chicken bites. A Mumsnet poster marinates chicken in yoghurt and tandoori mix, bakes, cools, skewers with cucumber, and serves with chutney.
- Next-level potato salad. One Mumsnet poster linked a BBC Good Food recipe for it.
- 7 layer salad. Hungry Cooks Kitchen says it travels well and balances heavier mains on the table.
- Nigella's Parmesan shortbread wafers. One thread poster says they always go down well and are a bit different.
- Christmas tree sugar cookies. Hungry Cooks Kitchen says cookies travel well for work, and people of all ages reach for seconds.
- Cinnamon sugar blondies. Hungry Cooks Kitchen calls them easy to pack and simple to share at school or work.
- Blueberry cheesecake. Hungry Cooks Kitchen says it travels well made ahead, so it's stress-free.
- Chocolate truffles. Hungry Cooks Kitchen says they look fancy and box up nicely for gift swaps or sharing.
- Cheddar bay sausage balls. Hungry Cooks Kitchen says they're bite-size and surprisingly good with dips or plain.
- Fruit cake. Hungry Cooks Kitchen says it packs easily for sharing and works with coffee after the meal.
Tick off what you'll bring, then post it in the group chat so nobody doubles up.
When to use it
Use it when the office signup sheet goes around, and again the evening before when you're packing the dish.