Buffet Food

[Bubba]

OK, so there is a huge buffet at work for a popular lady who is leaving on Thursday. There are around 60 people bringing in random food items so we can all pig out when she leaves.

What kind of food stuff would you bring to a work buffet? What do you recommend I take to stand out from the crowd?

[Miriel]

We call that a potluck. The last potluck I went to, I made portobello fries with sriracha dipping sauce. I like cooking for people and I try and make things a bit out of the ordinary if I know I'll be feeding a group.

[Shorty]

We used to have potlucks all the damn time in church. I've made peach desserts and cheesecake bites in cupcake tins and cucumber lemonade and big, thick, fatty homemade onion rings. I like making desserts most of all!

Common things are salads of almost any kind - potato salad, egg salad, macaroni salad, casseroles, lasagna, buffalo wings, chili, stuffed mushrooms, baked potatoes, grilled corn, pasta, etc. Dips, spreads and breads do well - cheese, meat and crackers, artichoke dip, spinach dip, and french bread, etc. I love it when people bring pulled pork, oh my god. Homemade pulled pork straight from the crock pot that you can just pull onto a roll and eat is so damn good. But people like unique things! If you have a family dish that your mom or another family member makes, ask them for the recipe.

Here's a list of no-bake options to bring to a potluck. They sound pretty good! - 33 Delicious No-Cook Dishes To Bring To A Holiday Party (http://www.buzzfeed.com/christinebyrne/delicious-no-cook-dishes-to-bring-to-a-holiday-party)

[Bubba]

Thanks Shorty! I really need to make more of an effort this time instead of bringing in a couple of tubes of Pringles...

Never heard of potluck in relation to food before but I quite like it! I'll stick to calling it a 'buffet' in work though as not cause widespread confusion and panic.

[Moogle Chrome]

I am somewhat of a soup/stew/chili master. I love rocking the office with some spice!

[noxious.sunshine]

We used to do week-long potlucks at the school I worked at and everyone would sign up for a different day to participate..

Something I've noticed is that sides & appetizers are the most popular thing that people bring.. I've done it myself- my mom's cheese ball, her potato salad, bacon wrapped walnuts, etc ... Bacon wrapped walnuts are pretty cheap and a mega cinch to make, actually!

For something a little bit more substantial/mini entrees, you could do like turkey & cheese pinwheels- just make wraps with whole wheat flour tortillas and slice them into 2" pieces - some plain, some with mayo, tomato, & lettuce, or make a big batch of chicken salad and take some croissants along for people to slice and make sandwiches with..

I love making soups and things, but I typically keep those out of a potluck equation simply because that would involve bringing in a crock pot to keep it warm- which I don't have (& desperately want) & would be a major pain to cart around, I should think!