Work Potluck Ideas: 20 Cheap Crowd-Pleasing Picks Coworkers Will Ask You to Bring Again

These work potluck ideas are for the moment the sign-up sheet lands on your desk and every good dish is already taken. Searches for potluck food ideas for work just jumped to Breakout level on Google Trends this month, right as office holiday parties fill the calendar. The best office dishes have a few things in common. They cost little, they ride in the car without spilling, and they need no oven at work, only a slow cooker plug or nothing at all. They are also easy to eat standing up with a paper plate in one hand. Good work potluck ideas also leave you with no dishes to scrub at your desk. Below you will find 19 crowd dishes, each with a short shopping list and simple steps, plus the food safety rule every potluck needs. Which one will you sign up for..

Work Potluck Ideas Start With a Slow Cooker of Meatballs

The office potluck sign-up sheet just went around, and the safest bet on it is a slow cooker of sweet and tangy meatballs. Frozen meatballs, a jar of grape jelly and a bottle of chili sauce are all you need. You dump them in at home, carry the crock in, plug it in and set it to warm. No reheating, no oven fights and no leftovers to haul home. Most people grab three or four with a toothpick, so one bag feeds the whole team. Will you bring the meatballs or the dessert this year..

You will need: 1 bag (about 2 lb) frozen cooked meatballs, 1 jar (18 oz) grape jelly, 1 bottle (12 oz) chili sauce, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, toothpicks.

How to make it: 1. Whisk the jelly, chili sauce and Worcestershire in the slow cooker. 2. Add the frozen meatballs and stir to coat. 3. Cook on low 4 hours or high 2 hours, stirring once. 4. Switch to warm before you leave home. 5. Wrap the lid with a towel and carry it upright. 6. Plug in at work, keep it on warm and set toothpicks beside it.

Cheeseburger Sliders Baked on One Sheet Pan

Sliders are the handheld hero of any office party. A whole pack of slider rolls bakes as one slab, so you build 12 little cheeseburgers in the time it takes to make one. Cut them apart at home, nestle them back in the pan and cover with foil. They taste great warm or at room temperature, so they are fine even if the party starts late. Few work potluck ideas are this easy to scale up.

You will need: 1 pack (12) slider rolls, 1 1/2 lb ground beef, 1 small onion diced, 6 slices American cheese, 3 tbsp butter melted, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp sesame seeds, pickles and ketchup on the side.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350 F. 2. Brown the beef and onion, season with salt and pepper and drain. 3. Slice the rolls in half as one sheet and set the bottoms in a 9×13 pan. 4. Spread the beef, then lay the cheese on top. 5. Add the roll tops, brush with garlic butter and sprinkle with sesame. 6. Bake 15 minutes covered, then 5 uncovered.

Tortilla Pinwheels You Can Roll the Night Before

Pinwheels are cheap, colorful and made for grazing. Flour tortillas get a ranch cream cheese spread, then deli turkey and a few bright vegetables. Roll them tight, wrap them and let them chill overnight so they slice clean. One pack of tortillas gives you about 50 bites. They also keep their shape on the drive in, which is a big plus for any list of work potluck ideas.

You will need: 8 large flour tortillas, 2 blocks (8 oz each) cream cheese softened, 1 packet ranch seasoning, 1 cup shredded cheddar, 1/2 lb thin deli turkey, 1/2 cup diced red pepper, 2 green onions sliced.

How to make it: 1. Beat the cream cheese with the ranch seasoning and cheddar. 2. Spread a thin layer over each tortilla right to the edge. 3. Lay turkey over the spread and sprinkle with pepper and onion. 4. Roll up tightly and wrap each roll in plastic. 5. Chill at least 4 hours or overnight. 6. Trim the ends and slice into 1 inch rounds.

Work Potluck Ideas Love a Seven-Layer Dip

This dip has been a party favorite since the 1980s for good reason. It goes straight from your fridge to the table in its own 9×13 dish, needs no heat and serves at least 15 people. The layers of beans, sour cream, salsa, cheese and toppings mean every scoop tastes a little different. Bring a big bag of sturdy tortilla chips with it.

You will need: 1 can (16 oz) refried beans, 1 packet taco seasoning, 1 cup sour cream, 1 1/2 cups guacamole, 1 cup salsa, 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, 1 cup chopped tomatoes, 1/2 cup sliced black olives, 3 green onions, tortilla chips.

How to make it: 1. Stir the taco seasoning into the refried beans. 2. Spread the beans in the bottom of a 9×13 dish. 3. Add a layer of sour cream, then guacamole. 4. Spoon salsa over the top and spread gently. 5. Cover with cheese, tomatoes, olives and green onions. 6. Cover tightly and chill until you leave.

Work Potluck Ideas on a Budget: Italian Pasta Salad

Pasta salad is one of the cheapest ways to feed a crowd, and it actually tastes better the next day. A pound of pasta, a bottle of Italian dressing and whatever vegetables you have make a huge bowl for well under fifteen dollars. It needs no plug, no heat and no serving fuss. Just keep it cold in a cooler until lunch. That is why it shows up on almost every list of work potluck ideas.

You will need: 1 lb penne or rotini, 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved, 1 cucumber diced, 1/2 red onion diced, 1 cup black olives, 4 oz salami diced, 8 oz mozzarella cubes, 1 cup Italian dressing, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan.

How to make it: 1. Cook the pasta in salted water until just tender. 2. Rinse with cold water and drain well. 3. Toss with half the dressing while still slightly warm. 4. Add the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives, salami and mozzarella. 5. Chill overnight in a covered bowl. 6. Stir in the rest of the dressing and the Parmesan before serving.

Buffalo Chicken Dip Kept Warm in the Crock

If your office has one slow cooker plug left, use it for this. Buffalo chicken dip is creamy, a little spicy and always one of the first dishes scraped clean. A rotisserie chicken keeps the cost and the work low. Mix everything at home, warm it in the slow cooker and bring celery sticks and crackers for dipping. Mild or hot: which side is your office on?

You will need: 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, 8 oz cream cheese softened, 1/2 cup hot sauce, 1/2 cup ranch dressing, 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar, celery sticks, crackers or tortilla chips.

How to make it: 1. Add the cream cheese, hot sauce and ranch to a small slow cooker. 2. Stir in the chicken and 1 cup of the cheddar. 3. Cook on low 2 hours, stirring once. 4. Top with the rest of the cheddar and cover until melted. 5. Switch to warm for the drive. 6. Serve with celery, crackers and chips.

Cowboy Caviar Bean Salad for Under Ten Dollars

Cowboy caviar is the budget star of the potluck table. Canned beans, corn and a few fresh vegetables get tossed in a simple lime dressing. It is bright, crunchy and naturally vegan, so the coworkers with diet rules always have something to eat. It works as a dip with chips or as a side salad on the plate. It keeps for three days in the fridge, which makes it one of the smartest work potluck ideas to prep early.

You will need: 1 can black beans, 1 can black-eyed peas, 1 can corn (all drained and rinsed), 1 red pepper diced, 1/2 red onion diced, 2 Roma tomatoes diced, 1 jalapeno minced, 1/2 cup cilantro, 1/3 cup olive oil, juice of 2 limes, salt.

How to make it: 1. Put the beans, peas and corn in a large bowl. 2. Add the pepper, onion, tomatoes, jalapeno and cilantro. 3. Whisk the oil, lime juice and 1 tsp salt. 4. Pour over the salad and toss well. 5. Chill at least 1 hour so the flavors mix. 6. Serve cold with a slotted spoon and tortilla chips.

Work Potluck Ideas for a Crowd: Pulled Pork Sandwiches

A pork shoulder is one of the cheapest cuts per serving, and the slow cooker does all the work overnight. In the morning you shred it, stir in barbecue sauce and carry the whole crock to work. Set out a bag of slider buns and a bowl of coleslaw so people can build their own. Twenty people can eat for about the price of one takeout order, and that is what great work potluck ideas are all about.

You will need: 4 lb boneless pork shoulder, 1 onion sliced, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 cups barbecue sauce, 20 slider buns, coleslaw.

How to make it: 1. Mix the sugar, paprika, garlic powder and salt and rub it over the pork. 2. Put the onion in the slow cooker and set the pork on top. 3. Pour in the vinegar. 4. Cook on low 8 to 10 hours. 5. Shred with two forks, drain some liquid and stir in the barbecue sauce. 6. Keep on warm and serve with buns and slaw.

Work Potluck Ideas the Whole Team Builds: Walking Tacos

Walking tacos are the most fun dish on this list. Everyone gets a small bag of corn chips, crushes it a little, opens the top and spoons in warm taco meat and toppings. No plates and no forks to wash. You bring the meat in a slow cooker and the toppings in small containers. It is a cheap taco bar that people can carry back to their desk.

You will need: 2 lb ground beef, 2 packets taco seasoning, 1 can (15 oz) black beans drained, 20 single serve bags of corn chips, 2 cups shredded lettuce, 2 cups shredded cheese, 1 cup diced tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, jalapenos.

How to make it: 1. Brown the beef and drain the fat. 2. Stir in the taco seasoning, beans and 1 cup water and simmer 10 minutes. 3. Move it to a slow cooker on warm. 4. Pack each topping in its own small container. 5. At work, set out the chip bags, the meat and the toppings in a row. 6. Each person crushes a bag, opens it and fills it up.

Big Batch Beef Chili With a Toppings Tray

Chili is the cozy option when the office party lands on a cold December day. One big pot feeds a crowd for very little money, and it holds well on the warm setting for hours. Bring small cups, spoons and a tray of toppings so everyone can make their own bowl. Among cold weather work potluck ideas, it is hard to beat. Do you put beans in your chili, or are you a no-bean person?

You will need: 2 lb ground beef, 1 large onion diced, 3 cloves garlic, 2 cans (15 oz) kidney beans drained, 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes, 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce, 3 tbsp chili powder, 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp salt; toppings: cheese, sour cream, green onions, crackers.

How to make it: 1. Brown the beef with the onion and garlic and drain. 2. Add everything to a large slow cooker. 3. Stir in the chili powder, cumin and salt. 4. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours. 5. Taste and add more salt or spice if needed. 6. Carry it in on warm and set the toppings beside it.

Make-Ahead Lasagna in a Disposable Foil Pan

A foil pan lasagna is the classic potluck move because you never have to ask for your dish back. Build it the night before, bake it in the morning and wrap it in towels so it stays hot until lunch. One deep pan serves 12 hearty squares. For more crowd dishes that travel well, see our Friendsgiving potluck recipes that travel well. Then put your name next to the main dish slot.

You will need: 12 lasagna noodles, 1 lb Italian sausage, 1 jar (24 oz) marinara, 15 oz ricotta, 1 egg, 3 cups shredded mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, a deep foil pan with a lid.

How to make it: 1. Cook the noodles and brown the sausage, then stir in the marinara. 2. Mix the ricotta, egg, Italian seasoning and half the Parmesan. 3. Spread a little sauce in the pan and add 4 noodles. 4. Layer ricotta, sauce and mozzarella, and repeat twice. 5. Top with the rest of the cheese, cover and chill overnight. 6. Bake covered at 375 F for 50 minutes, then uncovered 10 minutes.

Cheese and Olive Antipasto Bites on Toothpicks

Not everyone at work wants a heavy plate, and these little bites are perfect for grazing between meetings. Cubes of cheese, olives and a few slices of salami go on toothpicks and line up on a tray. They take 20 minutes, need no cooking and look much fancier than they cost. Keep them covered and cold in a cooler until it is time to eat.

You will need: 8 oz cheddar or provolone cubed, 8 oz Gouda or pepper jack cubed, 1 cup green olives, 1 cup black olives, 4 oz salami slices folded, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, toothpicks, olive oil, dried oregano.

How to make it: 1. Cut the cheeses into bite size cubes. 2. Fold each salami slice into quarters. 3. Thread an olive, a cheese cube and a salami fold on each toothpick. 4. Add a tomato to some for color. 5. Lay them on a tray and drizzle with a little oil and oregano. 6. Cover and chill until you leave.

Three-Ingredient Sausage Balls

Sausage balls are a Southern holiday classic and one of the easiest dishes you can sign up for. Sausage, baking mix and sharp cheddar get mixed by hand, rolled and baked. They are great warm or at room temperature, so they work even if your office has no microwave free. Make a double batch, because they vanish fast and freeze well too.

You will need: 1 lb breakfast sausage (regular or hot), 2 cups baking mix, 4 cups shredded sharp cheddar (16 oz), honey mustard or ranch for dipping.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 375 F and line two pans with parchment. 2. Mix the raw sausage, baking mix and cheese with your hands until combined. 3. Roll into 1 inch balls. 4. Set them 1 inch apart on the pans. 5. Bake 18 to 22 minutes until golden and cooked through. 6. Cool a little and pack in a lined container with the dip.

Cranberry Brie Bites in Crescent Cups

These look like they came from a caterer, but they are made in a mini muffin pan in about 25 minutes. Squares of crescent dough are pressed into the cups and filled with a cube of brie and a spoon of cranberry sauce. They are sweet, salty and festive, and they hold up fine at room temperature. Add a pecan on top for crunch. Of all the fancy looking work potluck ideas here, this is the cheapest.

You will need: 1 can (8 oz) crescent dough sheet, 6 oz brie cut in 24 small cubes, 1/2 cup whole berry cranberry sauce, 1/4 cup chopped pecans, fresh rosemary or thyme.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 375 F and grease a 24 cup mini muffin pan. 2. Unroll the dough and cut it into 24 squares. 3. Press each square into a cup. 4. Add a cube of brie and a small spoon of cranberry sauce. 5. Sprinkle with pecans. 6. Bake 12 to 15 minutes and top with a tiny herb sprig.

Berry Fruit Skewers for a Fresh Break

After all the cheese and meat, a tray of fruit skewers is the thing people are secretly happy to see. Strawberries, blueberries and grapes on wooden skewers are easy to grab and easy to eat while you talk. They add color to the table and cost very little in winter if you mix in grapes and frozen thawed berries. Kids at family office parties love them too, so they are good work potluck ideas for mixed crowds.

You will need: 1 lb strawberries hulled, 1 pint blueberries, 2 cups green grapes, 1 cup pineapple chunks, 30 short wooden skewers, 1 cup vanilla yogurt with 1 tbsp honey for dipping.

How to make it: 1. Wash and dry all the fruit well. 2. Cut large strawberries in half. 3. Thread the fruit on skewers in a repeating pattern. 4. Lay them on a tray in rows. 5. Stir the honey into the yogurt for a dip. 6. Cover and keep cold until serving.

Work Potluck Ideas for Dessert: Sheet Pan Brownie Bites

Brownies are the dessert nobody ever leaves on the table. Baking them in a sheet pan instead of a square pan doubles the batch, and cutting them into small bites makes one pan serve about 40 people. Box mix is fine here; nobody at work will judge. Dust the top with a little powdered sugar to make them look like snow for the holidays.

You will need: 2 boxes brownie mix plus the eggs, oil and water on the boxes, 1 cup chocolate chips, powdered sugar for dusting, or a homemade batter of 1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 4 eggs, 3/4 cup cocoa and 1 cup flour.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350 F and line a half sheet pan with parchment. 2. Mix both brownie boxes in one bowl. 3. Stir in the chocolate chips. 4. Spread evenly in the pan. 5. Bake 22 to 25 minutes until a toothpick has moist crumbs. 6. Cool fully, lift out, cut into 1 1/2 inch squares and dust with sugar.

Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars With Sprinkles

Decorating 50 cut-out cookies is a full day of work. Sugar cookie bars give you the same taste in one pan with no rolling and no cookie cutters. A thick, soft cookie layer gets pink or white frosting and a shower of red and green sprinkles. Cut them into small squares and they look festive on the dessert end of the table.

You will need: 1 cup butter softened, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 2 eggs, 2 tsp vanilla, 3 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt; frosting: 1/2 cup butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, 3 tbsp milk, red and green sprinkles.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350 F and line a 9×13 pan. 2. Beat the butter and sugar, then add the eggs and vanilla. 3. Mix in the flour, baking powder and salt. 4. Press into the pan and bake 22 to 25 minutes until just set. 5. Cool fully. 6. Beat the frosting, spread it on, add sprinkles and cut into squares.

Rice Krispie Treat Christmas Trees

These are the cheapest showstoppers on the list. Classic marshmallow cereal treats get a few drops of green food coloring, then get cut into triangles. A pretzel stick makes the trunk and a few candies become the ornaments. They need no oven, kids love helping, and one pan makes about 16 trees. Would your office vote for these or the brownies?

You will need: 6 cups crisp rice cereal, 1 bag (10 oz) mini marshmallows, 3 tbsp butter, green gel food coloring, 16 small pretzel sticks, small round candies and star sprinkles, white icing for garland.

How to make it: 1. Grease a 9×13 pan. 2. Melt the butter and marshmallows over low heat. 3. Stir in green coloring until bright. 4. Fold in the cereal and press into the pan. 5. Cool 30 minutes and cut into triangles. 6. Push a pretzel into the base of each and decorate with icing and candies.

Work Potluck Ideas Beyond Food: Slow Cooker Hot Cocoa

Not every dish has to be food. A slow cooker of creamy hot cocoa turns the break room into the place everyone wants to be. Set out cups, marshmallows, crushed candy canes and whipped cream so people can make their own mug. It is cheap, it smells amazing and it keeps warm for hours. It is the sign-up slot people remember.

You will need: 6 cups whole milk, 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk, 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, 2 cups chocolate chips, 1 tsp vanilla, a pinch of salt; toppings: marshmallows, whipped cream, crushed candy canes.

How to make it: 1. Add the milk, condensed milk, cream and chocolate chips to a slow cooker. 2. Add the vanilla and salt. 3. Cook on low 2 hours, whisking every 30 minutes. 4. Whisk until smooth and switch to warm. 5. Carry it in with the lid wrapped in a towel. 6. Set out cups and toppings with a ladle.

Food Safety Bonus: The Two-Hour Rule

Office parties often run long, so this one matters. The USDA says perishable food should not sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if it is hotter than 90 F. Keep hot dishes at 140 F or above in a slow cooker on warm, and set cold dishes like dips and pasta salad on ice. Read more in the USDA leftovers and food safety guide. Which of these work potluck ideas will you bring?

You will need: A slow cooker for hot dishes, a cooler and ice packs for cold dishes, a shallow tray of ice for serving, serving spoons for each dish, a food thermometer, labels and a marker.

How to make it: 1. Keep hot food hot on the warm setting the whole time. 2. Keep cold food in a cooler until serving. 3. Set dips and salads on a tray of ice. 4. Put out a spoon for every dish. 5. Label anything with nuts or other common allergens. 6. Toss perishable food left out longer than 2 hours.