I have always been a huge fan of potlucks. Any chance I have to get together with friends and family when everybody brings their favorite dish, I am there.

I really love holiday potlucks at work. I try to arrange a small potluck around the “eating” holidays: Thanksgiving – Christmas. Why not? These are your teammates, your co-workers, your work family. In most cases you see these people more than you see your family. So why not celebrate the season with them? Granted, there may be a few of your work family members that act like Cousin Eddy from Christmas Vacation, but this is the time of year when we need to get together and show that we are thankful for those people we work with.

It’s also a chance to see your work family’s best dishes. I have found over the years that most men of the work family actually enjoy and get amped up when talking about a potluck dinner. They like the idea of a home cooked meal at work that isn’t re-heated. Most women of the work family are more detail-oriented and plan out what their best signature dish will be.

Here are some small tips if you plan on having a work family potluck for the upcoming holiday season:

• If you have a smaller work family, consider purchasing a turkey breast instead of a whole turkey. It saves on time, money and the headache of carving it. Honey Baked Ham has different meat choices that may work for your holiday potluck.
• When you bring a side dish, remember to bring something to serve it with. Most likely your work kitchens will not have the full line of serving utensils and you don’t want to be stuck serving your Grandma’s fabulous green bean casserole with a small plastic spoon.
• Keeping in mind that you may not have a fully equipped kitchen with a working oven at your potluck location, choose a slow cooker recipe when bringing a dish that needs to be served warm. All you would need is an electrical outlet to keep your yummy mashed potatoes and gravy piping hot.
• There will be leftovers. Consider bringing Gladware to the potluck for dividing out leftovers amongst the work family or to take your own leftovers home. No one will want them after they’ve been left in the community refrigerator for a week.

Just remember to have fun this holiday season with your workplace potluck. It’s a chance to celebrate the season and enjoy one another. This is the time of year when everyone pauses to give thanks. I would like to give thanks to my entire work family; you all rock! Thank you for everything and happy holidays to you all.

If you’re looking for some simple and  easy to travel with potluck recipes, check out these from RealSimple, or these from MidwestLiving.

Does anyone plan on having their own work family potluck? If so, any fabulous potluck recipes you want to share?

 

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