Potluck Lunch Ideas That Are Quick & Easy

As kids we always considered lunch to be a meagre necessity. All we wanted was something different and tasty stuff in our lunch, right? Well, as we all grew up the concept of lunch changed and we were introduced to fun ways of having lunch like a potluck lunch. 

A potluck lunch is something you have along with your colleagues where everyone brings a different food item and you get to eat interesting dishes. It is just like having a mini picnic in the office arena. Doesn’t it sound fun?

Well, if you are thinking that it requires a lot of additional work and dedication, that’s not the case. Here are some delicious potluck lunch dishes options that will not cost much of your time.

10 Must-Try Indian Potluck Lunch Recipes

1. Cucumber Party Sandwiches

Beginning with the easiest snack; cucumber sandwiches are quick to make. It is one of the best potluck lunch ideas for work. You need minimum ingredients and they are the following:

• Cucumber slices
• Mayonnaise
• Bread slices
• Italian salad dressing
• Cream

Procedure:

Step 1: Now all you need to do is to mix mayonnaise, cream, and Italian salad dressing in a bowl and blend it well. 

Step 2: Put on the blended mixture between bread slices. Now add cucumber slices above the spread. 

Step 3: Keep it in the freezer for some time if that is how you would like it. This is one easy dish that you will surely get addicted to.

2. Fruits And Cheese Kabobs

Fruits are the best option to kick off a lunch party. Now the twist is, this isn’t just another chopped fruit salad recipe. It has a dip and the fruits served as kabobs. You will require the following ingredients:

• Honey
• Vanilla yoghurt
• Sour cream
• Grounded cinnamon
• Different fruits – grapes, strawberries, papaya, banana, guava, and other seasonal fruits

Procedure:

Step 1: To prepare the dip you need to mix the yoghurt, honey, sour cream and blend them properly. 

Step 2: Add ground cinnamon on the top for garnishing. 

Step 3: Use toothpicks to pick up diced fruits and dip. And Voila, your fruits and cheese kabobs are ready. 

3. Loaded Baked Potato Dip

Who wouldn’t love a potato dip dish for lunch? Even diet conscious people deserve to have a cheat meal, right? The loaded baked potato dip falls into the easy office potluck lunch ideas category.

The ingredients are the following:

• Sour cream
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Turkey bacon stripes
• Minced chives
• Hot sauce
• Waffle cut fries

Procedure:

Step 1: All you need to do is to mix the cream, cheddar cheese, turkey bacon stripes, chives, and hot sauce nicely. 

Step 2: Keep it in the refrigerator until some time. 

Step 3: Serve the dip along with the waffle cut fries. Yes, it’s that simple.

4. BBQ Chicken Sliders

Potluck lunch ideas for work not just include easy to cook dishes, but you can always put some time into it and make amazing main courses too. This one is a fit for both theme or non-theme based potluck lunch at work. The ingredients are;

For Brine:

• 1 cup of water
• ½ tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
• Dried thyme

For Sandwiches:

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
• ⅓ cup of liquid smoke
• 1.5 cups of hickory smoke-flavoured barbecue sauce
• 16 slider buns or dinner rolls, split and warmed
• Chopped coleslaw, optional

Procedure:

Step 1: Firstly, prepare the brine using the ingredients mentioned. You need to stir the mixture until the brown sugar gets dissolved. Now, you need to reserve 1 cup of brine for the chicken and refrigerate it. 

Step 2: Take the chicken and cover it using the brine. Cook the chicken and thereafter refrigerate it for 18 to 20 hours. 

Step 3: Take the chicken out of the refrigerator and remove the brine cover. 

Step 4: Put the chicken in the cooker and now add the reserved brine and liquid smoke to the chicken. 

Step 5: Cook the chicken on medium or slow gas until it is tender. The process might take 4 to 5 hours. 

Step 6: Now, remove the remaining cooking juice in the cooker and shred the chicken using 2 forks and then go back to the cooking.

Step 7: Serve the chicken in a bun and with coleslaw dressing. 

5. Greek Pita Spread

What a great recipe! A fun, fresh recipe right from the Mediterranean that’s perfect for a potluck. You will need:

• 1 cup of cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup of sour cream
• ½ cup of Greek vinaigrette
• 2 sliced ripe olives, drained
• 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1 large green pepper, chopped
• 1 large sweet red pepper, chopped
• 1 large cucumber, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup of crumbled feta cheese
• Pita bread or baked pita chips

Procedure:

Step 1: Take a bowl and beat the Greek vinaigrette, cheese cream, and sour cream.

Step 2: Place the spread on a plate.

Step 3: Layer the vegetables one by one to make it look presentation perfect

6. Snickerdoodles

How about adding some sweetness to the potluck lunch. Yes, we are sure about it. Have a look at the procedure and ingredients, you will get to know this is easy to bake. You will surely be the potluck dish star with this one! The ingredients are:

• ½ cup of butter, softened
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1.5 cups of all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Procedure:

Step 1: Preheat the oven at 375 degrees put in the cream and 1 cup of sugar until they become fluffy. In a bowl beat vanilla extract and egg.

Step 2: Take another bowl and whisk together – flour, baking soda, cream of tartar.

Step 3: Take another bowl and mix cinnamon and remaining sugar. Shape the batter in small balls and then keep it on the baking sheets 2-inch apart from each other.

Step 4: Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes, until they become light brown, you’re snickerdoodles are ready to be served

7. Hawaiian Cheese Bread

Simple, fast, and mouthwatering dish – all the adjectives that you can use for the Hawaiian bread recipe. This one does not require a lot of ingredients as well. However, to know what is the hype all about, below are the steps and ingredients used in the making of this delicious bread. The ingredients are:

• 1 loaf of sweet bread
• 1 block of swiss cheese
• 3 slices onion, chopped
• ½ cup of butter, melted
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt

Procedure:

Step 1: Take the bread loaf and cut the bread diagonally, keeping in mind that you do not need to cut it all the way to the bottom, but at least one inch above. And repeat the process in the other direction as well.

Step 2: Take the block of swiss cheese and cut them into small pieces. Fill the diagonals with the cheese. 

Step 3: Take chopped onions, butter, salt, and minced garlic cloves and spread it on the bread. 

Step 4: Cover the bread with foil and bake the bread at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. 

8. Potluck Mac And Cheese

Who doesn’t love mac and cheese! This is a sure success and one that makes people come back for seconds! You will need:

• 3 cups of uncooked macaroni
• 1 package process cheese (cubed)
• 2 cups of shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 2 cups of shredded white cheddar cheese
• 1.75 cups of whole milk
• 1 cup of evaporated milk
• ¾ cup of butter, melted
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten

Procedure:

Step 1: Firstly you need to make your usual macaroni, by boiling the macaroni in a vessel. After it has perfectly boiled, strain the remaining water and pour the macaroni in the bowl.

Step 2: Take another pan and add the macaroni, stir it well. Add salt, if need be. Add the rest of the diary ingredients mentioned above. 

Step 3: Cook, and cover the lid. You will need to cook the macaroni for around 1 and a half hours and stir every once in a while. 

9. Olive And Onion Bread

You can never get enough bread for lunch! Here is an amazing option for potluck lunch. The ingredients are:

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup of buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• ¼ cup of each chopped pitted green and ripe olives

Procedure:

Step 1: Preheat the oven at 350 degrees. 

Step 2: Take a pan and heat oil in it, on a medium flame. Then add onion, and cook until light brown and tender. 

Step 3: Take a large bowl and add flour, rosemary, baking soda, and salt. 

Step 4: In another bowl take eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter and whisk it. Add this mixture to the flour mixture. And stir it until it is moistened properly. Fold in the cheese, olives, and onions into it. 

Step 5: Take a greased pan and bake the batter made in step 4 for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Bake until the toothpick when inserted comes out clean. 

10. Tangy Texas Salsa

How about a really tasty and tangy salad recipe? Here’s a lip-smacking recipe and you will need the following ingredients:

• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
• 1 medium sweet yellow pepper, chopped
• 1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped red onion
• 1.5 teaspoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 medium red grapefruit
• 1 large navel orange

Procedure:

Step 1: Mix green pepper, red pepper, yellow pepper, tomato, jalapeño pepper, and red onion in a bowl. 

Step 2: Slice the grapefruit and orange, and mix it with the other vegetables.

Step 3: Top the mixture up with pepper and refrigerate it for 2 hours. 
Wasn’t it easy enough? Well, there are several salads spread that can be made in no time at home. You can try a different boiled vegetable salad, garnish and saute it with sauces of your choice. We assure you these potluck lunch ideas are easy and time-saving, yet tasty.