Times are a little tight. Businesses are downsizing and/or tightening the budget belt. And, that correlates directly to the fanciness (or lack thereof) of The Office Party. What used to be a catered affair is now most likely a potluck effort, and you and your coworkers will be invited to bring a dish to share with others.
I
normally don’t have a problem with potlucks (hosted one last weekend,
in fact), but when you’re asked to do so during the workweek, when you
have many other things to do after work and you certainly don’t want to
get up early, it chafes a bit. What can one make ahead of time that
will hold, be easy to heat up and not cause an outbreak of botulism?
I’ve got your answer below. AND…it can serve as a side dish for your
own dinner the night before (just take out your portion) so you’re
really not doing any extra work.
Special equipment note: You must have a crock pot for this!
* Boil red or white potatoes in salted water until tender when poked with a fork, about 45 minutes to an hour. How many? I calculate two medium red potatoes per person, and figure that not everyone will have some. So, if there will be 20 people, I would suggest cooking for 10, about 20 potatoes. Remember, the other ingredients will bulk this up.
* While you’re boiling the potatoes, prep this:
1 package bacon (cook then chop into bits)
½ cup chopped green onions
8 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
* When the potatoes are done, drain them and mash them with:
½ cup milk
8 oz. whipped cream cheese
1 stick butter
* Add the rest of the ingredients and mash some more. Take out whatever you’re going to have with dinner, and put the rest in the crock pot. Put the lid on the crock pot and let the whole thing cool down for an hour, then put it in the fridge. The next morning, take it out, put it into the heating element and bring it to work. Plug it in on low, stirring every 45 minutes.
Special equipment note: You must have a crock pot for this!
* Boil red or white potatoes in salted water until tender when poked with a fork, about 45 minutes to an hour. How many? I calculate two medium red potatoes per person, and figure that not everyone will have some. So, if there will be 20 people, I would suggest cooking for 10, about 20 potatoes. Remember, the other ingredients will bulk this up.
* While you’re boiling the potatoes, prep this:
1 package bacon (cook then chop into bits)
½ cup chopped green onions
8 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
* When the potatoes are done, drain them and mash them with:
½ cup milk
8 oz. whipped cream cheese
1 stick butter
* Add the rest of the ingredients and mash some more. Take out whatever you’re going to have with dinner, and put the rest in the crock pot. Put the lid on the crock pot and let the whole thing cool down for an hour, then put it in the fridge. The next morning, take it out, put it into the heating element and bring it to work. Plug it in on low, stirring every 45 minutes.
* Just before serving, garnish with a few sprinkles of gorgonzola or stilton cheese.
