Dinner Party Menu: Office Party Potluck Recipes

Your company's budget is dwindling, and the bathroom light still needs to be fixed. So don't waste money on caterers for the holiday party.

Enter the potluck: America's favorite thrifty (and semi-lazy) dinner party invention. Forget about yearly reports and this morning's tense meeting, and spend some off-the-clock time with your coworkers around a bowl of punch and a plate of cheesy potatoes.

① Drink: Office Party Punch

A full bottle of ginger-infused vodka, plus two bottles of bubbly, make this punch strong enough to loosen up deadline-created stress—but not so strong that anyone will call out "sick" the next morning.

② Snack: Duck-Fat Chex Mix

One whiff of this smoky snack mix will make everyone gravitate to the chip bowl. If you're the overachieving type (which you should be), you'll have feasted on seared duck breast the night before to render out the liquid gold.

③ Main Dish: Chicken Casserole

You might get some side eye when you reveal how many cans you had to open for this comforting classic, but let it slide. You won't be able to hear any scoffs over the sound of forks scraping up every last bit of creamy chicken and noodles.

④ Side Dish: Potato Gratin

You can't spell gratin without great . . . almost. Expect to find drippings of the creamy, garlicky filling all over the office the following morning.

⑤ Dessert: Mille-Feuille Tiramisu Crepe Cake

You have one job, so do it right. An 18-layer cake made of paper-thin crepes is sure to impress everyone in the room. That includes your boss: yearly bonus guaranteed.