Five Easy Recipes to Bring to Your Next Office Party
Internships often last one short semester, making it difficult to get to know everyone in a company or build a long-term relationship with your co-workers. It is important to show the people you work with how you can contribute to the office, both personally and professionally.
One simple way to show your gratitude is bringing in a homemade dish for everyone in the office to enjoy. Below are five, simple recipes you can create for your next holiday or office party.
- Chocolate Pretzels
This is such an easy snack that you can whip up for almost any party. It only requires three ingredients and you can swap out the candy colors for different holidays like Valentine’s Day and Independence Day, or use candy corns on top for Halloween. - Skinny 7 Layer Dip
For any health conscious or vegetarian co-workers, this dip looks like a dynamic combination of flavors and vibrant colors. Don’t forget to bring a bag of tortilla chips or veggies to dip. - Homemade Caramel Corn
Pop this recipe into the oven when you have an upcoming exam. See how much studying you can do in the hour it takes to bake and bring this simple recipe into the office for a tasty surprise. - Pizza Pinwheel Rolls
No need to deliver! These bite-sized medallions are like personal servings of your favorite pizza, and can be made in 30 minutes or less. - Gooey S’mores Magic Bars
Magic bars are one of my favorite sweet treats to make for my friends and family. I created the variation below, making it easy for students — both time and budget-wise. You can find all of the ingredients in a single grocery store aisle for about $20. The end result tastes like a combination of a peanut butter cup, s’more and chocolate chip cookie that you won’t want to pass up.
Makes 1 Dozen Bars
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 ½ cup mini marshmallows
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup sweetened coconut, shredded
Once you have all your ingredients, you can make your own magic bars in these easy steps:
-Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick cooking spray.
-Spread graham cracker crumbs across the pan (Hint: Stores sell boxes of just the crumbs so you don’t need to worry about crushing the regular size crackers.) Combine the condensed milk and graham crackers, firmly pressing the mixture down to evenly coat the bottom of the pan.
-Layer the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, marshmallows, pecans and coconut on top of the graham cracker crust.
-Bake for 20 minutes in the oven, or until the marshmallows and coconut become golden brown.
-Let bars cool for one hour, and cut into squares. Enjoy!
The rich dark chocolate complements the creamy peanut butter so the sweetness of the other ingredients is not overpowering. The combination of roasted coconut and marshmallows adds a crunch to these gooey, melt-in-your-mouth treats. Whether you have an office party or are simply searching for the antidote to mid-morning hunger, bringing a homemade recipe is a caring gesture that your co-workers will both notice and appreciate.
What is your favorite recipe to spice up your office life?
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Nicole Barrett is a senior at Arizona State University, studying public relations and marketing. She manages her own food blog, My {Ginger} Fix, and serves as the President of her PRSSA chapter. Follow her on Twitter or connect with her via LinkedIn.
