Office Eats Labor Day

August 31, 2012
11:05 am

Posted by DMA Solutions Team

I took an informal poll here at the office (which simply consisted of a yelled-out question) asking what foods immediately come to mind when my co-workers think of Labor Day. I got an emphatic and unanimous response as I heard “BARBECUE!” ring out in unison above the cubicle walls.

Not wanting to upset the masses, I knew that our final lunch together before the long holiday weekend would HAVE to be barbecue. So I planned a menu that would make any grillmaster giddy and, hopefully, proud. I present to you, The Office Eats EZQ!

The Menu:

Crock Pot Barbecue Chicken adapted from the great blog Stick A Fork In It
Fresh Corn on the Cob
Ranch Potato Salad courtesy of Klondike Brands

Crock Pot Barbecue Chicken

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 bottle BBQ sauce (Sweet Baby Ray’s all the way!)
1/4 c vinegar
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 c brown sugar
4 cloves of minced garlic

Ranch Potato Salad

2 containers Frieda’s Baby Potatoes (1 red, 1 white)
6 hard boiled eggs (chopped) – OK, OK, I admit it. I boiled these at home.
1/2 lb. bacon (crumbled)
1/2 medium yellow onion (chopped)
1/2 cup celery (chopped)
2 cups Ranch dressing
Salt and pepper to taste
Cheddar cheese (grated)

Fresh Corn on the Cob

Corn on the Cob
Butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Our office kitchen is well-equipped, but is it outfitted enough to handle a full-on southern barbecue spread? Turns out it was! We cranked up the Crock Pot first thing in the AM and a couple hours later our lunch’s savory aroma was wafting across the office. Our FRESH side dishes were made possible by Breville and GE as we baked the taters in our Breville oven and perfectly cooked the corn in, you guessed it, the microwave!

Some notes and “lessons learned”:

The corn on the cob was a HUGE hit and the simplest part of the meal. We just shucked, de-silked and washed the corn, then individually wrapped each cob in a damp paper towel (wet it, then wring it out). Place 6-8 ears directly in the microwave and zap ‘em for 8-9 minutes.
The chicken might’ve been a tad bit overcooked. We cranked the Crock Pot to HIGH in order for the BBQ to be done in time for lunch. There’s a reason these things are called “slow cookers”, because that’s how you should use them for best results.

When all was said and done, the only thing our Labor Day Lunch was missing was a checkered table cloth and toothpicks. We really need to get some of those.

Have a terrific Labor Day Weekend!