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4 Creative Corporate Catering Ideas for Lunch
Isn’t it great to know that you don’t always have to settle for a “box lunch” every time the clock strikes 12:00 p.m.? In fact, you can even turn yourself into the office hero and offer a nice hot (or cold) catered lunch! If you do choose to have lunch catered one day, you may be overwhelmed with all of the options available. However, you are in luck as there are professional caterers (like us here at Village Catering) who will guide you in designing the perfect catering menu that is certain to please your employees or co-workers!
Here are some themes that you can consider:
Italian Menus
Everyone loves a classic Italian menu! Some of our favorite Italian dishes we choose for corporate catering menus include:
- Meat lasagna. A classic Italian favorite, everyone loves biting into a rich, hearty portion of lasagna. Village Catering offers both meat lasagna options and cheese lasagna for those who are looking for a vegetarian option at their lunch gathering.
- Grilled chicken Italiano. Grilled chicken topped with the herbs and seasonings you love provides your employees with a flavorful yet light meal they can enjoy without guilt.
- Pasta alfredo: Who doesn’t drool at the thought of biting into a piece of rich, creamy pasta alfredo? Village Catering offers both standard pasta alfredo as well as pasta alfredo with chicken and broccoli, depending on the needs of your event.
Of course, you can’t forget the Caesar salad and warm bread as well! Finish off the meal with a dash of green by choosing Italian green beans or another vegetable to complement a hearty, rich power lunch.
Southwestern Menus
Southwestern food is known for its unique blend of Mexican-inspired flavors and traditional southern cuisine. If you’re looking to add a little spice to your lunch menu, consider these southwestern favorites!
- Fajitas. Fajitas are always a crowd pleaser — and you can even let your guests and employees make their own custom fajita with just a few bowls of cheese, vegetables, and spices!
- Quesadillas. Filled with cheese, meat, and slightly sweet vegetables, quesadillas are another southwestern favorite that are ideal for a crowd. Quick to make and easily customizable, quesadillas can be used as either a side or the main entrée during your lunch meeting.
- 7-layer dip. A star southwestern dish, 7-layer dip incorporates ingredients like refried beans, guacamole, sour cream, and other classic flavors. 7-layer dip can act as the perfect complement to any southwestern menu, and it goes perfectly with tortilla chips!
Coordinating sides to go with a Southwestern-inspired menu is easy. We recommend classic black beans alongside chips and salsa or guacamole to add even more fun and color to your menu.
Asian-inspired Menus
Asian-inspired menus add a touch of exotic flavor to your gathering. Some of our favorite must-haves for Asian-inspired menus include:
- Stir-fry. Stir-fry meats and vegetable mixes provide you with a lighter option for men and women looking to cut calories while also enjoying a delicious meal. Snap peas, broccoli, and onions are all classic stir-fry vegetables that everyone loves.
- Dumplings and potstickers. Dumplings, potstickers, and dim sum are ideal for a lunch meeting because they allow guests to sample a wide variety of flavors in just a few bites. Incorporate a few different fillings to provide guests with a diverse offering.
- Teriyaki chicken. Teriyaki sauce is a sweet and savory sauce used in a variety of Asian-influenced dishes. Teriyaki chicken or pork can provide a great main dish for your corporate lunch.
Finish your meal off with a hearty serving of rice, steamed vegetables, and fortune cookies.
International Menus
This office catering idea involves picking different items from different countries and putting them together. For example, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Duchess potatoes, herb crusted tomato and Caribbean vegetable blend (broccoli, green beans, yellow carrots and red peppers) offered with a golden dinner roll!
When planning your meal ideas, you can also consider the time of year, any particular holiday that might be near the date of your event, and/or any menu that would complement the purpose of a meeting. You can even pick a theme and create the menu around that!
And, don’t forget about dessert. Dessert catering can be as simple as an assortment of cookies, dessert bars, cake, pies, or tarts!
Inevitably, if you desire to treat your office to a traditional or totally “out of this world” lunch one day, we have all the food you might need! To see everything on our corporate catering menus, please browse through our website, or give us a call at any time.