There’s a moment every office worker knows well. The meeting ends. The team looks hungry. The clock says you’ve got exactly 30 minutes to pull off something that looks like a happy hour but doesn’t involve trays, burners, or sprinting down the block like you’re in an action movie.

This is where Empanada Mama shines.

Empanadas plus plantain chips plus a red sauce are the easiest, lowest-mess, “did someone actually plan this?” desk-side spread in NYC. Handheld, craveable, and totally scalable, whether you’ve got eight coworkers or a small army.

In this blog, we’re giving you everything: a minute-by-minute setup, the portions that actually work, the best flavor mix, packaging tricks for texture, fast reheat moves, and cleanup shortcuts you can finish before your boss walks by again.

The 30-Minute Game Plan (Minute-by-Minute)

Here’s your playbook. Stick to it, and you’ll look like you’ve been hosting office happy hours since the day Outlook was invented.

Minutes 0-5: Order arrives. Crack open those lids immediately; fried items hate steam. Separate hot from cold like they’re feuding cousins at Thanksgiving.
Minutes 5-10: Lay down parchment or set up a wire rack as your “serving runway.” Pour each dipping sauce for empanadas into ramekins. No squeeze bottles, we respect crispness here.
Minutes 10-15: Quick re-crisp the first batch: 350°F for a few minutes in the air fryer or oven. While that happens, ping the team on Slack like, “Happy hour, desk cluster B, let’s go.”
Minutes 15-20: Lay out plantain chips, napkins, toothpicks, and labels. Throw on light music. No heavy bangers, you’re still technically working.
Minutes 20-30: Rotate in batch 2 to keep everything hot. Refill sauces.

Snap a team photo for Slack (because if you don’t post it, did the empanada catering even happen?).

Portioning & Quantities That Just Work

At Empanada Mama, we’ve fed every type of office crowd: the shy snackers, the ravenous tech teams, the “I didn’t eat lunch because meetings exist” people.

Here’s the reliable formula:

Empanadas: 2 per person for a light happy hour, 3 if this is dinner
Plantain Chips: 1-1.5 oz per person
Sauces: About 1 oz per person across 2-3 options (guacamole, red sauce, etc.)
Dessert: One sweet empanada per 6–8 people because someone will ask

This is foolproof. Office-tested. Chaos-resistant.

Flavor Mix: Crowd-Pleasers & Dietary Balance

Crispy yuca fries in a red basket served with a green dipping sauce.

You want variety but not decision fatigue. Stick with a hit list:

Savory Basics: Chicken, Pernil, Cheesesteak.
Veg-Forward Favorites: Spinach & cheese with black beans and a veggie option.

For most teams, 25-35% veg/vegan keeps everyone happy (and keeps Karen from HR from asking if there’s a plant-based option).

Set up That Protects Texture

Your biggest enemy? Steam.

Vent fried items the moment they arrive. Move everything to a rack or parchment-lined sheet so the bottoms stay crisp, not damp. Sauces stay on the side: no drizzling directly unless you enjoy sog.

Keep hot food in its own zone, cold in another. Open plantain chips at the last minute so they stay shatter-crisp.

Quick Reheat & Hold for Staggered Arrivals

Someone’s always late. Someone’s always stuck on a call. Someone’s always “just wrapping up.”

Here’s how to keep food warm anyway:

Air fryer/oven at 350°F for a quick re-crisp.
Hold finished empanadas on a rack in a 200°F warm oven for 15-20 minutes.
Microwave only to warm the inside, then finish with heat for crunch.

No one will know they weren’t fresh from the empanada grill.

Salsa & Dip Bar

A proper dip situation turns snacks into an event. And honestly? Empanada Mama’s sauce lineup never misses.

Red Sauce (1 oz): A little heat, a little tang, perfect for beefy or cheesy fillings.
Chimichurri (2 oz): Bold, garlicky, and elite with pork, chicken, or anything fried.
Side of Guacamole (8 oz): The heavyweight champion of dips; fresh, chunky, always gone first.
Pico de Gallo (8 oz): Crisp, citrusy, brings instant freshness to the table.

Add lime wedges to wake everything up.
Label sauces mild/medium/hot so nobody ends up with surprise-fire-mouth at their desk.

Easy Add-Ons to Stretch the Spread

If you’re feeding a bigger crowd or filling up the folks who “forgot” lunch:

Rice & beans
Corn on the cob
Maduros or tostones for sweetness + crunch

All these add-ons stay low-mess and work with takeout.

Labeling & Flow for Office Spaces

This is where you win.

Use sticky notes or toothpick flags for every flavor.
Group empanadas by protein/veg.
Create two flow lines so nobody bottlenecks.
Napkins in the center, trash bin close by with a visible liner.

Suddenly, your desk looks like the world’s tiniest, cutest buffet table.

Sample 30-Minute Happy Hour Menus

Shredded meat tacos topped with pico de gallo, cilantro, and guacamole on a serving tray.

Team of 8 (Light Bites): 16 empanadas (chicken/pernil/veg), 1 bowl of plantain chips, 3 sauces, pico, lime.

Team of 15 (More Substantial): 36 empanadas, 2 chip bowls, 3 sauces, pico, lime, small rice & beans.
Cross-Team Mixer (25+): 60-75 empanadas, 3-4 chip bowls, 4 sauces, pico + slaw, two trays of rice & beans, dessert empanadas.

Browse the menu at Empanada Mama to get these delivered hot to your table.

Cleanup in Under 5

You’re still at work. We get it.

Reseal leftover chips.
Close sauces with lids.
Wrap the rack in parchment and toss.
Label leftover boxes and refrigerate.
Point anyone who asks to the Reheating Guide for tomorrow’s crisp-back plan.

Clean desk, happy boss.

Ordering Notes (Save Yourself Next Time)

Schedule pickup for 5-10 minutes before start time. Add your entrance notes or “call on arrival” so the handoff is smooth.

Request vented packaging and sauces on the side so everything stays crisp, not steamy.
And please, save your exact cart in Empanada Mama’s order online so next time it’s literally one tap and done. Your future self will think you’re a genius.

Clock’s Ticking. Let’s Crowd-Please.

Lock your flavor mix, add plantain chips, build a three-sauce bar, and you’ve officially got an office-friendly happy hour in 30 minutes flat. No mess, no stress, no giant catering trays necessary.

For teams, departments, and those “everyone’s still at their desk at 6 PM” nights, Empanada Mama always pulls through. Ask about catering for teams and make desk happy hours your new Friday ritual: warm, easy, and reliably delicious every single time.

Office Happy Hour at Your Desk: 30-Minute Takeout Spread With Empanadas, Plantain Chips & Salsas