The 10 Best Food Moments in The Office

“Pilot” (season 1, episode 1)

Making a Jell-O mold out of his coworker’s stapler isn’t the only food-related prank that Jim (John Krasinski) pulls on Dwight (Rainn Wilson)—in fact, there’s a whole compilation video of Jim’s food pranks—but this one’s certainly the most iconic. The deliciousness of the Jell-O doesn’t need to be explained. It’s Jell-O, a consistently delightful dessert that can be used in many ways. The real magic is how, in the very first episode, this Jell-O manages to establish and encapsulate the tone of the show’s subsequent nine seasons: drab, standard-issue office stuff mixed with absurd technicolor instability. A delicious combo for primetime TV.

“Casual Friday” (season 5, episode 26)

Even non-fans of The Office—all six of them—would be familiar with the scene in which Kevin (Brian Baumgartner) spills his pot of homemade chili all over the office carpet and struggles in vain to save it from certain doom. The slapstick hilarity of that sequence has been much discussed over the years, but so has the quality of his fallen dish.

Although nobody got to enjoy Kevin’s chili in this instance, fans of The Office can. The written recipe is hidden in Peacock’s user agreement, and there’s a YouTube video in which the man himself gives a tutorial on how to make it, which we did. Have a go, but carry the pot responsibly.

“Initiation” (season 3, episode 5)

“I wake up every morning in a bed that’s too small, drive my daughter to a school that’s too expensive, and then I go to work to a job for which I get paid too little... but on Pretzel Day? Well, I like Pretzel Day.” You know a snack is special when it brings joy to the perpetually disgruntled Stanley (Leslie David Baker).

The pretzel vendor, who makes one fleeting appearance at the offices of Dunder Mifflin Scranton each year, offers 18 different sweet toppings—and, upon Michael’s request, is willing to apply all 18 at once. The regional manager subsequently experiences a burst of sugar-induced mania, followed by a refreshing nap. There’s no limit to what a good pretzel can do.

“Launch Party” (season 4, episodes 5/6)

It’s extremely rare for the Office cohort to agree on something, so their consensus as to the quality of Alfredo’s Pizza Cafe (not Pizza by Alfredo, a vastly inferior local business) makes it a slice we wish we could have. Not only does the pizza evidently satisfy the diverse array of palates at Dunder Mifflin Scranton, but it also caters a nice rooftop dinner date for Jim and Pam.

“Dinner Party” (season 4, episode 13)

Although mostly concerned with pizza and candy, The Office did occasionally indulge in fine dining, too. The osso buco served up by Jan (Melora Hardin) in this episode’s titular dinner party is undoubtedly a top-tier dish, and not just because it was deemed worthy by Babish himself (see above).

Jan allows the osso buco to braise for 3 hours in order for the meat to grow very tender, a mark of the character’s rule-following stickler nature. She also has a lot of incentive to create the best meal possible, because she needed to show off in front of Pam (Jenna Fischer), whom she wrongly believes to be Michael’s “former lover.” The dinner proceeds to descend into disaster, but not for lack of nice food.

“The Delivery” (season 6, episodes 17/18)

Pam’s big episode offers yet another glimpse of Kevin’s gourmet expertise. When it’s discovered that his cravings align with those of a very pregnant Pam, he begins bringing in fancy dishes for them to share. But all of it culminates in their final “Ultra Feast,” served up on the last day before Pam’s delivery, and she goes into labor before enjoying a bite. Although the ratatouille, tandoori chicken, and (what looks like) spaghetti and meatballs go untouched, we know they would’ve lived up to Kevin’s lofty standards.

“A Benihana Christmas” (season 3, episodes 10/11)
“Special Project” (season 8, episode 14)

It’s hard to believe that a sour character like Angela (Angela Kinsey) could be capable of such irresistibly sweet creations. The delicious power of her brownies is legendary: They were enough to make Kevin endure the most boring Christmas party in existence (“A Benihana Christmas”) and be willing to endure an allergic nut reaction (“Special Project”). Even Pam can’t help but take one of her brownies and compliment its taste, in spite of the fact that she and Angela are locked in a seemingly endless scuffle.

Angela doesn’t like competition, either; in season two, she accuses Pam of “sabotaging things” when the latter brings homemade brownies to a Dunder Mifflin Halloween party, because Angela had already brought cookies. “Same category,” she seethes.

“Moroccan Christmas” (season 5, episode 11)

Yes, we’ll include a drink too—direct your complaints to HR if you don’t like it. In this Christmas episode, Michael tries his hand at mixology and concocts a beverage that is equal parts scotch, absinthe, rum, gin, vermouth, Triple Sec, and Splenda. Dubbed a “One of Everything”, the drink is given glowing and very loud affirmation by Meredith (Kate Flannery). Given that Meredith is an alcohol connoisseuse of the highest order, Michael should feel extremely proud of his creation.

“Pool Party” (season 8, episode 12)

There are few things more satisfying than seeing a prankster become the prankee. Jim is known for putting a vast amount of effort into his pranks, and that evidently includes cooking meatballs just for pranking purposes. He starts bombarding Dwight’s workspace with meatballs, thinking that it dually delights Stanley and bothers Dwight. But in reality, it’s providing much-appreciated free meals for both Dwight and Stanley, who are on the take together. Dwight and Stanley are men of very different tastes, yet both appear to have quite an affinity for these meatballs. Perhaps Jim missed his true calling.

“Work Bus” (season 9, episode 4)

Sometimes the best food isn’t found in fancy restaurants, but in the quaintest of remote shacks. Laverne’s Pies is one such place. Dubbed the “best rural pie stand in Pennsylvania,” Laverne’s offerings bring contentment and a smile to every Dunder Mifflin employee—no small thing, given that they have spent most of the day doing office work inside a cramped bus.

There weren’t very many sweet moments in those final two Michael Scott–less seasons of The Office, but this pie stand provides one of them.