You know what we don’t eat enough of as adults? Mac and cheese. So I am proposing a Mac and Cheese Bar so we can get our fill of mac and cheese. A Mac and Cheese Bar is perfect for a fun family dinner, a buffet-style kid's birthday party, or even as a pot luck idea!
I am super excited to have partnered with Smithfield Foods to share this fun way to eat Mac and Cheese! The recipe and idea, as well as all opinions, are mine.
Mac and cheese bar
The idea behind a Mac n Cheese party is to make a large batch of macaroni and cheese, as well as a variety of different mac and cheese toppings and everyone can serve themselves to create their perfect mac n cheese bowl.
Your family can customize their bowl with all kinds of fun toppings. There is something for everyone – whether they are vegetarian or meat-lovers.
This is especially a great idea for families with younger kids, who will love picking out their toppings for dinner. And by the way, if you like this idea, check out my Baked Potato Bar recipe with topping ideas!
Related recipe: Veggie-loaded Creamy Chicken Fajita Pasta
Mac 'n cheese toppings
You want to have a variety of mac and cheese toppings, so everyone can find a few things they love. I make sure to have a wide variety of protein-rich and veggie toppings to offset the carbs in the mac and cheese.
Here’s what I have going on for this Mac and cheese dinner:
Meaty toppings:
- Crumbled bacon or bacon bits
- Smoked sausage, such as kielbasa
- Meatballs (BBQ meatballs are amazing on mac and cheese! Use frozen meatballs and bake them slathered in BBQ sauce for a time-saving tip)
- Pulled pork or pulled chicken (try making chicken with a sous vide immersion circulator for the most tender chicken!)
- Chopped hot dogs
Veggie topping:
- Asparagus (try this lemony asparagus with bacon)
- Green peas
- Steamed broccoli
- Corn
- Sauteed spinach
- Green beans
- Vegan meatballs or plant-based meat substitutes (for the vegetarians)
- Fresh baby arugula
- Frozen mixed vegetables
- Edamame
- Scallions or fresh parsley
Other fun topping ideas:
- Splash of hot sauce, such as sriracha or gochujang
- Splash of balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze
- Everything Bagel seasoning
As you can see, it’s easy to get a nice variety of vegetarian and meaty options.
Serve all this with a delicious salad (try this grilled vegetable salad) and you’ve got a complete meal that your family can assemble themselves (aka less work for you).
Related recipe: One-pot Pasta with Mushrooms and Spinach
The BEST Mac and Cheese to serve a crowd:
Here's my favorite EASY mad and cheese recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 lb box elbow macaroni
- Salted water for cooking macaroni
- 4 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk (any kind, I used 2%)
- 4 cups freshly grated cheese (2 cups mild yellow cheddar and 2 cups mozzarella works GREAT, but you can get fancy with Gruyere or other cheeses)
Instructions
Step 1: Cook the elbow macaroni in salted water according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water and set aside.
Step 2: In the same pasta pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly to create a roux. Add the milk, and heat until it is almost boiling.
Step 3: Add the shredded cheese, and stir until melted. Season with about ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste.
Step 4: Stir in the cooked macaroni, adding more salt if needed. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Related recipe: Kielbasa Bites
The game plan
This whole mac and cheese bar takes just over an hour to put together (not bad for prepping a large dinner that will give you plenty of leftovers!), but let me give you all the tricks to make this even simpler:
- If you want to serve salad, grab a bag of pre-washed mixed salad – it saves time!
- Start cooking the meatballs and cooking the macaroni first, because those take the most time.
- While the meatballs are baking and the macaroni is cooking, work on everything else: Cook the bacon first. Then use the same skillet to cook the asparagus (unless you are cooking for vegetarians too). Then use the same skillet to seat the smoked sausage. Less dishes, more flavor!
- Arrange everything on the kitchen counter or a table, and let everyone serve themselves!
EASY!
I would love to hear from you! Would you try a mac n cheese bar? What toppings would you include?
Looking for other great party ideas to feed a crowd? Try these reader favorites!
- Easy Salami Appetizer - just 3 ingredients and can be made in advance. PLUS your kids can help you make this!
- Broccoli Ranch Pasta Salad - a favorite for adults and kid!
- Seafood Spread Crostini - a delicious creamy seafood spread on a toasted baguette
- Tuna Pasta Salad
- Mexican Pasta Salad
- Loaded Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Cranberries
Mac and Cheese Bar
Ingredients
- 1 lb elbow macaroni - uncooked
- salted water - for cooking macaroni
- 4 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk - (any kind, I used 2%)
- 4 cups grated cheese - (2 cups cheddar and 2 cups mozzarella works well)
- 1 lb bacon
- 13-16 oz smoked sausage - such as kielbasa (1 package)
- 1 lb frozen / refrigerated meatballs
- ½ cup barbecue sauce - for the meatballs
- 1 lb asparagus
- 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
- see notes for other topping ideas
Special equipment
- 1 or 2 large skillets
- 1 small baking dish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Place the frozen meatballs on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Brush with barbecue sauce, and bake for another 5 minutes. Rotate, brush the other side with barbecue sauce, and bake for another 5 minutes, or until fully cooked.
- Cook the bacon in a large pan over medium heat about 3-5 minutes per side, or until desired crispness. You'll need to do this in 2-3 batches so you don't crowd the pan. Carefully place the cooked bacon on paper towels to absorb the extra fat, and allow to cool. Crumble or roughly chop the bacon. Save some bacon for the salad and the bacon drippings for the salad dressing. Do not rinse that skillet yet!
- Trim the tough ends off the asparagus, and discard. Chop the asparagus into 1-2 inch pieces. Saute the asparagus in the same skillet where the bacon was cooking (or in a new skillet with preheated olive oil), for 7-10 minutes or longer, until desired doneness, stirring frequently. Season with salt, if using olive oil. You might not need additional salt if sauteing in bacon drippings!
- Slice the Smoked Sausage into ½ inch slices. Cook the sliced smoked sausage in the skillet that is seasoned with bacon grease over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes per side, or until browned and heated through.
- Steam the fresh or frozen peas in a microwave-safe bowl with a quarter cup of water for 3-5 minutes. Drain the extra water carefully, it will be hot!
- Cook the elbow macaroni in salted water according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water and set aside.
- In the same pasta pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly to create a roux. Add the milk, and heat until it is almost boiling. Add the shredded cheese, and stir until melted. Season with about ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste.
- Stir in the cooked macaroni, adding more salt if needed. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Notes
More topping ideas:
- Pulled pork or pulled chicken
- Chopped hot dogs
- Green peas
- Steamed broccoli
- Corn
- Sauteed spinach
- Vegan meatballs or plant-based meat substitutes (for the vegetarians)
- Fresh baby arugula
- Frozen mixed vegetables
- Edamame
- Green beans
- Scallions or fresh parsley
- Splash of hot sauce, such as sriracha or gochujang
- Splash of balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze
- Everything Bagel seasoning
Nutrition
The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.