Recipes ยป Course ยป Main Dish ยป Mac and Cheese

40 Toppings for Your Mac and Cheese Bar

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A Mac and Cheese Bar is your new go-to summertime dinner party favorite. Imagine having friends and family over for a night in, where you cook a whole heaping load of macaroni and cheese and everyone adds their own mix-ins and toppings. 

What is a mac and cheese bar, you ask? Prepare to have your life changed, friend! 

A close up of a light blue plate loaded with macaroni and cheese that has been sprinkled with black pepper and red pepper flakes.

How To Set Up A Mac And Cheese Bar

First youโ€™re going to make the very best macaroni and cheese. For ideas on how to make this easy, check out our recipes for the Creamiest Mac and Cheese, super easy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese and Baked Mac and Cheese

When you invite your guests, ask them all to bring some kind of a topping with them. Ask someone else to bring paper plates and forks. Youโ€™ve instantly got one of the easiest and most popular party meals for a large crowd.

Arrange all of the ingredients like a salad bar. Guests spoon the mac and cheese onto their plates and then move down the aisle adding all their favorite toppings to create their own unique dish. 

Add a little extra fun with a contest! Take pictures and vote on the best mixtures for a fun little party game! 

Meat Toppings

Meat can be a great way to inject some protein into your mac and cheese. The addition of various meats could make this a more complete and hearty meal.

  1. Diced Ham
  2. Shredded Pork
  3. Grilled Chicken
  4. Chopped Bacon
  5. Chopped Hot Dog
  6. Ground Beef
  7. Shrimp
  8. Lobster/Crab Meat
  9. Fried Chicken
  10. Kielbasa

Extra Cheese Toppings

You canโ€™t go wrong with cheese, am I right? Yes, youโ€™ve already got cheese included but add some more for an extra special blending. 

  1. Cheddar
  2. Pepperjack
  3. Blue Cheese Crumbles
  4. Grated Parmesan
  5. Salsa Con Queso
  6. Queso Fresco
  7. Crushed Nacho Cheese Doritos
  8. Cheese Curds
  9. Crumbled Cheez-its
  10. Crumbled Cheese Doodles (Seriously, try this! Regular or Flaminโ€™ Hot Cheetos!)

Veggie Toppings

Whether youโ€™re looking to add to your already impressive bowl or you want to create something slightly less fattening, or maybe youโ€™re a vegetarian looking to mix and match, make sure you have a plethora of veggies available for your guests. 

  1. Tomatoes
  2. Mushrooms (raw and cooked) 
  3. Onion (raw and cooked)
  4. Jalapeรฑos
  5. Shredded Carrots
  6. Broccoli
  7. Cauliflower
  8. Beans (Pinto, Kidney, Black, baked and refried) 
  9. Corn
  10. Scallions

Sauces and Seasonings

Sauces and seasonings can give your best mac and cheese bar that extra special addition by boosting the flavor into a truly memorable food experience.

  1. Ketchup (Seriously, try it and thank me later) 
  2. Truffle Oil
  3. Hot Sauce (and Buffalo) 
  4. Teriyaki
  5. Ranch
  6. Blue Cheese Dressing
  7. Garlic Powder
  8. Cayenne Pepper
  9. Barbecue Sauce
  10. Sour Cream

In Conclusion

There is no end to the number of different toppings you could include for your mac and cheese bar. Encourage your guests to get creative and bring their own additions to the bar. 

Have you ever had a mac and cheese bar party? Did your favorite topping make the list? Sound off in the comment section below and let us know! 

Podcast Episode About Making A Mac n Cheese Bar

Listen to our editor, Christine Pittman, explain briefly about how to make this recipe, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:

Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.

This post originally appeared in August 2019 and was revised and republished in October 2022.

40 Toppings for Your Mac and Cheese Bar

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About Christine

Christine is the founder of TheCookful and also of her blog COOKtheSTORY. Her passion is explaining the WHY behind cooking โ€“ Why should you cook things a certain way; Will they turn out if you do it differently; What are the pros and cons of the method? Learn more about Christine, her cookbooks, and her podcast.

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10 Comments

  1. My son loves mac and cheese and can be pretty picky … such as he only wants my mac n cheese. His birthday party is Saturday and I am so tired of Hot dogs and Hamburgers. I think a Mac in Cheese bar is just the ticket!

  2. My daugther is graduating in 2024 and wanted Mac and Cheese for the food.. thank you this gives me many ideas for her party now!

  3. Here is my mix.
    Stoffers Mac&cheese
    Mixed in will be, chopped up Sun dried tomato, sauteed Bella mushroom slices. A bit of Ranch dressing.
    Topped with shredded Parm cheese and fried Onions.

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