🧮 Calculator

Mac & Cheese Bar Calculator

Build a crowd-pleasing mac & cheese bar. Calculate pasta and cheese sauce ingredients for side or main portions, plus per-topping amounts and how many slow cookers to keep it warm.

Mac & Cheese Bar Setup
20
1 — Main dish (4 oz dry pasta)
SideMain

Bacon, breadcrumbs, jalapeños, scallions…

6

Dry Elbow Pasta

5

lbs

Shredded Cheese

5.5 lbs

Whole Milk

3.8 qt

Butter

3 sticks

Flour (roux)

1.3 cups

Total Toppings

6.3 cups

Per Topping

1.1 cups

6-qt Slow Cookers

4

Bowls & Spoons

24

💡 Pro Tips

  • • Undercook pasta by 2 minutes — it keeps softening in the warm cheese sauce.
  • • Blend a melter (cheddar, American) with a flavor cheese (gruyère, smoked gouda).
  • • Hold on the slow cooker's WARM setting and stir in a splash of milk every 30 min.