Looking for build your own family dinner ideas that let everyone choose their favorites? Taco boards, personal pizzas and bowls piled with toppings give you plenty to work with.
Start with a main dish, then put the extras on the table for everyone to pass around.
You can keep things simple or go all out. A few bowls of cheese and chopped vegetables count too! These spreads include everyday dinner inspiration plus a waffle board for a breakfast-for-dinner night.
Mix-and-match dinners to try with your family
tacos with all the extras
We’re starting off strong with this colorful taco board. I love the rows of crunchy shells beside the soft tortillas.
There’s plenty to choose from, including shrimp, chopped chicken, guacamole and shredded cabbage.
Put your shells in the middle like this, then tuck little topping bowls around them. Keep the sliced jalapeños separate so everyone can choose their own heat.
pick-your-own pizza toppings
Who else would head straight for the cheese? This pizza spread has bowls of grated cheese, mushrooms, olives and tomatoes alongside a platter of sliced meats.
Set out individual pizza bases for your version. You can keep yours simple with sauce and cheese or try pineapple with ham.
No need for everyone to agree on one pizza!
chicken bowls on a tray
This is actually one of my favorite ways to arrange a bowl dinner. The chicken, beans and grains sit down the middle, with avocado, shredded carrots and cheese along the sides.
Start your bowl with the grains or greens, then choose your toppings. The tortilla chips beside the tray are a nice extra for scooping.
baked potatoes two ways
Can’t decide between regular potatoes and sweet potatoes? You don’t have to with this spread.
Both run down the middle of the board, surrounded by broccoli, bacon pieces, cheese and plenty of other extras.
I especially love the separate marshmallow bowl for anyone choosing a sweet topping. For your savory potato, try the chili and sliced green onions.
choose your nacho combination
If you are looking for lots of nacho inspiration, then this one is for you. This topping guide includes two chip options, several meat choices, beans and all those little finishing touches.
You don’t need to serve everything pictured. Pick a filling, add queso or shredded cheese, then offer salsa and guacamole on the side.
a burger topping board
I love this burger board with its overlapping tomato slices and big lettuce leaves. The onion rings, cheese slices and pickles are all kept in their own little sections.
Try serving a tray like this beside your cooked burgers and buns. Don’t forget small spoons for the mustard, ketchup and relish.
pasta with a choice of sauces
The pasta fans are going to have plenty to choose from here! Spaghetti, short pasta and gnocchi sit beside separate sauces, mushrooms and broccoli.
That little cheese grater is my favorite detail. Put a wedge of cheese on the table so everyone can finish their own bowl.
noodle bowls with colorful toppings
How good do these noodle bowls look? The corn, halved eggs and leafy greens make such a pretty mix beside the rows of sliced toppings.
These bowls are already assembled, but you could turn the same idea into a dinner bar. Serve the noodles first, then pass around mushrooms, corn, green onions and sesame seeds.
mix-and-match salad bowls
Don’t want every salad to look the same? No problem!
These bowls mix leafy greens with cucumber rounds, shredded toppings and colorful chopped vegetables.
For a build-your-own version, leave the ingredients in separate bowls. You could also add cooked chicken or beans on the side to make this your main dinner.
sushi bowls with avocado
I am obsessed with how pretty this bowl looks. The sliced avocado, cucumber rounds and strips of seaweed sit over rice with red-and-white seafood pieces and shredded carrots.
Try a sushi-inspired bowl night with those toppings served separately. Leave the sauce and sesame seeds until the end so everyone can add their own finishing touches.
mac and cheese with toppings
This mac and cheese setup goes all out with flowers and framed topping signs. But you can absolutely borrow the food idea without recreating the whole display.
Serve your mac and cheese with little bowls of broccoli, sliced sausage and breadcrumbs, like the ones shown here. I’d start with broccoli and a spoonful of crumbs.
Read also: 20 One Dish Dinners With Cheesy Bakes, Chicken and Colorful Veggies
pita wedges and chopped toppings
The lemon wedges and thin red onion rings are so pretty in this spread. There are pita wedges, tomatoes, cucumber and crumbled white cheese beside a large bowl of sliced filling.
Try setting up your own pita dinner with cooked meat or chickpeas. Keep the dips within reach for spooning over a filled pita or onto a plate.
waffles for dinner
Who says the dinner board has to be savory? This waffle spread has rows of round waffles with strawberries, blueberries and blackberries piled between them.
I love the little bowls of syrup and granola on the side. If you want to make this a breakfast-for-dinner meal, you could serve eggs alongside it too.
a board full of taco toppings
This is another taco-night idea, but the toppings get the spotlight here. Shredded chicken, crumbled meat and black beans surround a board of salsa, guacamole, corn and sliced jalapeños.
Add tortillas or a bowl of rice to your table to turn this spread into dinner. The lime wedges are a lovely finishing touch.
hot dogs and checkerboard trays
How cute is this hot dog table? I love the red-and-white liners and the doodled stars around the trays.
Chopped onions, relish and shredded cheese sit together in a divided topping station.
Keep some hot dogs plain beside the buns, as shown at the back. Everyone can build theirs before reaching for the ketchup and mustard.
little sliders with different fillings
These little sliders are just too cute. The collage includes cheeseburgers topped with pickles plus golden-coated fillings with white sauce drizzled over the buns.
Choose one or two fillings for your own slider night rather than trying every version. Set out small buns, lettuce, cheese and sauces for everyone to assemble.
lettuce wraps with thin noodles
This lettuce-wrap board may just be a favorite. I love the big lettuce leaves beside the thin noodles, cucumber pieces and bright carrot strips.
Keep the peanuts and sauces in separate bowls like this. Start with a lettuce leaf, add a little filling, then finish with whichever vegetables you want.
personal pizzas on little pans
Don’t want to compromise on pizza toppings? These individual pizzas are for you.
Each has its own combination, from jalapeños and red onion to leafy greens and a dark drizzle.
Give everyone a separate pan for their pizza. You could offer a finishing sauce after baking for anyone who wants to try the drizzled look.
soup with bread and extras
If you’re looking for a dinner spread without lots of assembly, go with a soup table. This one has two big pots beside sliced bread and little bowls of toppings.
I love the thick bread slices stacked at the front. For your version, set out grated cheese and chopped herbs so everyone can finish their own soup.
a colorful fajita bar
Last but definitely not least, we have this colorful fajita spread. The platter of sliced meat and shrimp sits behind bowls of tomatoes, red onion, cheese and black olives.
Stack your tortillas at one end so everyone has a place to start. For a family dinner, you could swap the pictured margarita station for lime water or another alcohol-free drink.