Mac and cheese ahead

I’m entering a Mac and cheese competition tonight. I need to travel with it, and bake it there.

Typically I undercook the pasta slightly, but since it will likely cool before I get there is this necessary?

Should I mix it ahead of time or travel with pasta and sauce separately?

I’ll put the crumb topping on once I get there so it doesn’t get soggy.

I’ll be using a roux. Cheddar, aged cheddar, mozzarella, Gruyère, imperial aged cheddar. The topping is bread crumbs, parm, finely shredded cheddar and butter.

I was going to add bacon but since a few vegetarians are coming I want a chance for there vote. My cousin always wins and I’m always a close second in previous cooking contests so I don’t want to lose any potential votes.