A Glorious, Gut-Busting Pile of Meat, Potatoes, Mac Salad, and All-American Chaos

Invented at Nick Tahou Hots in Rochester, NY, the Garbage Plate is a cultural legend. It’s not pretty—but it’s greasy, spicy, tangy, and stacked with flavor. Traditionally served with cheeseburgers or hot dogs over a bed of home fries and macaroni salad, all smothered in meat hot sauce, onions, mustard, and a whole lot of attitude. This is not your cheat meal—it’s your cheat lifestyle.

Ingredients

Serves 2 insanely hungry people or 4 normal ones

For the base

• 2 cups home fries (cubed potatoes, pan-fried or roasted)
• 2 cups macaroni salad (store-bought or homemade, chilled)
• Optional: baked beans or French fries as swap-ins

For the burgers

• 500g ground beef (80/20 blend)
• Salt and black pepper
• 4 slices American cheese
• 4 burger buns (optional – you’re not using them in the Plate)
• 1 tbsp mustard (for topping)

For the Rochester meat hot sauce

• 250g ground beef (½ lb)
• 1 tbsp onion, finely minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp allspice
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• ½ cup beef broth
• 2 tbsp ketchup or tomato paste
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Toppings

• Yellow mustard
• Diced raw onions
• Slices of dill pickle
• Hot sauce (optional)
• Soft white bread & butter (traditional side)

Instructions

Start with the meat hot sauce: In a skillet, brown the ground beef until crumbly. Add the onion and garlic, cooking until fragrant. Stir in the spices, brown sugar, and ketchup, then pour in the broth. Simmer for 20–30 minutes, until thick and rich. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Pan-fry or grill the burgers: Season beef patties with salt and pepper. Cook in a hot pan until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Add cheese on top in the final minute and let it melt. Set aside.

Assemble the base: On a large plate, pile home fries on one side and macaroni salad on the other. (Optional: add baked beans or fries for extra chaos.)

Place the cheeseburgers on top. Generously ladle the hot meat sauce over the entire plate. Drizzle with mustard, sprinkle with raw onions, and maybe a few dashes of hot sauce.

Serve with soft white bread and butter on the side. Devour immediately, preferably with a fork in one hand and a regret-proof stomach in the other.

Cooking Tips

Use cold mac salad and hot fries to create contrast—it’s part of the charm. The meat hot sauce should be loose and spicy, almost like a chili but thinner. Don’t skip the mustard and onions—they cut through the richness. And yes, bread and butter on the side is non-negotiable.