Last time I posted Rochester Garbage Plates, it was an ode to Nick Tahou on his birthday, the evil genius behind piling greasy foods on a plate, leaving behind a legacy and tradition for all Rochester, New York natives. The original garbage plate, if you will.
What is a garbage plate?
I know what you are thinking… “What in the world is a garbage plate?? I just see a pile of random food!”
A Garbage Plate is a loaded dish of crispy home fries, hot sauce, macaroni salad and cheeseburgers topped with raw onions, condiments and slices of white bread. Sometimes you’ll see it with hot dogs (red hots) or even white veal hot dogs (white hots).
Ding, ding, ding- you got it! Garbage plates come in many varieties, but they are all comprised of three basic layers: the base, meat and toppings.
Where did the garbage plate originate?
Garbage plates hail from the Rochester area and the story goes that they were developed by hungry, and possibly really drunk, college students from the University of Rochester.
The just wanted a plate of food and basically had the workers at Nick Tahou Hots piled all the leftovers odds and ends onto a plate.
What is on a garbage plate?
The base is generally crispy home fries and sometimes French fries. I liked to make mine in giant cubes, but to each their own.
Next comes more carbs in the form of macaroni salad. For a garbage plate, a dry mac salad made a day ahead of time is best. All the other condiments will result in it being too saucy if your mac salad is a wet one.
But hey, if you are into that kind of thing, who am I to stop you?
The one ingredient that never changes is what garbage plate goers call Rochester Hot Sauce. Not the usual Texas Pete, but instead beef simmered in onion, garlic, tomato sauce and spices to an almost chili-like consistency, but ironically not very spicy. Meat sauce.
Every “hots” store will have their own proprietary hot sauce, so there isn’t one right way to make it.
The base can consist of macaroni salad, baked beans, home fries or French fries. The meat layer can be just about any piece of meat, or non-meat, you can think of!
A traditional plate uses cheeseburgers or hamburgers, but you can also mix it up and get hot dogs, grilled cheese, fried fish, fried ham, steak, Italian sausage or fried chicken fingers.
Some people don’t use any meat and that is okay too. This is a lot of food!
Toppings
The toppings range from:
- Fried eggs
- Extra cheese
- Raw onion
- Sauteed onion
- Hot Sauce
- Mustard
- Ketchup
- Relish
- Pickles
- Buffalo sauce
All plates are served with a side of plain white bread (untoasted) with butter packets to mop up the extra sauce. The goal being to end up with a clean plate.
Not down for this long process, but want to try a plate? You can always purchase pre-made macaroni salad, canned mild chili and frozen home fries.
Another little fact, health.com has rated the Garbage Plate the fattiest food in the entire state of New York, so please consume in moderation!
Let’s review the steps for eat a garbage plate at home:
- Make the base of home fries or french fries.
- Top with a cold macaroni salad.
- Smother with Rochester style hot sauce.
- Add your desired meat (or lack thereof).
- Adorn with toppings of choice.
- Place plain white bread on the side.
- Eat like you’ve never eaten before!
- Take a long nap.
Storage & Reheating
Garbage plates are best enjoyed freshly made. You can make all of the elements ahead of time and then assemble, but you’ll lose a bit of of the crunchies from the potatoes if you make them too early. That being said, most garbage plates are served in styrofoam containers that essentially steam the whole plate in transit, so this might be more authentic!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They are best reheated in the oven on 300°F for about 10 minutes. You can certainly microwave them, but it will come with the usual woes of the microwave like soggy or rubbery food.
More Regional Dishes
Maryland Style Crab Cake Recipe
Nashville Hot Chicken Sliders
Rochester Garbage Plate Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 cups classic macaroni salad click for recipe
- 2 cups crispy home fries click for recipe
- 4 cups Rochester hot sauce click for recipe
- 12 frozen hamburger patties
- 12 slices American cheese
- 12 slices white bread
- butter softened, for buttering the bread
Condiments:
- ketchup
- yellow mustard
- raw onions , chopped
Instructions
- Fire up the grill to high heat. Grill each hamburger patty 5 minutes on each side for a medium burger. Top with cheese and allow to melt for 1 minute, remove.
- Now you are ready to build your magnificent Rochester Style Garbage Plate! Take a large scoop of home fries, place on one side of the plate. Next, take a large scoop of macaroni salad and place on the other side of the plate. Top with 1-2 cheeseburgers, then raw onions and Rochester hot sauce. Finish with any desired condiments and serve with a slice of buttered bread. Enjoy your Rochester Style Garbage Plate!
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and leave us a comment!
This is literally the epitome of comfort food! I’m so impressed with this dish! Absolutely perfect!
I had never heard of this recipe, and out of curiosity I decided to try it. I love it!!!
Oh my word! I need this in my life. I have to rethink dinner tonight. lol.
I had never heard of this before but I gotta say it sounds amazing!
I would like the recipe for the hot sauce. I have had plates from different places. One of the best is Charlie’s in Penfield and Ontario. They have a pretty good hot sauce. I have eaten Nick’s as well.
I haven’t made thits yet because it isn’t good without the sauce. Thanks
Glad you found it! Enjoy!
Worked across the street from Nick Tahou’s for a few years. Ate more of these than I care to admit, and they are fantastic. THank you for the recipe, as I haven’t been able to duplicate the hot sauce to my taste yet.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Being from Rochester, NY this item is a must after a night out! My favorite place is Mark’s Texas Hots, best garbage plates hands down. After 3 am on a weekend don’t be surprised to see a line at this spot. Make sure you request extra meat sauce on the side with your order. One order is enough to feed two adults; but most of us don’t share; LOL.
Hey Penny,
We haven’t been to Mark’s! We are heading up for a visit next month and will be sure to check it out. I agree, no long night out should go without a Garage Plate!
I can’t lie. I would eat it. It goes against ALL of my fitness goals though! LOL!
I’ve never heard of Garbage Plates. It looks interesting and my husband would totally eat it. I’m not big on mixing all my food together.
My husband would be in heaven with this ‘garbage plate’!!!!!
Pinned this to my KickAss Food board. I would totally eat this and think it looks delicious.
We make something similar in Greece and it is delicious as I believe this dish is as well!
Why is this called a Rochester anything like it is some crazy New York concoction. Back home, we just called it “what we had”. Don’t understand that nonsense.
Carry on, ye of simple minds.
Nick specifically made it for college students after a night out drinking! I understand about having ingredients at home to make this but I can’t think of one college student that would do that! Especially after drinking! Thanks Nick for many years of the Garbage Plate!!
Oh, I agree- this recipe isn’t for college students to make themselves. This recipe is for the 40-year old who longs for those days at home.
Smorgasbord! A little of this and a little of that! Super filling, just what I need to make for my son!
Ha ha garbage plate? I would definitely eat it I just would have to call it something else LOL
I agree, Tess, the name needs a facelift.
I have never heard of anything like this! I don’t think I would be brave enough to eat it.
I just like that it’s paired with a Miller Lite! Yum! Sounds awesome.
I mean technically it should be paired with a* Genny Cream Ale if you’re looking for the really authentic experience.
*many
Yes~! You are VERY right 🙂
I don’t think I could eat it. But I have a feeling my husband would love it!
Garbage never looked so good! I would love to try that
It looks yummy. I would eat garbage plates for dinner. And the left over beer.