Trash Can Nachos

Trash can nachos are a delicious copycat of the Guy Fieri’s classic. Smothered in super melty cheesy sauce and absolutely loaded with toppings, you’ll never have better nachos in your life than these!

Have you ever gotten nachos out in a restaurant? They come out and look impressive?

All goes well until you dig in and then you discover that there are tons of plain old chips with no topping.

That is the worst!

And it’s the absolute opposite of this situation we have going on here.

Toppings run throughout these trash can nachos.

There will be no naked chips.

I promise.

What are trash can nachos?

You might hear these called kitchen sink nachos too but these are literally served in a #10 can so trash can feels more fitting.

But basically the names just mean that they are loaded with all the toppings you can think of.

Ingredients

Let’s break this down into two sets of ingredients- the cheese sauce and the nachos themselves.

For the super melty cheesy sauce you’ll need:

• Roux ingredients– Butter and flour make the base of this sauce.
• Half and half– Don’t substitute lower fat milk. You want this as rich and creamy as possible.
• Cheese– Shredded cheddar, Monterrey jack, and smoked gouda are the perfect combo. You can substitute them if desired but this combination is spot on.
• Spices– Cumin, cayenne pepper, and a little bit of pickled jalapeno juice.

For the nachos themselves, you’ll need:

• Brisket– Chopped smoked brisket is best for tons of flavor. We use our leftovers but you could sub other protein.
• Tortilla chips– Get thick tortilla chips so they withstand all the toppings better.
• Barbecue sauce– I recommend a sweet and tangy kind but you can use any kind you like.
• Cheese– Yes, more shredded cheddar.
• Black beans– Canned black beans, drained and rinsed.
• Garnishes– Pico de gallo, pickled red onion, sliced jalapenos, cotija cheese, and sour cream.

How to Make

Let’s break this down and start with making the cheesy sauce.

How to Make the Super Melty Cheesy Sauce

Start by melting the butter in a large skillet set over medium heat.

Once the butter has melted, whisk the flour into the melted butter until evenly combined.

Let the mixture cook for 60 seconds to cook off flour-y taste.

Then, whisk in the half and half, a little at a time, until it’s evenly incorporated.

Keep whisking until the mixture thickens.

Stir in the remaining sauce ingredients and continue stirring until the cheeses are completely melted.

Then, remove the skillet from heat and set it aside.

Reserve 2 tablespoons of cheese sauce, and set aside separately.

How to Make the Nachos

Once you’ve made the cheese sauce, you can start putting together the nachos.

To do it, divide the tortillas out into an even layer between two sheet pans.

Then, spread half of the cheese sauce evenly out over one pan of chips and then drizzle the other half evenly out over the other pan of tortilla chips.

Spread the meat and black beans evenly over both pans of the chips.

Next, sprinkle the shredded cheddar evenly out over both sheet pans.

Drizzle the barbecue sauce evenly over the cheese.

Bake the nachos at 350° for 4-5 minutes or just until the cheddar cheese has melted.

At this point, carefully remove the chips from the oven and set them aside.

Add the reserved cheese sauce to the center of a large cutting board or serving platter and spread it out into a thin circle.

Set the prepared ‘trash’ can on top so that the cheese sauce is centered.

Use a spatula, or tongs, and layer the nachos in the trash can.

Do this in three main layers, pressing down in between each one so they stick together well and also to maximize the amount that can fit.

Once filled, top your trash can with garnishes.

Using two hands placed on either side of the metal can, carefully lift the can up and off the nacho tower.

Set aside to clean and reuse another time.

Serve your warm nacho stack immediately.

Dig in and enjoy!

How many does this serve?

Well, friends, that’s an excellent question and it really depends on your appetites and what you are serving with this.

I will say that one batch of these uses two full bags of tortilla chips and can feed my brood of boys comfortably so all 6 of us can eat it for dinner.

That’s a feat!

Storing leftovers

Look, this recipe is fantastic, but I don’t recommend saving leftovers.

They will get soggy and sad in the fridge.

Tips and tricks

• I don’t recommend using thin & crispy or ‘cantina’ style chips as they tend to break too easily. Homemade tortilla chips hold up great.
• Be careful not to break the chips when pressing down the layers in the can.
• If you have a little leftover that’s ok, but it will take more than you think to fill properly.
• Be careful not to touch or overlap the can edges when you add the garnishes, and pile them high on top.
• While we love making this copycat recipe with leftover smoked brisket, you can sub other proteins for equally yummy results including chopped grilled or rotisserie chicken, seasoned & cooked ground beef, carne asada style steak, and even pulled pork.

Other Nacho Recipes

These trash can nachos are a delicious mess of cheesy goodness. Make them for a fun dinner or party appetizer and dig in!

Looking for other nacho recipes? Try these:

• Cheesy Beef & Bean Nachos (Family Recipe)
• Cheeseburger Nachos
• Irish Pub Nachos
• Loaded Buffalo Chicken Nachos
• Tex Mex Style Potato Nachos

If you’ve tried these TRASH CAN NACHOS, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!