Garbage Plate (sounds gross, just go with it)

In Rochester we have a regional dish called a Garbage Plate. It consists of French fries or home fries, macaroni salad (mayo based), 2 hamburger patties that are typically topped off with onions, ketchup, mustard and a meat hot sauce. The meat hot sauce is not a standard hot sauce you find in a bottle that is tangy or almost vinegary in taste. The meat hot sauce has ground beef, tomato sauce and a slew of seasoning that are often "top secret" to the company or restaurant that makes it. Again, it sounds gross, hence the name Garbage Plate. But think of it this way. Imagine you're at a summer picnic and you put all those things on your plate and they happen mix together. Same thing, kind of.

This recipe has a pre made veggie burger. By all means you can make your own, or even use my sweet potato black bean burger with this recipe as well.

But here is your plant based option for this Rochester dish that by no means is healthy, but its damn good!

~ I love to do my grocery shopping at a few different stores. The majority of my shopping is done at Aldi. Their prices and quality are fantastic! And you can't not love the aisle of randomness. Need a new laundry basket? Barbie doll? Exercise bike? Any-who, I also go to Trader Joes and Wegmans, which is our local grocery store. And of course the random Target and Walmart run. So you will see a variety of different brands in my posts.

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The Mac Salad

Ingredients:

- 1/2 a box of Gluten Free Elbow Macaroni

- 2/3 cup dairy free mayonnaise

- 1/2 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar (depending on how tangy you like it)

- 1 tbsp minced onion

- 1 tsp garlic powder

- 2 tsp dill weed

- 1/2 tsp paprika

- 1 carrot peeled and cut julienne

- 2 celery stalks diced

How to:

1. Boil the pasta according to the package instructions

2. When the pasta is cooked through, drain and let it cool completely

3. In a large bowl, add the cooked pasta, mayo, apple cider vinegar, onion, garlic, dill, paprika, chopped carrots and celery and mix until blended

4. Let the completed Mac salad cool in the fridge for about an hour before serving

The Burger and Fries

How to:

1. Prepare the fries and veggie burger according to the package instructions

Ingredients:

- 1/2 can of Bush's baked beans

- 1 can of tomato paste

- 1 clove of garlic (pressed)

- 1 tbs chopped onion

- 1 tsp paprika

- 1/2 tsp of Cayenne pepper (or the amount to your liking)

- 3 tsp cinnamon

How to:

1. Sauté the garlic and onions in a small pot with a little olive oil until fragrant

2. Add a half of the can of beans and tomato paste to the pot

3. With a potato masher, mash the beans until the sauce becomes thick. Leave a few pieces of the beans for some texture

4. Add the seasonings and cook for about 5 minutes and then set aside

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Assembly:

1. Add the fries and Mac salad to the plate

2. Add the veggie burger, hot sauce and onions on top of the fries and Mac salad

3. top with ketchup and/or mustard

4. SCARF THAT GARBAGE PLATE!