Guy Fieri's Favorite Gameday Snack To Make For Parties

There's no bigger holiday in Flavortown than gameday. To celebrate the occasion, Guy Fieri knows it's not about bringing complex or delicate dishes, but cranking up the flavor on old-school classics. That's why when he was interviewed by The Takeout, he told his adoring fans that his number one gameday snack is a twist on a reliable standard: trashcan nachos.

The key to this recipe is Fieri's signature layering style. While improper layering sabotages your homemade nachos, creating a soggy top layer coated in toppings and a dry bottom layer begging for more flavor, Fieri insists you only need a tin can to get it right. Alternating layers of tortilla chips, toppings, and super melty cheese stack up within the can, creating a gastronomic tower of evenly distributed goodness. The can itself is as important as your ingredients, as it provides the structural support necessary to create layer after layer of full-flavor chips that might otherwise fall apart into a messy mound on a plate or tray.

The perfect can for trashcan nachos must be wide enough to accommodate large layers of chips, tall enough to create at least a handful of layers, and have no top or bottom. Once you've successfully stacked your snack, just gently remove the can to reveal your tower of taste. Fieri insists that this method works with just about any nacho topping, so provided you've got melty cheese, crispy chips, and tasty ingredients, you're ready to make the ultimate gameday party snack.

From barbecue sauce straight outta Flavortown to wagyu ground beef, there aren't many ingredients you can't toss on nachos. But when it comes to your version of trashcan nachos, Guy Fieri has a couple of suggestions to make sure they can suit any person's tastes.

Fieri has always been a huge proponent of rich, salty, marbled Italian meats. That's why, in his opinion, it's best to make a succulent bacon swap by using pancetta instead. Pancetta has a very unique flavor, something that's as salty and rich as bacon, but with a greater depth and complexity of flavor that makes it so popular in Europe. Cubed and fried pancetta also has a different texture than bacon, one that's both crispy and chewy at the same time. This is especially true for the fattier portions of the meat, as these can practically melt in your mouth when fried at low heat in a bit of olive oil.

Fieri also insists that his trashcan nachos work perfectly fine with cheese made of cashews and yeast. If you're having trouble melting vegan cheese, try tossing it in a saucepan with a bit of water. Since it's so starch-heavy, the added moisture helps break down the structure of the cheese, ensuring it melts into something as close to queso as possible. The nuttier flavor of vegan varieties still pairs well with other, more traditional nacho toppings like jalapeños, onion, and salsa, and benefits from Fieri's trashcan trick just as much as dairy-based cheese.

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