Elevate Your Super Bowl Party Nachos with These Two Cheesy Substitutions%

What do you think of when you think of nachos? Let me guess: You’re picturing a plate of tortilla chips piled with melted cheese or queso, some black beans, salsa, one or more dollops of sour cream, and a protein if you’re at home and don’t have to worry about that pesky grilled chicken upcharge. But what if I grabbed you by the sides of your face, shook your head vigorously like an Etch-a-Sketch, and made you forget everything you know about nachos—you might come up with something kind of crazy. Something out-there. Something downright wild. While your brain is still blank, c’mere so I can whisper something in your ear: Cheetos Mac Nachos.

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Hey, G—that’s a crazy idea. Is that booze I smell on your breath?

No! While, in the immortal words of Alan Jackson, it may be 5 o’clock somewhere, I’m on the West Coast and it’s simply too early to imbibe. But feel free to pour yourself a drink while we discuss this nutso (and highly tasty) addition to your Super Bowl party spread.

Okay, sure. Now, how would one go about making this mutant form of nachos?

Really, we’re just layering here. Dump a bag of Cheetos onto a sheet pan. We’re partial to Crunchy Cheddar Jalapeno Cheetos, but choose your own adventure here. If you’re hosting heat seekers, throw all gastrointestinal caution to the wind and opt for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Now make a box of mac and cheese. This is where things get fun because you have so many options. Our favorite mac and cheese is Kraft Creamy Deluxe Original, but you could also splurge on Velveeta Shells & Cheese or, better yet, grab a box of Cheetos Mac & Cheese (it has those spiral-y noodles we really like).

Dump the mac and cheese on top of the Cheetos, toss it in the oven at 400 degrees to melt some shredded cheddar on top, and then add the key ingredient: crispy bacon bits. A few dollops of sour cream on top and people are going to be absolutely freaking out for this—just make sure to put out small appetizer plates and a spatula for serving.

I know what you’re thinking: Cheetos can’t pick up noodles. They’re not flat. They have no surfaces for hefting, well, anything. This is what forks were made for. Okay, not specifically this, but stuff like this. Use it like a shovel. Show a little ingenuity! Your guests will thank you.

About the Author

Howdy! I’m Gwynedd, Sporked’s managing editor. I live in Los Angeles and have access to the best tacos the U.S. has to offer—but I’m a sucker for a crunchy Old El Paso taco night every now and then. I’ve been at Sporked since 2022 and I’m still searching frozen mozzarella sticks that can hold a candle to restaurant sticks. Why you should trust me: I’ve been a journalist for 20 years (yikes), a consumer of food for 40-plus years, and I’m truly hard pressed to think of foods I don’t like (or that I can’t tolerate at the very least). Oh and one time I cooked my way through Guy Fieri’s cookbook and wrote about the journey through Flavortown. What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s Original Savory Thins. Fat free plain yogurt (usually Fage or Nancy’s). Honeycrisp apples. Sweet cream coffee creamer for my at-home Americanos. A frozen cauliflower crust pizza and some jarred mushrooms to top it with. Old El Paso Stand ‘N Stuff taco shells and Gardein Ground Be’f, even though I think “be’f” is a nightmarish contraction. Favorite ranking: Stouffer’s frozen dinners. I don’t own a microwave (I get my cancers the old fashioned way!), so I love taste testing things that I don’t really buy to eat at home. Least favorite ranking: Soy sauce. Don’t get me wrong, I love soy sauce—but consuming that much sodium in one sitting is probably illegal in some countries. Our frozen enchilada taste test was a close second; the smell of microwaved corn tortillas still haunts me.