4 S’mores recipes to change up your fireside desserts!

Whether you’re camping in the backyard or in the backcountry, you’ll need a fire and some ingredients to make a great s’more. And we’ve got all your campfire needs covered, from fuel and fire starters to the Solo Stove or the MSR PocketRocket 2.

We all love a fireside s’more, but sometimes it’s fun to mix it up. So if you’re a lightweight hiker trying to cut down the food you carry or you just want to wow the campsite, check out some new and easy recipes. 

Peanut Butter S’mores

Ingredients:
Peanut butter
Chocolate bar pieces
>>>Or sub both for peanut butter cups
Roasted marshmallows
Graham crackers

  1. Layer peanut butter on one or both of your graham crackers.
  2. Add your favorite chocolate bar pieces on one side.
  3. Or, for an extra treat, swap out the peanut butter and chocolate for a peanut butter cup.
  4. Add your toasted marshmallows directly on top of the chocolate or peanut butter cup.
  5. Sandwich together with the other half of your graham cracker, and enjoy!

Mint Lover’s S’mores

For a minty, easy-going s’more try this.

Ingredients:
Thin mint cookies
Roasted marshmallows
Graham crackers (optional)

  1. Option 1: Take your roasted marshmallows and sandwich between two thin mints cookies, and enjoy!
  2. Option 2: Take the prepared sandwich from above and put it in between two graham crackers for a double stack!

Hazelnut and Banana S’mores

Any Nutella or dessert crepe lovers? This one is for you!

Ingredients:
Chocolate hazelnut spread
Sliced bananas, or your favorite fruit (strawberries are also great here!)
Roasted marshmallows
Graham crackers

  1. Add a layer of hazelnut spread to your graham crackers (measure it with your heart).
  2. Top one side with sliced bananas or your favorite fruit.
  3. Add your marshmallows to your preferred roasted liking!

Pretzel S’mores

To really cut down on mess or multiple ingredients/snacks on the trail, this is a great one!

Ingredients:
Chocolate or yogurt-covered pretzels
Roasted marshmallows

  1. Take your roasted marshmallows and sandwich in-between two chocolate or yogurt covered pretzels. 
  2. It’s that easy. Enjoy an easy and sweet + salty treat!

 

 

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Start a New Tradition with a Campfire Holiday Feast

 

We can all agree that tradition is one of the best parts of the holiday season. Sharing a tradition builds family bonds and provides the comfort of familiarity, but after a while the years can start to blur together until no one can remember what year Uncle Johnny lit the neighbor’s yard on fire deep frying a turkey, or when Grandma’s pecan pie won first prize in the county fair.

And while carrying out the traditions themselves can be more cherished than the secret family recipe they are built around, every once in awhile, change can be a welcome breath of fresh air. We believe in the invigorating power of that fresh air, which is why we are proposing something a little different for this holiday season. Below is a guide to creating a holiday feast al fresco with a few recipes to cook over a campfire. So be bold and savor the new experience. The food will taste better as the cool crisp air heightens your senses. And who knows, you might just be creating a new tradition.

 

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Enjoy the stunning colors of fall, on the table and outdoors. Hailey Moore

 

To make the most of your meal, take time to plan the menu. We’ve offered some great recipes here, but feel free to make modifications that cater to your taste. Most of the recipes will require at least a few of these key ingredients:

Staple Ingredients: Fire-proof gloves, aluminum foil, camp skillet, olive oil, sharp knife, salt and pepper, 1-2 heads fresh garlic

Specific ingredients for each dish are listed below. Of course a campfire is going to be the most important element in your rustic repast, so be sure to know the basics of building a good cooking fire. A level, U-shaped fire ring with one prominent “chimney” stone at the back is ideal, but any flat fire ring will eventually produce the desired bed of smoldering coals. This smoldering bed of coals is going to be crucial to ensure even cooking of your food. Bringing along a fire grate is optional but encouraged if you intend to use camp cookware. However, several of the recipes below call for no more from the kitchen then a simple roll of aluminum foil, which is great if you plan on packing light.

Hobo Packs

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Hobo Packs use a few key ingredients that will transformed once cooked together. Katie Taylor

 

These recipes embody the simplistic yet delicious flavors that can be achieved by cooking over an open fire with nothing more than aluminum foil and your favorite seasonal produce or cured meats. Quick pro tip: once you have your fire blazing and are waiting for it to turn to coal, place your fresh garlic on a nearby stone to roast while you prepare the rest of your ingredients. Be sure the garlic does not catch fire, but is close enough to roast in the husk. This will make an amazingly smoky, savory addition to your meal. Now you’re ready to begin.

  • olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 3-4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1-2 large beets, peeled and chopped
  • a few sprigs of fresh thyme, sage or rosemary
  • a couple cloves of roasted garlic
  • handful dried cranberries, toasted pumpkin seeds, or pecans
  • salt and pepper to taste

Start by chopping an assortment of the fall veggies listed above. It is important to chop them fairly small so that you’re not waiting all night for them to cook. Tear a 12-inch sheet of aluminum foil (one per person) and mold around your fist in the shape of a “pocket”. Depending on how full you’re filling your pocket, you may want to double up the foil. Drizzle some olive oil into the bottom of the pocket to prevent sticking and fill with veggies. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, add a sprig of thyme, sage, or rosemary and stuff in a couple cloves of roasted garlic if you made some earlier. Add about ¼ cup of water, fold pocket closed and set to cook on the coals for 20-40 minutes. Bringing along some pre-cooked bacon, or honey ham to throw in with your veggies is also a great way to add a savory umami kick.

Chorizo Hobo Packs

  • 8 oz. dried Spanish chorizo, casings removed and chopped
  • 1 ½ pounds fingerling potatoes, chopped (skin on is OK)
  • 3- 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 2-3 stalks celery
  • a few sprigs of fresh thyme, sage or rosemary
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

The great thing about using dried chorizo here is that you don’t have to worry about refrigeration and can spend the day on the trail worry-free. Chop all of your ingredients and wrap per the same method as the Veggie Hobo Packs. Cook over the coals for 25-35 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

Campfire Panini and Turkey Cream Cheese Sammy

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A skillet over the campfire is a great way to cook cheesy, delicious paninis. Basheer Tome

 

If low maintenance cooking is your M.O., we’ve got you covered. Sandwiches, especially hot sandwiches with beautiful golden-buttered toast, and melted cheese oozing through the crumb (let the salivation begin) are perhaps one of the most underrated comfort foods around. And with the holidays being about comfort food, we thought we’d share some of our suggestions for making the best holiday sandwich you’ve ever had. The amounts here yield about 4 sandwiches.

Panini

  • 8-10 oz. carved roasted turkey or honey ham
  • 1 jar fig preserves, apple butter or cranberry chutney (you pick your jam)
  • 8 oz. sliced gruyere, gouda, brie, provolone or swiss (you want a creamy, melting cheese)
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 granny smith apple, thinly sliced
  • A loaf of sliced bread (honey wheat or sourdough are great options)

Assemble your sandwiches with the ingredients listed. Heat a camp skillet over the hot coals and add 1 tbl. butter to melt. Once butter is melted, toast your sandwich in the pan, grilled-cheese style.

Turkey Cream Cheese

  • 8-10 oz. Carved roasted turkey
  • 8 -10 slices crispy bacon
  • 8 oz. cream cheese
  • handful chives, chopped or fresh rosemary, chopped
  • A loaf of sliced bread (try rye or pumpernickel)

Toast your bread slices in a pan with a small amount of butter. Meanwhile, mix cream cheese with chives or rosemary (or both!). Once toasted, spread the herb cream cheese on your bread slices and go to town adding the turkey and bacon slices. It’s that easy.

Holiday Hash

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Use traditional seasonal ingredients—or anything else you like—in creating a campfire hash. Hailey Moore

 

This dish is a mash-up of the sweet and savory holiday flavors that make a dish satisfying. This is a one pan meal which makes it ideal for camp cooking.

Camp skillet

  • 1 lb. ground turkey or pork sausage (if hiking at all before setting up camp, use frozen sausage so that it will be cold but thawed by the time you’re ready to cook)
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2-3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 2 apples, peeled and diced
  • 2 Tbl. maple syrup
  • 2-3 cloves roasted garlic, minced
  • A few dashes of the following spices: cinnamon, cayenne, and sage
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Coat the bottom of skillet with olive oil, cook sausage with maple syrup until browned, then remove the sausage from the skillet and set aside. Add onions and sweet potatoes to the pan and cook until sweet potatoes begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add apples and spice mixture, cooking 8-10 minutes, or until sweet potatoes and apples are completely tender. Return the cooked sausage to the pan and toss together with a handful of dried cranberries, pecans or toasted pumpkin seeds!

Baked Apples

Is anything more reminiscent of the holidays then the aroma of baking apples and cinnamon? This perfect combination is truly a hallmark of any holiday meal, and should be included in yours too.

For our rustic rendition of baked apples you will need an apple per person, aluminum foil, pairing knife and a 50/50 cinnamon-sugar mix. Leaving the skin on, cut a hole in the top and bottom of the apples to pop out the core and create a hole that cuts through the apple. Set the apple upright on a piece of foil. Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of cinnamon sugar mixture into the hole (which should be closed off by the foil) and wrap the foil closed around the apple. Place on the coals to cook for 10-15 minutes and enjoy a piping hot-baked apple.

It’s true that most of us do not eat the same way year-round as we do around the holidays. We expect the same to be true for how we eat on the trail—usually we throw in a few packs of instant oatmeal, trail mix, some ramen and call it good. But for this special season, we hope you feel inspired to pack in a little extra weight (to keep a little extra off) and indulge in some holiday feasting and festivities chez-mother nature. Being gathered around the warmth of a fire inspires storytelling and memory sharing much the same way as being gathered around the family table.

 

 

Looking for help with your holiday shopping list this year? Check out our holiday gift guides for ideas for everyone on your list! We want everyone to enjoy the outdoors, and we work to build loyalty one connection at a time. Visit one of our stores or take advantage of our shipping or curbside pickup! #BeOutdoors

 

Written by Hailey Moore for RootsRated and legally licensed through the Matcha publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@getmatcha.com.

Barware Gifts Made For Holiday Cheer(sing)

For the hostess who deserves the mostess. These next level gifts are made for those on your list who take their cocktail or mocktail game seriously. Ideal ice, glasses and accessories for every drink! Let’s cheers with the hottest and coolest barware gifts this year. Clink your glasses and pinky’s up!

 

 

BrüMate Hopsulator Slim Can Cooler

White marble is all the trend this year in gifts for the home. This white marble BrüMate keeps our slim cans cold and keeps us looking classy. This fancy can-cooler is a non-slip, high-grip option that keeps slim cans cold all day. The marble matte finish is more than just pretty, with a non-slip coating high-quality insulation, paired with an easy fit gasket and rubber-stop bottom, your drink will stay where you put it no matter what.

 

 

Corkcicle Stemless Glass Set Prism

Add a little more fun to wine night with the ladies. The Corkcicle Stemless Glass Cup has a neat iridescent tint to it while still being transparent. It is also double-wall insulated keeping warm drinks warm and cold drinks cold!

 


Corkcicle Whiskey Wedge

The Corkcicle Whiskey Wedge is here to change the traditional nightcap game forever. Simply fill it up and place it in the freezer at least 4 hours before you pour your refreshments. The wedge will form a perfect ice cube that will melt slower than traditional ice cubes, keeping your drinks flavor intact for much longer. It’s a necessity for the whiskey drinker in your life!

 

 

 

W&P Design Marble Sphere Ice Mold

How to elevate your home bar game? Serve your drinks with ice spheres. This mold is ideal for the slow dilution of stiff cocktails whether you’re making a Negroni or Old Fashioned. The concept is simple. Big cubes melt more slowly than small ones. The tray is designed with sloped internal molds to create a seamless sphere. The rigid connections pins help secure the tray between filling, transfer, and freezing. The Marble Sphere Ice Mold brings speakeasy-quality ice to your home freezer.

 

 

W&P Design The Porter Straw – 10” Copper

Save the turtles and be stylish! W&P Design’s 10” Porter Straw is perfect for sipping your morning ice coffee or an afternoon cocktail! The straws are made of rust-resistant, plated stainless steel. Do the planet a favor and take these with you everywhere you go. Not only are the straws sleek and stylish but they’re the perfect alternative to single-use plastics.

 

 

W&P Design Water Bottle Ice Tray

These ice trays are so brilliant they make us say “why didn’t we come up with this?” This tray makes five individual ice spears that fit perfectly in most water bottles. The provided lid blocks out pesky flavors from your freezer, while an internal steel frame makes filling and transporting the tray a breeze.

 

‘Tis The Season Of Giving! Check out our other gift guides to help you find the perfect gifts for the ones on your list. We want everyone to enjoy the outdoors, and we work to build loyalty one connection at a time. Visit one of our stores or take advantage of our shipping or curbside pickup! #BeOutdoors

How to Host the (Almost) Perfect Holiday Gathering

Paget Pizitz of Melt and Fancy's on 5th

Paget Pizitz of Melt and Fancy’s on 5th

The holiday season is upon us and presents aren’t the only thing on the brain right now. Getting together with friends and family is a huge part of this upcoming season, but being the ultimate holiday host can be overwhelming. We spoke with Paget Pizitz, Harriet Despinakis and Megan Miller of Melt and Fancy’s on 5th to get their expert advice on being holiday hosts.

Shake Things Up With a Signature Cocktail.

Revamp a stuffy sit-down dinner with a signature cocktail (or mocktail)! It’s a great way to start your own tradition as well. Megan, the manager of Fancy’s on 5th, suggests the French 75. Nothing is more festive than a champagne-based drink. She uses organic Cava, Sipsmith Gin, fresh squeezed lemon and sugar to make the perfect bubbly drink. For those who don’t imbibe — or are underage — Megan suggests her take on the Basil Gimlet. Her perfected recipe starts by muddling fresh basil, lemon wedges, a pinch of sugar and topping it off with some soda water. Refreshing and festive, it’s the Corkcicle canteen and two stemless tumblers.perfect addition to your holiday soiree. To keep your cocktails perfectly chilled, serve using a Corkcicle canteen, stemless tumbler or champagne flute.

The Key to a Great Party? You’ll Be Surprised.

Lots of laughter and great food are key ingredients in a successful party. But to really make your gathering one that people will be talking about for weeks, Paget suggests adding an element of surprise to your party — the more non-traditional and out of the box, the better. It can be as simple as a photo booth with fun hats or as crazy as having a cardboard cut-out of a celebrity. It creates a giddy atmosphere that your guests will absolutely love. “Leak details to your most social friend and the rest will happen naturally,” said Paget. Also, invest in great ambient lighting. Great lighting can make or break a party. Whether you use candles, string lights or colored lanterns, guests will love the attention to detail and follow the mood that the lighting provides.

If You’re Hosting, Go Big Or Go Home.

Four girls throw glitter at nighttime terrace party.It may feel cheesy to have a themed party, but play into it. It makes it fun for you to plan and for the people showing up. Fill a small room with 500 balloons, put streamers and glitter everywhere — don’t be afraid to go for the dramatic impact! Paget’s favorite part of a party is cleaning up afterwards because “the longer it takes, the more certain you are your guests had a fabulous time.” Presentation is key and doesn’t always have to break the bank. You can pick up simple decorations at your local party store that are sure to wow your guests.

 

At the end of the day, the most important thing is building a community with the people you care most about. You’re able to bring different social groups together, all while filling a room with laughter, dancing and unbridled joy. We hope that your next gathering is one to remember!

 

Text by Kaitlin Cochran