Alright, let me start by saying there ain't nothing wrong with a classic s'more. Graham cracker, Hershey's chocolate, jet-puffed marshmallow toasted till it's golden brown. That's American heritage right there. My daddy made 'em that way and his daddy before him and I'm sure his daddy's daddy was roasting marshmallows over some fire somewhere in Tennessee.
But here's the deal. I've been camping in my fifth wheel for going on seven years now, and I've had more campfires than most folks have had hot dinners. At some point you start experimenting. And let me tell you, some of these variations are absolutely RIDICULOUS in the best way possible.
The Elvis
The Texas BBQ - Now hear me out before you judge me. Take a Ritz cracker instead of graham. Put a small piece of smoked brisket on there. Yes, brisket. Marshmallow on top. Another Ritz. The sweet and smoky and salty combination is something else entirely. My buddy Dale thought I'd lost my mind till he tried one and then ate four more. His wife had to cut him off.
The Campground Cookie - Use chocolate chip cookies instead of graham crackers. That's it. That's the upgrade. I use Chips Ahoy because I'm not fancy, but if you've got some bakery cookies, even better. The chocolate in the cookies plus the chocolate from the Hershey's is what I call "double chocolate madness" and my grandkids go absolutely nuts for 'em.
The Reese's Situation - Replace the Hershey bar with a Reese's peanut butter cup. This ain't exactly groundbreaking, a lot of folks know about this one, but I'm including it because it's just that good. The peanut butter cup melts perfectly and you get that chocolate-peanut butter thing going on that is, in my professional opinion, one of the greatest flavor combinations known to mankind.
The Strawberry Shortcake - Use vanilla wafers instead of grahams. Slice up some fresh strawberries. Marshmallow. A drizzle of that Hershey's strawberry syrup if you're feeling fancy. Karen Thompson at our campground in Branson tried this one and said it was like dessert at a five-star restaurant. I don't know about all that but it IS real tasty.
The Trail Boss Special - This is my signature. Graham cracker, a square of dark chocolate (I use Ghirardelli 72% because I have SOME class), roasted marshmallow, AND a piece of candied bacon. I make the candied bacon earlier in the day -- just brown sugar and bacon in a skillet till it gets all caramelized and crispy. The combo of dark chocolate, sweet marshmallow, and salty candied bacon is... well, it's the reason I named it after myself. A man's gotta have some pride.
Pro tip: toast your marshmallow low and slow. I see people shoving them right into the flames and getting a charcoal ball. That ain't toasting, that's arson. Hold it about 6 inches above the coals, rotate it slow, let it get golden all the way around. Takes about two minutes instead of ten seconds. Patience, my friends. Good things come to those who wait.
Now if you'll excuse me, all this writing has made me hungry and I've got a bag of marshmallows with my name on it.
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took the ATVs out last weekend and tried some of this advice. Solid stuff.
The setup and teardown tips alone are worth the read. Saves us an hour each trip.
Single lady RVer here — this is gold. Bookmarking immediately.
Bookmarking this entire site basically. So much good info.
Sound advice. Too many folks skip the basics and pay for it later.
Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. All accurate.