Experts Share Why Cheese Belongs on the Campfire

Tent, check. Sleeping back, check. Wait. You forgot the Comté?

While we can’t find cheese on any of the expert camping pack lists out there, we’re pretty sure that’s just an oversight. Because once you bring cheese and a few other key ingredients to the campfire, you’ll never go back to packing just baked beans.

Whether you’re spending a night or two on the camp trail and want fuel for exploration, or you’re just cooking over a fire in your backyard on a lark, the goal is always part tasty culinary creation, part nostalgic, childhood fun. Either way, the result is hot melted cheese and that's always a good thing.

“Letting dishes bubble over flames while everyone gathers around with skewers is one of my favorite things to do,” says Garrett Kasper, executive chef at adventure lodge Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City, and a staunch advocate of cooking over campfires with friends and family. “It’s the kind of thing that slows everyone down in the best way—warm, a little messy and all about a shareable moment.”

There’s also something primal about cooking over the fire.

Chef George Duran, host of TLC’s The Ultimate Cake Off

“Cooking over a fire just feels primal,” explains George Duran, a chef, entertainer and host of TLC’s The Ultimate Cake Off. “And personally, when cooking on a campfire, I feel like the flavor is unmatched. That smoky, charred, slightly unpredictable flavor you get from an open fire cannot be replicated on a stove or grill. It’s the magic seasoning no spice rack can create.

S’mores, for many, embodies the ultimate chef-y, kid-friendly project that feels equal parts contemporary and caveman—and yes, you can do it with cheese—but there are a number of other ways to create cheesy, delicious fun over the fire.

Campfire Fondue

Chef Kasper is all in on Campfire Fondue. “It’s got the same fireside fun as s’mores, just a little more savory, a little more grown-up,” Kasper says of his trademark Campfire Fondue. “It’s also way more delicious, and easier than it sounds.”

You need skewers, a small cast-iron pot, cheese that will melt, consider traditional fondue cheeses such as Gruyère, Emmental or Fontina. A splash of wine or beer, and bread, roasted veggies, apple slice and/or grilled sausage for dipping. Put the cheese in the pot and let it bubble over the flames, while everyone gathers with skewers of their favorite snacks. Once the cheese is melty, you’re in business. If you want to ensure a smooth emulsion, a pinch of cornstarch will do the trick.

Fire-Roasted Jalapeno Cheese Bombs with Cream Cheese and Parmesan

Chef Duran loves the super-packed flavor in these little spice bombs, saying they offer maximum impact with minimal effort. You need 8-10 medium-sized jalapenos, sliced in half without seeds or membranes. 8 ounces of cream cheese, 1 cup of shredded parmesan, salt and pepper to taste, and a sprinkling of green onions; mix all of this in a bowl until smooth, then fill each jalapeno half with the cheese mixture, pressing the halves back together to create a stuffed pepper capsule. Here’s where a package of crescent roll dough, or pre-made biscuit dough comes in. Cut the rolls or doughs into strips, and wrap each jalapeno in a snug dough blanket, then pinch to seal. Wrap each nugget in foil, twisting the ends to create little packets, place near hot embers but not on flames, for 10 minutes, flipping once. Unwrap and dig in for melty, smoky, ridiculous goodness.

Burst Tomato Dip With Goat Cheese

We also turned to Chef Corso, a classically trained chef who started the adventure-centric food and recipe guide Outdoor Eats to elevate eating outside. “Campfire cooking is a fun way to get back to our roots,” Corso says. His dip would be right at home in a wine bar, but is even better al fresco.

You’ll need a cast-iron skillet, a splash of olive oil, one clove of chopped garlic (or garlic powder), 10.5 ounces of cherry tomatoes, a 16-ounce log of goat cheese, a loaf of your favorite crusty bread or a package of crackers, dried oregano, chili flakes and salt to taste. Add olive oil to the skillet, then garlic, tomatoes, oregano, chili flakes and salt. Cook for a few minutes until the tomatoes burst. Stir in goat cheese, melt, then dip away.

Campfire Bake With Feta

Sarah Bond is a Denver-based food scientist, cookbook author and founder of the blog live eat learn. During the summer when Bond isn’t working, she spends a great deal of time camping in the Rocky Mountains. She says she loves bringing cheese to the party, but also wants to keep the packing list and prep time short and sweet.

You’ll need a bowl, a disposable aluminum pan or baking dish, 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, 1 14-ounce can of chickpeas, drained, salt and pepper to taste, 1 8-ounce block of feta cheese and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. In a large bowl toss the tomatoes, chickpeas, salt and pepper. Place the feta in the center of a pan or dish (8 x 8 inches), sprinkle with crushed red pepper. Add the tomatoes and chickpeas to the pan, cover with foil and either store before cooking, or cook immediately over hot embers, about 30 minutes.

Psst: for the camping averse—if you just decide to experiment with these in your backyard over a campfire, or even at your fireplace in the dead of winter, only to retire upstairs to your cozy bed, we promise we won’t tell. It’s still totally caveman and primal.