What to Bring to a Bonfire (Besides Matches)

Fall is an amazing time for a bonfire. The air is chilly, the fire is hot, and the tea is both drinketh-ed and spilled-eth. But it can be hard to know exactly what to bring when you are invited to a bonfire, so we are here to share with you our list of what to bring to a bonfire, based on the Sporked team’s taste tests. This is everything from stuff to cook in the fire to tasty snacks to eat while you hear everyone share their deepest darkest secrets. Laissez les bon(fire) temps rouler.

Tapatío Doritos

This one is a great way to make friends. A lot of people don’t even know Tapatío Doritos exist and hoooo boi are those people missing out. Our tasting team described these as “incredibly delicious” and noted that if you love Tapatío you will love these because they taste like “Tapatío hot sauce, specifically.” Munch on these and then you can feel the heat both inside and outside your face while staring at that big ol’ bonfire.

Hebrew National Beef Franks

There are few savory foods lend themselves better to being stuck on a stick and roasted over a bonfire, and these are the absolute best hot dogs you can buy. They are pre-cooked so there’s no danger in accidentally undercooking them, and you can get them as toasty, crispy, or burned to a crisp as your heart desires. Plus, these just taste so good. Our team loved the spice blend, noting that these all-beef dawgs are “dense with wonderful flavor—alt, spice, garlic powder, and paprika combine to create a juicy bite of beef.” So avoid having beef with your friends at the bonfire and instead have this beef with your friends. I can promise you, this beef tastes better.

Jet-Puffed S’more Vanilla Marshmallows (for S’mores)

What kind of bonfire food list maker would I be if I didn’t include any s’mores accouterments?! Now, it may surprise you that our favorite marshmallows for s’mores are not just the classic s’mores-sized Jet-Puffed Marshmallows, but trust us, these vanilla marshmallows will up your s’mores game tenfold. They are, as our taste testers described them, “ethereal, square-shaped pillows with a lovely hint of vanilla flavor.” Plus, they are a lil bigger than your average marshmallow, aka “a thick chunk of mallow.” Go get these and impress your friends with your extensive knowledge of the best s’mores ingredients.

Flipz Milk Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Not sure whether you want a salty campfire snack or a sweet one? Get yourself some chocolate-covered pretzels, specifically these Flipz chocolate-covered pretzels. These were our favorite from our taste tests, as the “ratio of chocolate to pretzel is perfect,” and they have “a great balance of salt and sweet.” Also, you can use these as the chocolate in your s’mores, and, oh boi, is that a sweet and salty little treat.

Coca-Cola

This is a no-brainer. Coca-Cola is the perfect soda. Have a cooler of these out and I can assure you no one will be mad about it.

Kraft Finely Shredded Sharp Cheddar, Bacon Bits, and Scallions (For Loaded Bonfire Baked Potatoes)

I know it seems a bit weird, but trust me on this. Pre-bake some russet potatoes, then bring lil containers of bacon bits, sour cream, scallion, pickled jalapeño, salsa, and shredded cheese. Then have people fill their potatoes up with cheese and bacon bits, wrap them in foil, and put them in the fire for a lil bit. Then you take them out and put on the rest of the toppings. Loaded baked potatoes y’all. I’m tellin’ ya, it’s a bonfire food. We highly recommend using this Kraft shredded cheddar because it is tangy, salty, and not clumpy. You really can’t go wrong with this one.