Campfire Banana Boat Chocolate Caramel S'mores

Campfire Banana Boat Chocolate Caramel S'mores

Serves 4

• 4 ripe bananas
• 12 marshmallows (3 to 4 per banana), or a handful of mini marshmallows
• 12 squares dark chocolate (3 to 4 squares per banana)
• 1/4 cup caramel chips
• 8 graham crackers (2 per banana), crumbled

Cut a slit in the each banana, and open the skin up slightly. Scoop out a few small chunks of banana (and eat!).

Stuff 3 to 4 marshmallows in the scooped out sections of the banana, then tuck a square of chocolate beside each marshmallow. Sprinkle a few caramel chips over top.

Close the skin of the banana as much as you can, and place the bananas directly on a campfire grill. Alternatively, wrap the bananas tightly in foil and place directly on coals. (Be extra careful when pulling them out of the coals and opening.)

The banana skins will blacken as the bananas cook. Grill until the chocolate and caramel melt, and the marshmallows begin to look squidgy, 5 to 7 minutes.

Using metal tongs, carefully transfer bananas on plates. The bananas might release some water, if they do, use a paper towel to wipe off.

Sprinkle the crushed graham crackers over top, and serve with a spoon for scooping.

Recipe Notes

Bananas cooked directly over the grill will have a slightly smokey flavor. When wrapped in foil, they have less smokey flavor and will take a few more minutes to cook.

Easy Jalapeño Grilled Chicken

Easy Jalapeño Grilled Chicken

Serves 4

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds total)
• 4 peeled garlic cloves
• 2 limes, quartered
• 2 medium jalapeños, cut into thirds (seeded, if desired)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• For serving:
• Lettuce
• Cilantro
• Lime wedges
• Diced jalapeños

Working with 2 chicken breasts at a time, place inside a gallon zip-top bag. Use the flat side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin and pound them until they are 1/2-inch thick. Transfer the flattened chicken breasts to a plate and repeat with the remaining breasts. Transfer the second batch of breasts to the plate, and then make sure your zip-top bag does not have any holes in it from pounding the chicken breasts. If it does, replace with a new bag; otherwise build the marinade in the same bag.

Place the garlic, limes, and jalapeños in the zip-top bag. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible, then pound until the garlic, limes, and jalapeños are smashed but not pulverized. Open the bag and add the olive oil, salt, cumin, and pounded chicken breasts. Close the bag and massage to coat the chicken. Place the bag on a baking sheet so that the chicken lays in a single layer in the bag. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the refrigerator while the preheating the grill. If using a gas grill, heat the grill to high. For a charcoal grill, prepare the grill for both direct and indirect heat. Once the grill grates are hot, scrape any debris from the grates and oil well.

Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade with tongs. Place the breasts over direct heat, cover, and cook undisturbed until grill marks appear, about 4 minutes. If the meat sticks to the grill, continue to cook for another minute until it releases easily. Flip and cook the second side until grill marks appear, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium on a gas grill (or transfer to indirect heat on a charcoal grill) and grill until the chicken is cooked through and registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.

Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving over a bed of lettuce with more lime, diced jalapeños, and cilantro.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Stovetop variation: Pound chicken and marinate as directed above. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large cast iron pan over medium-high heat until it shimmers, about 3 minutes. Swirl the pan to evenly distribute the oil, then add two of the chicken breasts to the pan. Cook undisturbed until they're golden-brown and no longer stick to the pan, 6 to 8 minutes. If you try to flip the chicken and it clings to the pan, it isn’t ready to flip. Flip the breasts and add 1 tablespoon of butter between the breasts. Swirl the pan to distribute the melting butter, and cook until the breasts reach an internal temperature of 165°F, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the cooked chicken to a plate and repeat cooking with the remaining chicken breasts. Squeeze lime over the top of the chicken breasts, and rest for 3 minutes before slicing.