Savory S'mores Have Pretty Much Limitless Options

One of the best things about today's culinary climate is the growing sense of lawlessness. Okay, so maybe we're not into rulebreaking in the "defy food safety" sense, since you buck USDA recommendations at your own risk, but it's pretty cool how these days set mealtimes and menus are optional (and cereal for dinner is totally acceptable). What defines certain dishes, too, is clearly changing, since cookies can now be savory as well as sweet. With that in mind, why can't we transform a sticky, gooey campfire treat like s'mores into something a little more sophisticated and a lot less sugary?

We've written about numerous s'mores variations over the past few years, even soliciting reader input to provide s'mores hacks such as different mix-ins or alternatives to graham crackers, but we've never yet considered the savory s'more. With no further ado, we present the basic concept: Instead of a sweet(ish) graham cracker or cookie topped with marshmallows and chocolate, the savory s'more consists of a non-sweet cracker topped with melty cheese and your choice of condiment or spread.

If your cheese is firmish, you can even heat it on a skewer as you would a marshmallow. If not, you can melt it atop one cracker in the microwave, toaster oven, conventional oven, or air fryer. Once the cheese is semi-melted, spread your chosen condiment on top, then close off the s'more with another cracker.

Savory s'mores are brand new territory for all of us, and we're all creating this concept as we go. You could choose to go extra aromatic with a water cracker sandwich filled with garlicky boursin and onion jam, or you might like something more basic like saltines with Velveeta and ketchup. If you bought a tube of Kalles Creamed Smoked Cod Roe Spread from Ikea and have no idea what to do with it, try smearing it on a broiled cream cheese-topped rye crispbread. If you like this idea, you could make another rye cracker sandwich with havarti and lingonberry jam and have yourself a Swedish-style s'mores smörgåsbord.

If you don't mind bending the rules a bit, we could also be a bit flexible with the definition of "cracker." Mozzarella and tomato jam between two crostini would make for an elegant Italian-style s'more, or you could go French with brie and honey between slices of toasted baguette. Ingredients like chopped chives, snipped dill, or thin-sliced ham could go with any or all of these s'mores.

Finally, we'll finish with a few of my personal picks, both made with my favorite crackers. I've long been making cheddar and salsa "Trachos" with Triscuits, while another one of my go-to snacks involves Triscuits covered with melted blue cheese crumbles and Louisiana-style hot sauce. So far I've been eating both of these in the open-faced form, but all they need is an extra layer of crackers on top to transform them into s'mores.