- Home
- Recipes
- Special Features
- Picnics and BBQs
- Fire Up the BBQ
Picnics and BBQs 
TopFire Up the BBQ
Tips for a successful outdoor get-together
If you enjoy entertaining and sharing a meal with friends while delighting in the warm sunshine, then you will love preparing this barbecue.
Planning is often the key to keeping stress levels in check.
7 days ahead
- Inform your neighbours about the upcoming party
- Take stock of how many chairs, folding tables, reusable plates and cutlery, napkins and garbage bags you have
- Plan the menu
- Make a list of the ingredients you have in your pantry
- Buy wine, beer, soft drinks, fruit juices, frozen pops, potato chips, condiments and sauces (mustards, ketchup, olives, salsa, pesto, garlic sauce and marinades)
4 days ahead
- Select the music for your party
- Make a list of fresh foods and bakery items you need, and buy them
2 days ahead
- Plan your meal preparation
- Mow the lawn
- Clean the garden or patio and the grill
The day before
- Prepare salads without the vinaigrette
- Prepare marinades and sauces
- Prepare fruits and vegetables and refrigerate
- Stock up on ice cubes or prepare some yourself
- Wash and slice your favourite citrus fruits (lemons, limes, oranges)
The day of the party
- Prepare sangria and summer fruit punches
- Decorate the area and set up tables and chairs
- Place small bowls of lemon water on the table if you are serving foods best eaten with fingers
- Marinate meats for 2-3 hours before cooking
- Light the barbecue at least 30 minutes before you are ready to start grilling
- Turn on the music before the party so that when the guests arrive, the ambience is already set
Delicious Drinks
Metro invites you to toast with these four delicious drink recipes. Raise your glass to originality!
A Breath of Fresh Air
- 2 parts Merit Selection cranberry and raspberry cocktail
- 1 part Merit Selection carbonated lemon-flavoured natural mineral water
- Fresh whole mint leaves to taste
Chill glasses in the freezer for 1 hour before preparing this delicious cocktail.
In a pitcher, combine the cocktail and mineral water. Mix. Pour into chilled glasses, garnish with mint leaves and serve immediately.
A Cool Sip of Iced Tea
- Merit Selection iced tea
- Merit Selection concentrated lemon juice to taste
- 3 sticks of cinnamon
- 1 lemon, sliced
In a pitcher, mix the iced tea and concentrated lemon juice. Add the cinnamon sticks, lemon slices and ice cubes.
Sangria
- 26 oz. (750 mL) bottle of dry red wine
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) Grand Marnier (or Cointreau)
- 1 cup (250 mL) Merit Selection cranberry and pear drink
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) Merit Selection orange juice
- Ground cinnamon, to taste
- Ground nutmeg, to taste
- 1 orange, sliced
- 1 lemon, sliced
In a large punch bowl, combine all the ingredients. Pour into cups and enjoy.
Coolers
- 1 12 oz. (341 mL) bottle of Rio Grande, Treebu or Irresistible beer
- 1 13 oz. (355 mL) bottle of Merit Selection lemon soft drink
In a large glass, combine 2/3 beer and 1/3 lemon soft drink.
Easy appetizers
Serve the following tasty toppings on crackers, cucumbers or slices of toasted French bread.
Maritime Tang
- Your choice of Merit Selection crackers
- Irresistible of Merit Selection seafood sauce
- Tin of Irresistible of Merit Selection smoked mussels, drained
- Fresh coriander leaf flakes
- Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
On each cracker, spread a bit of seafood sauce, top with 1 mussel, sprinkle with coriander and a few drops of lemon juice.
Smoked Oyster Treat
- 1 stick of French bread, sliced
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled
- Merit Selection cream cheese
- Tin of Irresistible of Merit Selection smoked oysters, drained
- Merit Selection green olives, sliced
- Merit Selection black olives, sliced
Toast the bread slices. Lightly rub with garlic. On each piece of toast, spread cream cheese, top with an oyster and garnish with olive slices.
Fresh Tidbits
- 1 large cucumber, unpeeled, washed
- Merit Selection sour cream
- A few slices of Irresistible of Merit Selection Black Forest-style smoked Atlantic salmon
- Drained capers, to taste
Run the teeth of a fork along the length of the cucumber to create ridges in the peel. Then slice the cucumber. Top with sour cream, a piece of smoked salmon and a few capers.
Season Your Summer
Merit Selection salad dressings can enhance the taste of your salads, grilled vegetables, dips and marinades. A dash of Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar dressing is a guaranteed hit on grilled vegetables. Or try using Sun-dried Tomato and Oregano dressing in a couscous salad, or add Italian dressing to a pasta salad.
You can also use our salad dressings to make a dip. Mixing a bit of French or Californian dressing into your favourite seafood sauce makes a great dip for fried squid or shrimp. Mixing Bacon Ranch or Maple Dijon with mayonnaise, yogurt or sour cream. They make excellent dips for chips, raw veggies, ribs or chicken nuggets.
Merit Selection Burgers
Quick-frozen and ready to grill, tender and tasty Merit Selection Burgers will make your life a whole lot easier. There are four different varieties that go straight from the freezer to the grill: All-Swiss All-Bacon Burger; Burger Supreme; Classic Brie Burger; and Mediterranean Burger.
Sweet Barbecued Delights
Even dessert can be prepared on the barbecue. Here are two recipes to try.
Fruit Brochettes
1Cut your favourite fruits—such as pineapples, bananas or apples—into large pieces and thread them onto a wooden skewer (pre-soaked in lukewarm water for 10 minutes).
2Baste with a mixture of liquid Merit Selection honey and vanilla.
3Brown lightly on the barbecue for a few minutes and serve with Merit Selection ice cream.
Bananas in a Foil Bundle
1Make a shallow cut on the top of the bananas.
2Pour maple syrup or Merit Selection honey on them. For your older guests, you can also add coffee liqueur.
3Sprinkle with nutmeg, then wrap in aluminum foil.
4Place the bundles on the barbecue for approx. 10 minutes. When you start to smell the sweet aroma, they're ready. Serve with Merit Selection ice cream.
Recipes to try
STAY CONNECTED
Download the My Metro app.
Grocery list, flyer, coupons and points all at your fingertips!
Follow us
For more inspiration, recipes and exclusive offers.
