Chicken Salad Chick's Grape-Based Side Is Basically Just Dessert

Almost anything can be considered a salad as long as it's tossed in loads of creamy dressing. Don't believe us? Just ask Chicken Salad Chick founder Stacy Brown. When the Alabama native discovered that her chicken salad recipe was not only good enough to eat but good enough to sell, she decided to open a restaurant where her chicken salad could be the star of the show. However, recognizing that every sandwich needs a good side dish, she also thought to include another southern staple on the menu: grape salad.

Reminiscent of a Waldorf salad, grape salad is a sweet and fruity treat that toes the line between dessert and side dish. It's made by tossing a combination of green and red grapes in a mixture of softened cream cheese, sour cream, brown sugar, and vanilla extract before topping the whole ensemble with pecans. Served cold, this dish is a summertime favorite in the Southern part of the United States.

The best part of a grape salad (other than the fact that it's delicious) is its versatility. Whether you're serving brunch or dinner, waffles or catfish, grape salad can easily be placed alongside a great number of sweet and savory dishes. You can also turn the side dish into the main entree by simply piling the sweet mixture atop a bed of greens for a proper salad. If you would rather that your grape salad not be a side dish at all, cover it in chopped snickers and call it a dessert!

Because grape salad is easy to prepare in large quantities, it makes an excellent addition to backyard barbecues. With sturdy grapes as the base, this is one particular salad (or dessert) that can hold up, even if it's made ahead of time. Enclosed in an airtight container and stored in the fridge, grape salad can stay fresh for up to two days.