Grape Salad

The other day my friends decided to have a cook out for dinner. On short notice I was a little pressed about what to bring that could be made quickly, enjoyed in the current scorching summer heat and could feed a crowd. My immediate thought was fruit of some kind because fruit always seems refreshing. I had about 2 hours before I was supposed to be at dinner and needed something quick and easy.

I was thinking something along the lines of a watergate or ambrosia salad vibe where the fruit acts more like a dessert salad. I immediately remembered the awesome grape salad my aunt had brought to Easter. It was a simple treat that did offer a slightly healthier option than what a dessert could have been. I didn't know her recipe but I remembered the nut and brown sugar topping were the absolute highlight of the dessert, aesthetically and taste wise.

Since the cook out was taking place right before 4th of July it felt fitting to use colors that most closely went with a red, white and blue theme. So hear me out - red grapes, white cream cheese and marshmallow dressing... and black grapes which honestly are close enough in my opinion.. you get the idea.

I started by prepping the grapes - you know the deal. Wash those little things, you have no idea where they've been and let them dry. Cut grapes in half making sure to remove stems. Combine the marshmallow fluff and cream cheese either by allowing the cream cheese to soften or whipping the two together if you're on a time crunch. Combine the grapes and dressing mixture together, coating all the grapes. If you have time allow this to sit in the fridge for even 20 minutes and the flavors will start coming together. When you're ready to serve top with the chopped nuts and brown sugar.

Honestly so easy to make, delicious to eat and relatively cheap. I might really go for the red white and blue version and substitute blueberries in with the red grapes in the future since I plan on making this at least a couple more times this summer.