A whimsical dinner that’s easier than it looks!

I just love simple food that looks fancy. Have you ever grilled grapes before? It’s so satisfying. It takes just minutes and they become jammy from the heat and add a juicy smokiness to grilled chicken. It isn’t difficult at all so don’t be scared!

The Rose Table is in no way affiliated with The Walt Disney Company.
Photography by Darling Photography.

I developed this recipe for my Disney Dinners: Alice in Wonderland party to be a play off of the classic tea sandwich. It has all of the components of a chicken salad sandwich: chicken, grapes, almonds, and the creaminess of ricotta on grilled bread. Reasoning beside, this is a glamorous and simple dinner fit for a weeknight or company! This dinner comes together in just about fifteen minutes once you pull the chicken out of the marinade.

If you’ve never cooked couscous before, you’re in for a treat. It’s one of my favorite grains to cook. All you do is boil water, add the couscous, turn off the heat, and let it hang out for five minutes. Literally! Fluff with a fork and you’re ready to rock and roll. I often make couscous when I’m grilling because it’s so fast and I can do it on my side burner.

You can use regular almonds if you prefer but they don’t at all taste the same as Marcona almonds, which are delicate and rich and salty and divine.

Note: I doubled this to serve six guests at Alice in Wonderland. This recipe is easy to scale up or down!

Deconstructed Chicken Salad

3-4 pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breast
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinaigrette
1 large garlic clove
1 rosemary sprig
Sea salt (about 4 grinds per piece of chicken)
1 box toasted pine nut couscous 
2 oz good Feta cheese
1 Tbsp Marcona almonds, chopped
1 large bunch red grapes
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinaigrette
Crusty bread
Ricotta (whole milk)

1. Pour olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette in a large Ziplock bag. Add garlic clove, rosemary sprig, and sea salt. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towel. Add chicken to marinade and massage it to thoroughly coat. Marinate for about forty minutes in fridge, then move to counter for last twenty minutes.
2. Rinse and pat dry one large bunch of red seedless grapes. It’s easier to grill if you keep them as one bunch, but you want to end up with one stem for each piece of chicken. Toss grapes in a bowl with 2 Tbsp olive oil and 2 Tbsp balsamic vinaigrette, moving around to thoroughly coat. Marinate for an hour.
3. Cook couscous according to package directions. Set aside.
4. Grill chicken at about 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes, turning once, until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Move chicken and grill marinated grapes for about three minutes or until bursting open. Drizzle olive oil on thick bread slices and grill until nice and toasty.
5. Serve chicken over couscous and sprinkle with chopped Marcona almonds and crumbled feta cheese. Top with grapes. Serve with grilled bread smothered with ricotta cheese!

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Read more about Disney Dinners: Alice in Wonderland here. Watch the video:

Make your own magic,

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