Delicious hot spicy crab dip with a basket of bread is perfect party fare.
Serve Hot Crab Dip as an appetizer at your next party for a crowd pleasing snack. This spicy, cream dip makes party food special, and is a cinch to make. Add a tray of vegetables and call it dinner on movie night. It's sure to become a staple in your recipe box.
Crab
Use the real thing, meaning not in a can, but from a tub in your grocer's seafood department, or better yet, from a seafood shop. Maryland blue crab is the best if you can get it, or any of the other east coast states that produce it. Imported crabmeat has far less flavor. It's an acceptable substitute if that's all you can find, and is better than canned, but it's no match to what you'll get from a blue crab. Read the label to find the crab meat origin. Jumbo lump is the priciest, but what you spend in dollars will save you in time as there are rarely shells in lump meat. Otherwise, you'll have to feel through the meat to clean it of any stray shells.
Cheese
Most creamy dips are made with cream cheese, and you can feel free to substitute the yogurt here with 8 ounces of either regular or light cream cheese. The fat and calorie content of this dish are considerably high, and substituting the cream cheese with yogurt is one way to make it a bit lighter and healthier. If you can't find Greek style yogurt at your grocer, often in the organic section, make your own from plain low fat yogurt. Just pour it into a sieve lined with cheese cloth or a coffee filter, set that over a bowl to catch the strained liquid and store it in the refrigerator overnight. Next morning, toss the strained liquid. The yogurt will now be much thicker, more of a cheese or sour cream consistency. The pepper cheese in this recipe can be substituted with cheddar. Feel free to toss in some diced jalapenos for a spice-loving crowd.
Hot Crab Dip Recipe
- 1 pound jumbo lump crab meat
- 1 cup Greek style yogurt or yogurt cheese (see above)
- 1/2 cup grated pepper jack cheese
- 4 oz. Brie cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Ingredients:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine all ingredients and mix well.
- Pour into casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes, or until hot all the way through.
- Serve hot with good quality rolls, pita bread triangles or crackers.
