Hot Crab Dip

Submitted by patriciamercer84

"Here's a quick, easy, and delicious, piping hot crab dip, perfect for a winter gathering. The base is cream cheese, mayo and crab. We've dressed ours up with green onions, parsley, horseradish, slivered almonds and Tabasco. The proportions are guidelines, really this is to taste."

 

• Ready In: 25mins
• Ingredients: 14
• Yields: 1 batch
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1⁄3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 green onions, sliced, greens included
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon horseradish
• 1⁄4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1⁄2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (to taste)
• 1⁄2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided
• 1⁄2 cup slivered almonds
• 3 1⁄2 cups loosely packed baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup fresh lump crabmeat (or a can of crab meat)

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a mixing bowl beat together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, water, onions, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and parsley until smooth. Mix in the Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, and horseradish.
3. In a small skillet melt butter over medium heat. Once butter melts add spinach and cook just until spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. Transfer to the mixing bowl.
4. Fold in the slivered almonds, spinach and lump crab meat. Place in an oven-proof casserole serving dish.
5. Bake until bubbly and heated through, about 20 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven, stir and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Turn on the broiler and cook for 3-5 minutes or until top is browned and edges are bubbly.
7. Serve with crackers or thinly sliced baguette.

Reviews

[rigalich]

I have made this several times, with different cooking techniques - in the oven, or a combination of the microwave and griller (broiler)! As a variation, I don't always add the butter, spinach, green onions, parsley or parmesan cheese. It is just a popular. For a fast method, I soften the cream cheese in the microwave (which also warms it) then mix in the rest of the ingredients. And rather than mixing the almonds in, I put a layer of them over the top of the dish, and then place under the griller until the almonds are toasted. And serve with a cob torn into pieces. Viola! Really fast and easy. And yes, I do use canned crab!

 

[ErikTheV]

Seems like a lot of horseradish for a delicate flavoured meat such as fresh crab. I prefer to use a little cayenne pepper for light heat to maintain the crab taste as priority. Of course, if you're just using cheap tinned crab, it makes very little difference. (It appears that I have offended two people (one of whom decided my comments were unworthy as I had not actually made the recipe as listed, yet had not even done that themselves, the other thought my comments 'nasty and snippy'). My comments were never meant that way as I was under the impression that this was a 'recipe' web page not an 'I made it too and it was spectacular!' mutual appreciation society! I don't like horseradish mainly because of its very strong taste and was concerned it would overpower 'fresh lump crab meat' as suggested in the recipe and commented accordingly. There are two types of canned crab and a cheap can would provide crab flavour yet not lose by being overpowered by the other additions whereas an expensive canned crab could suffer the same fate as the fresh. Yet it appears by commenting at all I have offended these folk, yet have 7 people flag my comment as 'helpful' so I seem to be batting .777. Maybe I should just keep my thoughts to myself and let someone spend a lot of money on fresh quality crab meat and have them complain instead!

 

[The Dabblers]

Well said #812789! I have not made the recipe either but I will, however my purpose in writing is to support your remarks. There are far too many morons clogging up recipe websites with remarks like - sound delicious I will make it some day. So shut up until you have - I don't like the sound of this. So shut up if you haven't tried it - I think it has too much fat/sugar/oil etc etc. So don't make it and just go away Well done #812789 Regards, John

 

[812789]

The first reviewer should have actually TRIED the recipe before rating it. This recipe was wonderful when I had some guests drop by and needed to whip up something quick. A few weeks earlier I asked my husband to pick up crab meat, he brought home canned, I put it in the pantry for an "emergency". I was so glad I had it! My family and guests loved it! My 8yr old was working to get the last bits up with crust from sourdough bread! I hope nobody is discouraged from trying this recipe after the nasty, snippy review that unfortunately holds the #1 spot.