Try This Crowd-Pleasing Crab Dip

From holiday parties to family gatherings to at-home game and movie nights, it’s always nice to have a special recipe on hand that you know will be a crowd-pleaser. This crab dip is a great way to add a little extra flavour to any occasion, as an appetizer, snack or side dish.

Rich and delicious, the dip is made with mouth-watering chunks of Canadian crab meat, savoury seasonings and three melted cheeses, and pairs well with crunchy companions such as crackers, crostini or cut-up veggies.

How to make crab dip

To make this easy dip, start by pre-heating your oven to 350°F. While the oven is heating up, mix a can of drained chunk Canadian crab meat together with sour cream, cream cheese, mayonnaise, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, a finely chopped shallot, one minced garlic clove, grainy Dijon mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and Old Bay seasoning. (If you don’t have Old Bay seasoning on hand, Cajun seasoning works very well.) Pour the mixture into an oven-safe dish and top with shredded Parmesan cheese. After about 15 to 20 minutes in the oven, your crab dip will be ready.

And while the flavour and texture of this recipe are sure to be all you are thinking about while you eat it, it also offers satisfying nutrition. Canadian crab meat is rich in protein, vitamin B12 and folate, and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. It’s always great when nutritious foods taste amazing, isn’t it?

A few delicious variations of the recipe that you may wish to try include:

• Canadian lobster meat for an even more decadent flavour
• Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream for added protein
• Alternate cheeses such as Gruyère, havarti, colby or any other cheese you have on hand

If you are prepping ahead of schedule, feel free to mix all the ingredients together and store the dip in the fridge for up to 24 hours before baking it.

The recipe

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Prep Time: 8–10 minutes Cook Time: 20–25 minutes Serves: 2–4

Ingredients 1 can (120 g) Canadian chunk crab meat ½ cup (100 g) cream cheese, room temperature ¼ cup (63 ml) sour cream ¼ cup (63 ml) mayonnaise ½ cup (125 ml) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded 1 small shallot, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice 1 tsp (5 ml) grainy Dijon mustard 1 tsp (5 ml) Worcestershire sauce ½ tsp Old Bay seasoning ¼ cup (63 ml) shredded Parmigiano Reggiano

Garnish: ½ tbsp chives, chopped

Preheat oven to 350F (177C).

In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together except Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and chives.

Transfer to a small (2–3 cup) oven-safe dish. Top with shredded Parmigiano Reggiano. Bake in oven for 15–20 minutes, or until edges are golden and bubbling.

Switch to broil for 2–3 minutes or until top is golden.

Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.

Garnish with chives and serve with crostini, crackers or vegetables.

Find more simple and delicious seafood recipes at chooseseafood.ca.