Fall is perhaps finally here in Kentucky! To me, this is the start of the holiday season because it seems like we go from putting out pumpkins to Christmas trees in like 2.0 seconds.
Today, I’m sharing a terrific hot dip that’s perfect for any get together at any time of year. It’s always been more of a cool weather dip for me though because it’s hot and hearty. This is an adaption of a Pampered Chef recipe for Crab Artichoke Dip. I like artichoke just fine but I choose to omit it to make it all about the crab.
I recommend using grated/shaved parmesan cheese rather than the canned stuff. It makes for a much creamier dip. I also use light mayonnaise (not fat-free, never fat-free) instead of full fat and it’s plenty flavorful.
I serve with crackers but pita chips or toasted bread chunks would be good too!
Hot Crab Dip
1 8oz block of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup mayonnaise
1 8oz package imitation crab meat, chopped
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus additional for topping
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions, including tops
1 lemon
salt and pepper
1/3 cup chopped red pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cream cheese and mayonnaise together in a medium bowl. Chop up your imitation crab met slice up your green onions. If you’d like, slick up an extra tablespoon or two of green onion to top off the dish later.
There’s something about chopping imitation crab meat that I find fun. I’m weird.
Add your chopped crab, green onions and parmesan cheese to the bowl. Zest the lemon and add in about a teaspoon of lemon zest to the mixture. Give it a dash of salt and pepper and mix well. Hold on to your red pepper for now.
Spoon mixture into a medium sized casserole or baking dish.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until brown around the edges. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chopped red pepper, your extra green onion slices (if you chose to do that) and an additional tablespoon (or two) of parmesan. Pop back in the oven for a couple of minutes so the cheese can melt and the pepper will soften slightly.
Serve warm. Makes 4 cups of dip.
